As Spring break arises, are you looking for a getaway? Something to do instead of being inside all day? You’re in luck because St. Louis offers a variety of options for a stay-cation this Spring break.
The city of St. Louis holds some of the most exciting attractions, restaurants, etc. Many of these are located north of OHS- in the city. From pop-up shops to one of the named #1 city parks in the country by USA Today, St. Louis has a range of attractions.
One of these attractions is the Foundry STL. Opening to the public in August of 2021, The Foundry has been a popular hotspot in St. Louis since then.
Recently, I got the opportunity to visit, and I highly recommend it. As soon as I walked in, it was clear to me the exciting, wide variety of food and activities the place offered. Around the Foundry, you will notice there are many different pop-up shops and restaurants to choose from. I decided to go to “Intergalactic Burgers”, which served by far one of the best burgers I’ve ever had along with loaded fries. But, burgers aren’t the only food the Foundry has to offer. The Foundry is full of a conglomeration of different restaurant genres of food and style.
Food isn’t the only thing recommended in the Foundry- they also have an array of games and activities. One of these is Puttshack, an upscale, tech-infused mini golf course. Along with Puttshack, there is live music, a DJ, and virtual reality.
As far as price goes, it’s completely free to walk in. The price for food ranges depending on where you go, but “Intergalactic Burgers” only cost me $15 for a meal. For entertainment, it can get pretty pricey. To purchase a group booking for virtual reality, it can be up to $50. For Puttshack, tickets are only $14. Also with this, distance-wise, The Foundry is about 18 miles from Oakville High School, around a 25-minute drive.
The Foundry is a perfect place to bring 1 other person to an entire group. There’s enough from food to games to keep a couple of people to a group of up to even 10 people occupied. The Foundry could be a whole day activity to even just a couple of hours depending on what you want to do.
Free or not, far or close, the Foundry is worth the visit if you’re looking for a unique staycation full of fun, food, and variety.
After exploring the vast areas of the Foundry you might need a sweet, cold treat to help cool you off.
Arguably one of the most iconic frozen custard shops in the city, Ted Drewes is the perfect spot if you’re looking for a sweet treat in St. Louis. With two locations, one right off Chippewa St. and the other off South Grand. Both locations are about 12 miles from the Oakville area, around a 20-minute drive.
Ted Drewes offers a variety of toppings and desserts- some iconic St. Louis dishes like “Cardinal Sin” with hot fudge and tart strawberries or “Muddy Mississippi ” which has chocolate chips, peanut butter, and ice cream cone pieces.
If you want to spend the day out in the sun experiencing the weirdness and wonder through a nostalgic place for many the next option may be a great choice.
Though it may be dated compared to some of the other offerings, the Saint Louis Zoo is always a great place to see the weird and wild. Across its 90 acres of land, it is divided into six different sections showing its diverse culture and this in itself is what makes this place so interesting to go to.
The Saint Louis Zoo is free to enter but if you park in one of the lots, it costs anywhere from $10-$15 depending on what time of year you choose to go. Attractions also do cost but I feel that adds to the overall experience; the trains, for example, connect everything together while adding a whimsical element to the overall appeal.
Not only was the zoo busy with people, but so were the animals. Every enclosure you could walk by was buzzing with activity. I spent easily 4 hours walking around the zoo but could have spent so much more, but while I was there I had lunch at one of the many smaller outdoor cafes with so much to choose from. If you need a little pick-me-up, there is a Starbucks in one of the larger plazas shared with the larger cafe found on the Lakeside Landing.
This is really aimed at those animal lovers out there or if you are seeking an adventure to see something weird or even wild, this is exemplified by the constantly changing exhibits and new additions made to the park. If animals aren’t your thing, you can also take a peaceful walk through Forest Park which the zoo is a part of.
Say you come from the zoo after spending all day amazed by the animals but didn’t grab a bite to eat there, if you live near or off of Telegraph Road there is a delightfully small but incredibly tasty restaurant called Rollup Ice Cream. The name comes across a bit deceiving because there is more than just rolled-up ice cream. Rollup offers a wide variety of food that consists of sandwiches, wraps, and salads, yet still has much more to offer if you want a sweet treat. As mentioned in the name, the restaurant offers rolled-up ice cream which adds a new twist on a classic ice cream; along with that, they also have shakes and bubble tea.
With Rollup being just around the corner for most OHS students this is a must-have spot for you if you are having a stay-cation.
These are just scratching the surface of the many other highlights around the Saint Louis area that we found were some of the better options for students who live in the area around OHS.
