The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial consists of the Gateway Arch, the Museum of Westward Expansion, and St. Louis' Old Courthouse. They are not to be missed. If you have no problem with heights, take a barrel ride up to the top of the arch, where you will have a wonderful view of St. Louis and the Mississippi River. (The barrels roll up the inside of the arch so the riders stay upright as the arch curves.) The movie on the building of the arch is one of the best on construction that I've seen.

Forest Park has the St. Louis Zoo whose huge bird enclosure dates from the 1904 worlds fair. Since then, the zoo has expanded and updated itself to be one of the premier habitat and breeding zoos in the country. Admission is free. Parking is not, but there is parking a short walking distance from the zoo entrance.

Also in Forest Park: The St. Louis Art Museum; the Saint Louis History Museum; a skating rink; a theater. Also, the Saint Louis Science Center with planetarium is hands- on, first-rate and fun. Not in Forest Park is the Laumeier Sculpture Garden with hiking trails among the art.

If you like beer, take a tour of the Anheuser Busch Brewery. It's free and comes with 2 beers on the house. (Soft drinks for under 21.) Grant's Farm, owned by Anheuser Busch is also free (reservation required) and has a petting zoo, the Clydesdale horse stables, Ulysses S. Grant's cabin and a tour through a hoofed-animal nature reserve. The tour ends up at a Bavarian-style village square where you can buy Bavarian food. Two free beers or soft drinks come with the tour. Grant's Farm may be seasonal and may not be open yet.

For some good jazz and dinner, the place to be is LaClede's Landing, on the Mississippi. And speaking of the river, one can take a 3-hour cruise or a dinner cruise.

Just outside of town, there is Merrimac Caverns with some gorgeous rooms filled with stalagmites, stalagtites, and other impressive formations.

And I haven't even hit on the State Parks and nature areas in St. Louis County.

Our daughter attended university in St. Louis and loved the city so much, she got a job there and stayed for ten more years. She left when she got married, but we both still miss St. Louis.

Carrie, Bardonia, NY