After you and your friends get settled into your St. Louis hotel, head to the highest point on the skyline. No trip to St. Louis is complete without taking a tram ride to the top of the 630-foot Gateway Arch (www.stlouisarch.com) from where you can get a 30-mile panoramic view of the city and the Mississippi River. Explore the underground Museum of Westward Expansion where you can learn the story of the opening of the American West through displays of Native American, pioneer and cowboy artifacts. You'll also see the new Levee Mercantile, an 1870's style riverfront general store that offers historically inspired foods and gifts. Take a quick peek inside St. Louis Union Station. Once the nation's busiest railroad station, it is now a festival marketplace filled with interesting shops and restaurants. Opened in 1884, the glorious building with its barrel-vaulted Grand Hall was designed by architect Theodore Link. Displays throughout the station trace the building's history and point out architectural features. Vintage railcars, some used as private

party sites, are on view beneath the massive trainshed. A man-made lake, concert stage, movie theatre and restaurants round out the entertainment options at this historic landmark. Enjoy dinner on The Hill, St. Louis' Italian neighborhood, where even the fireplugs are painted in the Italian tri-color. A trip to The Hill fills your senses with the sights, tastes and sounds of Italy -- all in south St. Louis. Bakery shops are brimming with freshly baked biscotti, crusty breads and rich cannolli. Vats of imported olives and aromatic cheeses are sold on corner shops and delis and savory, salami, sausages and meats- so good they're imported in Italy - also are produced here.

A flower-lover and gardener's Eden, the Missouri Botanical Garden  is considered among the top three public gardens in the world and praised in National Geographic for its unparalleled efforts to catalog plants from the world's rain forests. The magnificent 79-acre Garden has been a St. Louis institution since it was founded by a British emigrant in 1859. The newest additions to the nation's oldest public garden include 25 demonstration gardens within the Kemper Center for Home Gardening, a lovely Chinese Garden, Boxwood Garden and expanded Victorian garden area complete with a topiary maze and observatory. The Climatron houses a recreated tropical rain forest and an English Woodland garden nestled next to the largest traditional Japanese Garden in North America. If your posies aren't perky or roses robust, your garden can still pop by planting outdoor decor items throughout the yard. Several shops near the Missouri Botanical Garden provide a plethora of exterior garden decorations, ecologically friendly insects and garden-centric novelty and gift items. Drive through Tower Grove Park, one of the only remaining Victorian-design strolling parks in the nation. On the National Register of Historic Places, this lovely park features a bandstand, goldfish ponds complete with faux ancient ruins, and unique gazebos each of a different architectural style. Lunch in the chic Central West End  neighborhood. Located adjacent to historic Forest Park, St. Louis' elegant Central West End was developed at the turn of the 20th century around the time of the World's Fair. Playwright Tennessee Williams once lived there and based his play The Glass Menagerie on memories of his family and their apartment home. Today the neighborhood is home to sidewalk cafes, friendly pubs, art and antique galleries andthe Private Places, a collection of elegant streets maintained by neighborhood associations For dessert, you'll find St. Louis' French heritage tastefully on display at the neighborhood's Bissinger's French Confections Bissinger, one of the last handcrafted chocolatiers in the world, has been making fine French confections for more than 400 years and takes pride in the fact that it has not sacrificed quality ingredients, taste or craftsmanship to produce more candy at a lower cost. The elegant St. Louis sweet shop's original storefront is filled with antiques (a gift to the candy maker from the 19th-century songbird Jenny Lind) and, of course, delectable chocolates made from the same recipe that delighted French Empress Josephine. Say spa-a-a-a-h. Several of St. Louis' popular hotels have opened on-site day spas. St. Louis area hotels that feature in-house day spas are The Westin St. Louis, located in the Cupples Station area of downtown St. Louis and the WS Hotel & Spa near the America's Center convention complex.

