Today my Weekend Snapshots post is a recap of my recent trip to St. Louis. Before this trip I didn't know a whole lot about St. Louis but on this trip the city blew me away. You'll definitely want to add it to your list of cities to visit. Make sure to link-up to your Weekend Snapshots at the bottom of this post! 

A weekend in St. Louis

Earlier this month Josh and I were invited to St. Louis for the weekend, and we decided to turn the trip into a third-anniversary celebration. I had been to St. Louis twice before this but only for work, so I really didn't know much about the city. Normally on trips I am Type-A to a fault. I love to plan out where we go each day, research all the best places to eat, and all the local things we simply must do. This trip I decided to take a different approach and just let the weekend unfold as it would. We knew we were staying at a nice hotel with lots of fun amenities in a great neighborhood. We figured anything else we discovered would be a bonus. We largely followed the recommendations of locals and our own discoveries each day. It worked out wonderfully and made the trip feel like one big adventure. We fell in love with St. Louis on this trip and already can't wait to go back. It's only a one-hour flight from Omaha!

Where we stayed: The Chase Park Plaza

The Chase Park Plaza is located in the heart of the Central West End. This area is bursting with restaurants and cute stores just around the block. Facing the hotel is the beautiful Forest Park, which is home to free museums, a zoo, and the gorgeous mansions from the Worlds Fair.

The Chase is a Four Diamond hotel, LVX Preferred, and a member of the Historic Hotels of America. It is a beautiful hotel with so much history. Past celebrities that have stayed there include: Louis Rothschild, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Henry Kissinger, Jimmy Carter, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Johnny Mathis, Steve McQueen and the Rolling Stones.

Our king suite was spacious, clean, and well-appointed. Josh and I immediately felt comfortable in our home away from home for the weekend.

I wish my actual home served breakfast in bed! Haha. These eggs were fluffy perfection.

Our floor included a complimentary concierge club which hosted breakfast and happy hour each day. Happy hour was basically a dinner each night. Josh and I always had dinner plans (true foodies on vacation), but we enjoyed popping in to see what was being sampled each night.

Dress is Banana Republic

The views from the Chase rooftop are spectacular. That's the arch behind me!

Josh and I were treated to dinners at The Preston, an incredible restaurant located right on property at the Chase.

I could live the rest of my life eating only this bread plate and die a very happy woman.

The food was great and our waiters were fabulous. They got to know us, recommended foods we ended up loving, and even gave us recommendations for the rest of our trip.

There's a full gym on property as well. I utilized this space exactly zero times, but I did swing by the juice bar to get a smoothie one day.

The pool at the Chase is really what sets this place apart. They have live music on the weekends, a grill going, and cold drinks flowing. It's pretty much paradise. Josh and I spent whole days at the pool and we still wish we had more time there!

Josh and I enjoyed a couples massage at the Aveda Salon and Spa on property. There we discovered the magic that is Aveda Stress-fix Oil. It took our massage to another level and we both loved it so much we bought a bottle to take home.

Something I've never seen at a hotel before is a full cinema on property! It's an amazing (and dangerous) perk of staying at the Chase because the lobby always smells like fresh movie popcorn! We saw Stark Trek on our last day in Saint Louis and had so much fun!

Where we explored: Forest Park

Josh and I enjoyed walking around Forest Park and ogling the mansions. It is unreal to think that people live in those! Haha. They were originally built for the World's Fair and now are just absolutely gorgeous reminders of the past.

Where we explored: Central West End

Central West End is where I really discovered the charm of St. Louis. There are so many cute shops, beautiful neighborhoods, and great restaurants to check out.

The most beautiful street lamps I've ever seen.

A fun little tea room we just discovered on a walk.

Where we bought souvenirs: Bissinger's Chocolates

For souvenirs in St. Louis you have to check out Bissinger's Chocolates. It was originally a French company that operated out of St. Louis before Missouri was a state. The chocolate is incredible and available in so many fun flavors. This was a great recommendation by our waiter at The Preston.

Where we explored: Tower Grove Farmers' Market

The best way to get to know a city in the summer is to check out their local farmer's market. The Tower Grove Farmers' Market is located in a picturesque park and featured vendors from all over the city. There was a live band and plenty of free samples. We were big fans.

Where we drank: Schlafly Tap Room

Josh was geeking out about getting to visit Schlafly Tap Room. While I am not a beer fan, I happily sat by him while he tried some new brews. He loved it and our company at the bar gave us yet more recommendations of things to see and do in the city.

Where we went out at night: 360 STL

For a night on the town we had to check out 360. It's a rooftop bar that was just rated one of the five best in the country! The views were unreal, the DJ was great, and the atmosphere was so much fun! I love that I got to see the Gateway Archup close and personal.

Where we ate: Dressel's Public House

For ridiculously awesome grilled cheese in a restaurant that will make you feel like you're in the UK, Dressel's Public House is definitely the place to go. Josh and I absolutely loved the atmosphere there and wanted to spend hours soaking it all up over good drinks.

Where we got gooey butter cake: Park Avenue Coffee

When you're in St. Louis you have to get gooey butter cake. It's one of my all time favorite desserts. We hit up Park Avenue Coffee for a piece and it was just as good as I remembered.

Where we ate: El Burro Loco

El Burro Loco was awesome. Delicious Mexican in a super fun environment with live entertainment. I wish I could take this place, and their huge drinks, back to Omaha with me!

Where we ate: Brasserie

Brasserie is run by a chef who has a Michelin star. I felt like I was in France as we dined al fresco and ate the most delicious beignets of my life. I'm glad this place is not in Omaha because I would weigh 500 pounds from eating here all the time.

Where we ate: Rooster

Rooster is a must-visit brunch spot in Saint Louis. There's something for everyone, all the food is local, and the atmosphere is so fun!

Where we went for late night snacks: Blood and Sand

Our waiter at The Preston let us know about Blood and Sand, St. Louis's only private restaurant. I have never been to a private restaurant before so when he let us know he could get us on the list for the night I immediately was intrigued and knew we had to go there for a nightcap. Our Uber dropped us off at this nondescript building that led to the most gorgeous restaurant interior. The drinks were craft cocktails at their best and our late night truffle tater tots hit the spot. The best part was the fact that the owner was running the bar and shared lots of fun recommendations for our next trip to St. Louis.

Where we acted like big kids: The City Museum

I loved The City Museum so much I wrote a whole post about it. Make sure to check out all the fun that is this jungle gym for adults!

And that was our whirlwind of a weekend in St. Louis. As much as we did there's still so much more we want to do. St. Louis is such a fun, cool city with so much history. I can't wait to discover even more of it!

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Questions of the Day: Have you been to St. Louis? Does the Chase look like a place you would want to stay? Have you had gooey butter cake?

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Thanks to Chase Park Plaza and Alive Magazine for sponsoring this post!