St. Louis is the kind of city you can live in all your life and still uncover hidden gems in neighborhoods you’ve never before visited.
On Tuesday’s St. Louis on the Air, local author Amanda Doyle helped us uncover some of those gems as she discussed her book “100 Things to Do in St. Louis Before You Die.”
In 2013, when the first edition of the book was published, the way it was formatted was the first of its kind. Now, there are over 70 such books in locales across the country, written by local authors.
"This book wasn't intended to be a template but it happened to be such a great local asset that readers enjoyed," Doyle said. "I know a lot of people who love where they live. Good writing is important, but more important is an enthusiasm for your city."
Doyle said she does not intend for this book to be a "best-of" but rather her take on great things to do, based on many conversations she's had about St. Louis. She also has several book signing events coming up, which you can find here. What is on local author Amanda Doyle's 'must-do' list of places to see and things to do in St. Louis? She breaks it down with St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh.
Here are some of the top things Doyle highlighted from her book:
1. Explore the state's natural offerings within reach of St. Louis.
"There's an amazing amount of natural variety around here," Doyle said. "You don't have to go to far to get to mountains, river, marshes. I don't think a lot of people think 'St. Louis has an amazing environment,' but we do."
2. Take in St. Louis festivities during the off-peak seasons.
"There's a tendency to hole up once it gets a little chilly,"Doyle said. "But there's a lot to do here in the fall and winter months.The Loop Ice Carnival, for example, is a great way to get out of the house, get the blood flowing, see amazing performances and have fun in the Delmar Loop. One of my favorite things to do in the fall is go on the Wabash Frisco and Pacific Railroad, which is a small-gage railroad near Glencoe, Missouri. There's a working steam railroad, you sit on, go onto the Meramec River into the woods and you return. It is charming."
3. Get off-the-beaten-path when it comes to museums.
"One of them is called the HealthWorks! Kids Museum. behind the Science Center off of Oakland and Macklind. It is a revisioning of what used to be the Delta Dental Works Museum on the Landing. They've imported the big mouth that shows kids how to have proper dental hygiene, but it shows kids how to have a healthy whole body too."
4. Check out the wealth of African-American history offerings in St. Louis.
"As a white person in St. Louis, I was not that familiar with places that have been African American institutions for a long time. I recommend people go to the Annie Malone Mayday Parade. It is such a slice of what life is like in St. Louis and it has such great tradition behind it. ... One of the places in the book is theGriot Museum of African-American History. It is a treasure trove of information about the history of African-Americans in St. Louis and around the world."
St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Mary Edwards, Alex Heuer and Kelly Moffitt give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.
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