My St. Louis
Spring break was always an exciting reprieve from school growing up but spring break in college is more of a dire necessity. This semester has been, by far, the hardest one I’ve had during my time at Simpson. The stress I’ve endured from outside school has closely rivaled the stress I’ve endured from school work and, this year, I needed to get away for spring break. My father recently relocated to St. Louis, approximately 5.5 hours from Des Moines so my sister and I decided to visit him for a couple days. I intend to write more about family later so this post is just about the highlights of my 2-day visit to St. Louis.
Seedz. If you’ve been following my journey thus far, you’ll know I’m passionate and committed to eating a vegan diet. Upon hearing nearly 3 million people live in the greater St. Louis area, I figured there would be some good vegan places to eat. One of my stepmom’s favorite little places to eat is a vegan place near Forest Park called Seedz Café.
Castlewood State Park. After writing about how important it is to immerse yourself in nature, I was excited to find out my dad and stepmom havea favorite hiking spot not far from their house, in Castlewood State Park. Even with all the trees still dead from winter, the views from Castlewood’s vantage points were breathtaking. Spending the afternoon in the woods and admiring the vast expanses of land from the overlooks was definitely the mental recharge I needed.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. Dubbed the “new basilica,” construction of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis lasted from 1907-1917. The mosaic designs that cover the upper walls and ceilings of the basilica are made of 41.5 million glass pieces in 7,000 different colors. Everything about the basilica is so sacred and serene it brought me to my knees in awe. It’s the most beautiful church I’ve had the opportunity to step foot in and, even if you aren’t Christian, appreciation can be found in the magnificent architecture of the building. Places like this bring about the feeling of peace.
There are so many more remarkable things I wish I’d had time for on this visit so I can imagine I’ll be returning in the near future. If you have any recommendations for sites to see in St. Louis, leave a comment for me!
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