St Louis: Rediscovering America

A funny thing occurred to me on the way to the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis—traveling by yourself in a limo isn't very fun. Another interesting revelation hit me while contemplating the first—nobody answers their cell phone anymore. In a recent newspaper article, the number of cell phones has risen dramatically, the number of minutes used talking has declined. This I would experience first hand on route to my destination. Fortunately, this relative silence gave way to some sight seeing and a quick catch up on the history of St. Louis as we traveled to the banks of the Mississippi river.

In my travels, overseas destinations often trump those within the U.S. so why St Louis? With volcanic smoke and long delays, security nightmares and interrogating customs it would seem this is the best time to rediscover America and a place such as St. Louis seemed like the perfect place to start.

Before European settlement, St. Louis was home to the Mississippians(this word should definitely be a spelling bee tie breaker) a mighty Indian civilization of more than 20 000 who used the fertile river valley to settle. When that culture disappeared during Europe's Middle Ages only their huge, mysterious earthen structures were left, earning St. Louis one of its earliest nicknames, "Mound City." Since then, it was been owned by both the French and the Spanish with Napoleon selling St. Louis to President Thomas Jefferson (whose home in Virginia is worth a visit) in 1803.

The "gateway to the west," boats still travel the great Mississippi with cargo bound for places near and far.