Saint Charles Convention Activities - Daytrips

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PLEASE NOTE! We’ve planned a number of interesting, informative, and entertaining activities to add to your Corvette fun in Saint Charles. Be sure to sign up for your favorite daytrips, cruises and evening activities when you send in your pre-registration to Cincinnati. People are shut out of activities at every Convention because they tried to register and/or add an activity on-site. We only reserve enough buses/transportation/ space to accommodate the members who pre-register. Once those buses are filled- you’re out of luck- sorry.

Tour Missouri Wine Country
Date/Time: Monday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Cost: Adults: $20.00
Take in the best of Missouri’s world famous premium wine making region by travel Scenic Highway 94 to the first government appointed wine growing district in the United States. The Augusta region was nationally known for its wine during the 19th century, but Prohibition halted the state's winemaking for decades. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a few pioneering souls began to refurbish the old vineyards and winery buildings of Missouri's premier wine-growing regions. One of these pioneers was Clayton Byers, who founded Montelle Vineyards in 1970. Montelle Winery (www.montelle.com) produces more than fifteen different wines using vinifera, French hybrid, and Native American vines. Situated high atop Osage Ridge, 400 feet above the Missouri River, Montelle is in the Augusta Appellation Wine District, the winery offers a calm, friendly experience that is quite the opposite of the daily hustle of the city. . With a glorious view of the Missouri River, the village of Augusta and the surrounding wine-growing region, and with a wonderful array of wines to please any palette. ). Then settle down on the patio with its majestic view and enjoy a bottle of your favorite wine and a delicious lunch selection lunch from the Klondike Café. Lunch is on your own.Your ticket price includes motor coach transportation to and from Saint Charles. There is no admission fee charged at these wineries.

Missouri Botanical Gardens Tour
Date/Time: Thursday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Cost: Adults or Children: $20.00
Spend the day leisurely strolling through the Missouri Botanical Gardens (www.mobot.org). The Victorian Area surrounds the Tower Grove House. Structures and landscaping have been added to the area to recreate features built by Shaw in the Garden and Tower Grove Park, including the Kresko Family Victorian Garden, the Kaeser Maze, and the Piper Observatory. The Mausoleum Garden, surrounded by a wrought-iron fence, contains the mausoleum which is Henry Shaw’s final resting place.

The Cherbonnier English Woodland Garden is a quiet, informal garden that attracts people and wildlife alike. This area includes three vegetation layers, typical of a mature woodland - an upper tree canopy, a middle shrub layer, and a lower layer of herbaceous perennial plants and ground covers. In the spring, hundreds of woodland flowers including dogwoods, trillium, Virginia bluebells, winter aconite, and azaleas put on a massive display. Peak season of interest is from early spring through summer and into autumn. The Japanese Garden is named Seiwa-en, which means the garden of pure, clear harmony and peace. Designed with great care by the late Professor Koichi Kawana to ensure authenticity, this 14-acre garden is the largest Japanese strolling garden in the Western hemisphere. The stunning Climatron® Conservatory has become a symbol of the Missouri Botanical Garden. The geodesic dome was inspired by the design of R. Buckminster Fuller. Covering over a half-acre, the Climatron houses some 1,200 species of plants in a natural, tropical setting. The Climatron is ever-changing and is an impressive display throughout the year. Other areas to visit include the Children’s Garden, Blanke Boxwood Garden, Kemper Center and Home Demonstration Gardens, Grigg Nanjing Friendship Chinese Garden, The Shoenberg Temperate House, The Monsanto Center as well as the Ridgeway Center. Your ticket price includes motor coach transportation to and from Saint Charles. There is a daily gate admission fee charged of $8 for Adults (age 13 and up) collected onsite.

Grant’s Farm and Ted Drewes Custard Trip
Date/Time: Monday 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Cost: Adults or Children: $20.00
There are many exciting animal encounters possible at Grant’s Farm (www.grantsfarm.com), the 281-acre ancestral home of the Busch family, located just south of the city of St. Louis. The Farm is home to more than 1,000 animals representing more than 100 different species from six continents. Grant’s Farm, operated by Anheuser-Busch, Inc., has been a St. Louis tradition for over five decades. More than 24 million guests have visited this popular family attraction during its history. The Farm takes its name from our 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant. In the 1850s, Grant founded and farmed a portion of the 281 acres.