Maryville Courtyard by Marriott - The hotel designed by business travelers, courtyard surrounds you with all the conveniences that make business and pleasure travel easy. the maryville courtyard by marriott is located in the heart of the maryville center business district. conveniently located in front of maryville university where our guests are able to enjoy peaceful surroundings while still being within walking distance of major companies such as ibm, energizer world headquarters and verizon wireless. with both warm friendly service & comfortable well appointed guest rooms you will have a delightful stay. each guestroom is thoughtfully equipped with amenities for your comfort and convenience. the rooms are simple, but classically furnished, creating an inviting environment. the hotel staff provides an efficient & friendly service that will make your stay more enjoyable. the hotel is minutes from fine dining, shopping & entertainment. this 122 room property has full service hospitality at a limited service price.

of charge on Friday evenings courtesy of a grant from the Ford Motor Company. At the Saint Louis Zoo, see the newly completed "River's Edge" attraction that houses elephants, hippos and other critters from the African plains. The giant walk-through birdcage at the Zoo was the Smithsonian Institution's 1904 World's Fair exhibit. It's still in use today. Considered among the Top Ten Zoos in the U.S., our Zoo has been a leader in natural habitat environments for the animals. According to Bill Shakespeare, "all the world's a stage." But, not all stage settings are as elaborate as the one at St. Louis' Fabulous Fox Theatre. This 1929 movie palace, one of the first theatres built for "talkies" by movie mogul William Fox, was designed in a style described as Siamese-Byzantine. The showy interior -- the lobby is guarded by two sculptures of majestic lions with twinkling yellow eyes -- is often more elaborate than the sets from the touring Broadway shows and entertainment events that now grace the theatre's stage. There's sure to be a blockbuster show on stage when you plan your visit, but if you just want to see the theatre, regular tours are held throughout the week.

All winged creatures aren't created equal. See the divinely inspired and intricately designed mosaic angels at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. The angels are part of the world's largest collection of mosaic art at the spectacular Romanesque / Byzantine style cathedral which Pope Paul VI called "the outstanding cathedral of the Americas." More than 41 million pieces of tesserae in 8,000 colors fill more than 83,000 square feet. The west chapels are the work of Tiffany and Company and the main altar and another chapel feature the work of Gorham. Be on the lookout for ghosts during a visit to the Lemp Mansion, the circa-1860 home that belonged to St. Louis' first beer baron, John A. Lemp. The thirty-three room Victorian house, now a B&B, restaurant and special events facility, is said to be haunted by several of the Lemp family members who died there by their own hand or under mysterious circumstances. Tour the beautifully restored Chatillon -DeMenil Mansion Museum, a preserved antebellum Greek Revival mansion complete with period furnishings. Registered as a National Landmark, the mansion is one of only a handful of homes in the Greek revival style in St. Louis. It was originally built in 1848 by Henri Chatillon, a native St. Louisan who was a hunter and guide for the American Fur Company who was immortalized in historian Francis Parkman, Jr.'s 1849 bestseller "The Oregon Trail."

Time for a whirlwind tour through Forest Park - St. Louis' backyard. Larger than New York's Central Park, Forest Park was the site of the "Meet Me in St. Louis" 1904 World's Fair. St. Louis' major cultural institutions - all of which are open free of charge - are housed within the park's 1,300-acres include the Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, Science Center and the world famous Saint Louis Zoo. The park itself is undergoing a major $100 million renovation/restoration that will be complete in 2004, the centennial of the World's Fair. The beautiful Saint Louis Art Museum is housed within the only permanent exhibit facility built for the 1904 World's Fair. The museum offers a varied collection including extensive galleries dedicated to the French Impressionists, German Expressionists, African, Asian, and Oceanic art. Special exhibitions are held throughout the year. The museum's permanent collection is always open to view at no cost which lives up to the words carved above the building's main entry: Dedicated to Art and Free to All. Throughout the year, special exhibits are open free