Last weekend we stopped in St. Louis for a few days on our way to and from our wedding shower in Columbia, Missouri. St. Louis is pretty great for a number of reasons, but one of them is that my sister lives there, and she always has some good ideas for things to do. I’d say one of my least favorite things about visiting a city is trying to figure out what to do….turns out I’m a pretty anxious person. In any event, St. Louis is always friendly, welcoming, and fun.

First up we went to the Stable in Benton Park, which is, well, a former stable attached to the former Lemp Brewery complex (by the way, if you’re looking to buy a really old brewery, we found one). The food was a bit hit and miss, but they had a great beer selection and great prices, at least compared to Chicago. Sarah loved her black currant hard cider, and marveled at the majestic chandelier of her dreams.

Next day we were walking around my sister’s neighborhood of Carondelet, which has the oldest bakery in St. Louis (sadly it’s closed on Sundays).

But we did stop in at Broadway Bean Coffee for some espresso and an iced chai latte, and checked out some art from Vesna Delevska.

They have a whole gallery attached to the coffee shop. It’s really a pretty nice setup.

We’re were pretty sad we’d miss an Elvis impersonator at the Ivory Theater (in a converted church), but maybe next time.

Finally, we grabbed some brunch at Square One Brewery in Lafayette Square, before hitting the road to Chicago.

And what trip would be complete without a little thrifting at the Pink Elephant in Livingston Illinois.