Today, this land is home to Grant’s Farm and is preserved as a living symbol of the Busch family’s love for animals and Anheuser-Busch’s commitment to wildlife conservation and preservation. The Budweiser Clydesdale Stables is home to approximately 35 Clydesdale mares, stallions and foals. Anheuser- Busch has one of the world’s largest herds of Clydesdale horses and owns approximately 250 nationwide. Grant’s Farm, where up to 15 foals are born each year, is proud to be one of the breeding operations for the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales. Guests, who are 21 years of age or older, are invited to enjoy complimentary samples of Anheuser-Busch products in the hospitality room. Visitors can relax in the old-world surroundings of the courtyard and enjoy a lunch from the Brat Haus including: bratwurst, pretzels, pizza and chicken strips.

Gateway Arch Monday
Date/Time:9:30 AM to 3:30PM
(www.gatewayarch.com). A visit to the Gateway Arch Riverfront is not complete without going to the top of the 630-foot-tall Arch. At the highest point in downtown St. Louis, you’ll experience unforgettable views of the city and the Mississippi River. Underneath the north and south legs of the Gateway Arch, you can board one of two enclosed trams. Four minutes later, after a narrated trip, you’re at the indoor Gateway Arch Observation Area. The entrance to each leg of the Arch contains a different informational exhibit. The north leg display includes fascinating photographs and information about the construction of the Arch. The south leg display shows life along the St. Louis riverfront in the 1800s. On a clear day you can see up to 30 miles. Looking west, you’ll have a breathtaking view of downtown St. Louis. Looking east, you can see the Mississippi River and Illinois. You can enjoy these amazing views and experiences simply by taking a short tram ride to the top of the Gateway Arch. Tram fares are: Adults: $10.00, Youth (ages 13 to 15): $7.00 and Children (ages 3 to 12): $3.00

Old Cathedral. By the 1960s, almost all of the buildings on the riverfront had been torn down to make way for the Gateway Arch. The only building on the Arch grounds that remained was the Old Cathedral, just west of the Arch’s south leg. The Old Cathedral was inaugurated in 1818. Inside there are religious statues and paintings that tell the story of Christ’s crucifixion. There are postcards available for sale inside a gift shop on the west side of the building. Guests are welcome from the morning through the afternoon.

St. Louis Union Station (www.stlouisunionstation.com), once the largest and busiest passenger rail terminal in the world, is now one of America’s great marketplaces. Union Station first opened in 1894, but ceased operation as an active train terminal in 1978. Union Station reopened in August of 1985 as the largest adaptive re-use project in the United States. Today, this 110-year-old National Historic Landmark of unmatched beauty and elegance has been dramatically restored and redeveloped as a dynamic mixed-use project that includes great shopping, delicious dining and fabulous entertainment. It is truly a shopper’s delight with over 90 shops and restaurants to choose from. An important part of the Station’s special appeal is the variety of unique retail shops, offering everything from fine fashions to one-of-a-kind gifts. Lunch is on your own at Union Station. Your ticket price includes motor coach transportation to and from Saint Charles. Some attractions have additional charges like tram fee to the top of the Arch, etc.

Shopping at Westfield’s West County Mall
Date/Time: Wednesday 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Cost: Adults or Children: $20.00
Shopping is such a cathartic, empowering experience, it’s a wonder there aren’t more songs about the joys of going out and spending money. Few sensations compare with the feeling of accomplishment that comes from walking into a store empty-handed and walking out with a shopping bag (or eight). Westfield West County was voted the number one place to shop in 2006. This joint has it all, from Sephora’s sweet aromatics to Nordstrom’s overwhelming shoe department, from the affordable trends at Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe to the extravagant luxuries at Coach. Plus, you can discount shop at H&M and JCPenney, drop some cash at Aldo, and eat at J. Buck’s and the Elephant Bar. Yep, this is definitely the place to mall it! Lunch is on your own at one of the many restaurants. Your ticket price includes motor coach transportation to and from Saint Charles.