Veterans thanked with free bed and breakfast stays

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you’ve served your country, there’s a bed and breakfast waiting to serve you.

Many B&Bs already give military discounts of 10 percent to 20 percent, but a Shinnston, West Virginia innkeeper is about to up the ante. Kathleen Panek has gotten more than 525 inns in 48 states (and two in Canada) on board with her plan give rooms away to active and retired service members on November 10, 2010, the night before Veterans Day.

Panek got the idea two years ago, and started with her own inn, Gillum House. Last year, it spread to a total of 10 in West Virginia, and this year, it has obviously surged.

Part of the reason for the success is that Panek has kept her expectations reasonable. USA Today reports:

Since most B&Bs are small, “we only ask inns to give one room,” Panek says, and about 25%-30% of participating establishments – including all those in Georgia, Missouri, Washington and several other states – are already full. But, she adds, “we’re getting new places signing up every day.”

Do you plan to do anything for Veterans Day? Leave a comment, and let us know!

[photo by Beverly & Pack via Flickr]

St. Louis Gateway Arch is rusting

by Leigh Caldwell on

The landmark Gateway Arch, part of a National Park Service site on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Louis, is corroding, and no one seems to know the extent of the damage.

That’s the word from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which studied reports on the corrosion dating back to 1984.

The culprit seems to be moisture leaking into the Gateway Arch – a sophisticated engineering feat made up of stacked triangular sections of carbon steel, concrete and stainless steel.

The big question is whether the streaks of rust and other discoloration, which can be seen on the upper portions of the outside of the arch, are merely cosmetic or more severe.

Let’s remember that this monument is not just pretty to look at — people ride up to the top of the Arch in a vertical tram system.

National Park Service officials insist that there is no safety issue at the Arch, for now. The agency has just funded a study to determine whether the 45-year-old arch just needs a cleaning, or whether a full-blown restoration will be required.

[Image credit: Flickr user chutme]

10 things to do in St. Louis: how to enjoy the city like a local

by Gadling Staff on

Whether you like jazz or opera, historic sites or popular entertainment, the visual arts or dance, there’s something to satisfy every taste in St. Louis, Missouri. Centrally located, yet exotic in its quirkiness, this city on the Mississippi occupies a unique spot in our nation’s history as the Gateway to the West. The graciousness of the south meets the hustle-bustle of the north in “the Lou.” It’s a family-friendly town where kids and adults never run out of places to go and things to do.

Here are ten things to do in St. Louis that will make you feel like a local.

Walk through the belly of a whale in the City Museum.
Housed in the 600,000 square-foot former International Shoe Company (701 North 15th Street), the City Museum defies categorization. Dress comfortably in closed toe shoes so you can climb, slide, and explore.

Built with such recycled materials as a shoe factory’s conveyor belt, this stunning feast-for-the-eyes includes a museum-within-a-museum of architectural wonders, an art area where you can try your hand at being creative, and hands on circus entertainment. Need a pedicure? Visit the World Aquarium on the second floor and let the doctor fish (Garra rufa) nibble away your dead skin.

Eat “concrete.”
Under the green and yellow awning at Ted Drewes (two locations: 4224 S. Grand Blvd. or 6726 Chippewa St.) you’ll discover a “concrete,” a milkshake so thick you can turn it upside down. It’s the granddaddy of thick, frozen desserts. Don’t panic if you arrive to find a policeman directing the traffic overflow; the lines move quickly. Try the hometown favorite Terramizzou, a blend of frozen custard, chocolate, and pistachio nuts. (“Mizzou” is a nickname for University of Missouri.) Send up a cheer!
Rated by The Sporting News as one of the best sports cities in the US, St. Louis is home to outstanding professional baseball (the Cardinals), football (the Rams), hockey (the Blues), and soccer (AC St. Louis) teams. On game days, the whole city turns out in team colors.

Prefer motor sports? East of the city you can watch NHRA drag races or NASCAR races at Gateway International Raceway (Madison, IL).

Marvel at the more than 7,000 colors of mosaic tiles at the “New” Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.
The “New” Cathedral Basilica (ground was broken in 1907) boasts the world’s largest mosaic installation. Many were designed by Tiffany. When you visit, be sure to look for the red Cardinals’ caps (galeri) hanging from the ceiling. Legend has it that when a cap crumbles to dust, the soul of its former owner goes on to heaven.

Get down and funky in “the Loop.”
Named for an old streetcar turnaround, this unique neighborhood runs from 6000 to 6600 Delmar. Stop for dinner at one of its 45 restaurants, including Chuck Berry’s famous Blueberry Hill, where the vintage toy collection is sure to bring back memories. Enjoy the 140 unique shops located along Delmar’s “Walk of Fame,” where brass stars in the sidewalk commemorate such St. Louis-connected luminaries as Miles Davis, Josephine Baker, Kevin Klein, and Redd Foxx.

