We didn't plan to spend five days sampling the best barbecue in Missouri and Kansas but that's what happen on our trip to St Louis. Our reason for taking a vacation there was to spend some time with my wife's niece and husband which we did. St Louis is kind of a empty city. Most of the industries that supported the city during the 40s and 50s have left and nothing has really replaced them. The city isn't run down like Detroit but there isn't a lot of life in the city or a lot to do. The main attraction is the Gateway Arch, the Anheuser Busch brewery and the Busch stadium where the St Louis cardinals play.
We were only in St Louis a couple of days so we found enough to keep us busy. One of the better things we did was go to Grant Park which is zoo/park. They have the Budweiser Clydesdale which are big and beautiful horses and we were able to get up close and pet them. We also made friends with some goats.
Besides the zoo/park we did visit the Gateway Arch. Its a hollow stainless steel structure that is 630 feet high. You can actual ride up to the top of the arch and see the skyline which I did. I got a few cool pictures of from both the top.
and a from the ground using the arch to block the sun.
St Louis is know for jazz and barbecue and we indulged in the latter. If you like tender melt in your mouth beef or pork you can't beat Pappy's in St Louis. It was definitely some of the best barbecue I have ever had.
We did take in a baseball game while we were there since we are baseball fans. The stadium is a nice modern venue with some of the most courteous fans I have ever met.
From St Louis we drove to Kansas city in search of more barbecue and to take in another baseball game. On the way we stopped for dinner at a Bandana's barbecue chain and for a chain restaurant the food was amazingly good.
In Kansas City we spent the day visiting some of the local landmarks including the surprising good Negro League Baseball Museum. We are baseball fans and like to explore the history of the game. I didn't know a lot about the negro leagues which existed in one form or another from 1920 through the late 40s. There were some amazing stories about the stars of the league most of whom were actually better players than the ones in the major league. One of the most colorful player was Satchel Paige who had these 6 rules to live by.
1. Avoid fried meats, which angry up the blood.
2. If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts.
3. Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move.
4. Go very light on vices such as carrying on in society. The social ramble ain't restful.
5. Avoid running at all times.
6. Don't look back, something may be gaining on you.
There are a lot of cool stories about him so you should check out some more of his quotes.
The negro league had a different style of play than regular baseball. They stole more bases, bunted more and were more aggressive at the plate. In general it was a more exciting game and when these player were integrated into the major leagues the game of baseball became better.
The other highlight of Kansas was more barbecue. We went to a place called Slaps which was even better than Pappy's in St Louis. The thing I like about the barbecue from this area is that they don't put any sauce on the meat. The rub on the meat and smoking process make the meat tender and tasty with out anything else. All these places have barbecue sauce if you want but in my opinion its better with out it.
We had to go back to St Louis to fly home and on the way we stopped at the Truman library. It was a small place but did a good job of showing the history of the man and his presidency. Harry Truman was president at an a very turbulent time in history. Between the end of WWII, the atom bomb and the establishment of the state of Israel he had a lot to take care of over his 8 years.
It was only a short trip but it was enough time to have some fun and get my fill of some good barbecue.
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