My trip to St. Louis started at about 50-MPH and several stories above the city – somehow I was conned into taking a trip to Six Flags where I started my day on BATMAN The Ride. You sure wouldn’t guess that someone who makes her living as a registered flight attendant would have a problem with heights, but I suppose I’m the living exception.
My good friend Eric convinced me to use some of my week off to travel east with promises of a place to stay and plenty of stuff to do. I seldom get a chance to make it out to actually enjoy the Midwest – it’s generally just slogging through a layover in the comfort of the airport, but it’s always nice to find an excuse! Eric sure as heck knows how to keep things entertaining.
Somehow or another I found myself strapped into BATMAN despite all my previous reservations; not sure how it happened, Eric has a way with words. I feel like all of Six Flag’s rides are Disneyland with 10 CC’s of pure adrenaline – I was simply not prepared for all those loops. Writing this afternoon, my voice is actually still hoarse from shrieking.
Later in the afternoon I’d exact my revenge on Eric by blindly leading him into Xcalibur, a ride that requires a seriously strong stomach. I’ve faced enough sketchy landings and takeoffs (hey, where do I know that from?) to prepare myself. Eric? Not so much.
Patrons of Xcalibur ‘dangle’ in a gondola as it catapults about 113 feet in the air that towers 11-stories into the sky. The height thing is an easy thing to disregard – especially fresh of BATMAN – because of the spins, you’ll generally spend more time nursing your poor center of gravity. Let’s just say I might have shaved a couple years off Eric’s young life if his expression was any indication.
Things settled down considerably later in the evening, my first night in St. Louis. Eric took me on a quick tour of the downtown area and we popped in to a swanky American restaurant called Blood and Sand. If tater tots are your thing, this place might as well be heaven on Earth.
After completely gorging myself last night on delicious beef heart tacos, I’m excited to see what else St. Louis has to offer in terms of its cuisine. I admittedly know very little about the foodie culture out here so it should be rather eye-opening. Can St. Louis hold its own against my beloved Houston? While I have my doubts, my palate is here to explore.
Next on the list … toasted ravioli, a St. Louis staple!
Categories: st louis