Eat toasted ravioli on “The Hill.”
Toasted ravioli is a St. Louis specialty. Your order will come with a rich tomato sauce for dipping. “The Hill” is a historically Italian neighborhood best known for its fine dining. Visit Trattoria Marcella (3600 Watson), and do like the locals. Order the lobster risotto even if it’s not on the menu!

Imagine an elephant running down the middle of a highway.
For more than 100 years, the St. Louis Zoo has thrilled animal lovers the world over. In 1997, the zoo celebrated the birth of its first Asian elephant, Raja. A few years later, the city’s favorite (pachyderm) son broke out of his enclosure, opened a zookeeper’s wallet and ate all the man’s cash. Dire predictions followed that Raja would escape the zoo grounds and wind up dodging cars on Highway 40. Today, you’ll visit Raja at the River’s Edge, his new enclosure.

Ride your bike “down in the Valley.”
Once submerged in the Flood of 1993, the low lands along Highway 40 (I-64/40) have been revitalized. Today the area known as “the Valley” hosts two million square feet of retail space, making it the longest outdoor strip mall in the country. Not only can you shop ’til you drop, you can also bike or walk the Chesterfield Monarch Levee Trail, which will eventually become a 17-mile loop directly behind the shops. When you get hungry, stop in at the Smoke House Market (16806 Chesterfield Airport Road), for a pastrami sandwich it takes two hands to hold.

Admire the Spirit of St. Louis.
Charles A. Lindbergh’s non-stop flight in 1927 from New York City to Paris was financed by two St. Louis businessmen. You can see a replica of the young pilot’s Ryan B-1 Brougham at the Missouri History Museum (5700 Lindell Boulevard). The museum also features the gifts and trophies presented to Charles Lindbergh and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh.


Ask, “What high school did you go to?”
St. Louis boasts more private schools than Chicago, which is four times its size. By hearing which high school you attended — if you attended locally — the questioner can figure out your religious preference, your ethnic background, your test score results, how wealthy your parents were, and whether or not you are “old” St. Louis. Bluff your way into the “old family” category by saying you attended MICDS or John Burroughs.

Joanna Campbell Slan is the author of the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series, which is set in St. Louis, Missouri. Her first novel, Paper, Scissors, Death, was an Agatha Award Finalist. Read her blog on Red Room.

[Photos: Flickr | Adam_d_; Mike Schmid; dyobmit; Clara S]

Toyota’s Farm to Table Tour takes sustainable eating on the road

by Laurel Miller on

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Yeah, right. Toyota just needs damage control. As if feel-good, treehugging road trips make up for all those recalls.” But before you judge, let us separate the issue from the mission.

This is Toyota’s second annual Farm to Table Tour, in which 11 farmers markets nationwide participate with the automotive giant to visit “farmers markets across the country to showcase the connection between farmers, chefs, farmers markets, and the communities they serve, and to give market shoppers the opportunity to experience Toyota’s hybrid vehicles.” On each stop, up to 12 local chefs and farmers pair up to highlight seasonal ingredients through free tastings. Talks on eating locally and sustainably, culinary vacation giveaways, gardening information, and test rides in a 2010 Prius, Highlander Hybrid, or Camry Hybrid are also part of each market collaboration.

Toyota is also making financial donations to the participating markets, as well as to the Farmers Market Coalition. In addition, the company is using eco-friendly materials and purchasing carbon credits through TerraPass to offset the educational tour’s carbon footprint.

Tour stops include Birmingham, Pittsburgh, Chattanooga, Minneapolis, and Salt Lake City. The Washington DC FARMFRESH Market by the White House stop on July 29th features influential chef Nora Pouillon, of Restaurant Nora, the nation’s first certified organic restaurant, which opened in 1999. Regardless of how you may feel about Toyota, the company deserves props for its ongoing commitment to sustainability, and supporting family farms. And that ain’t a bad thing.

Grant’s Farm in St. Louis may become the next national park

by Leigh Caldwell on


The Busch family, of Anheuser-Busch fame, is considering transferring their 273-acre animal preserve, Grant’s Farm, to the National Park Service.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the National Park Service has completed a reconnaisance study of the property, which is the initial step in considering a new park site.

The Busch family has owned the St. Louis farm, once the property of President Ulysses S. Grant, for more than a century. It has been operated as a free family attraction for 55 years. It is visited by more than 500,000 people each year.

Grant’s Farm features a French Revival mansion, known as the “Big House,” two former Grant residences (including Hardscrabble Cabin, shown in the photo above), and is home to 900 animals.

The property is adjacent to a site already operated by the National Park Service – the Ulysses S. Grant Historic Site. The report showed that it has national historic significance, both because it used to be owned by Grant and because of the Busch family’s history and influence in American business.

The report is the first step in determining a National Park Service site. Congress ultimately has to decide whether or not to create a new national park.

[Photo credit: Flickr user mhowry]