http://www.parentography.com/parentographers/show/909 Kid friendly reviews, recommendations and advice - for families on the go en-us Recently my mom took my daughter and out to breakfast at the most DELICIOUS and quaint little place in St. Louis Hills. I dare Starbucks to come close to the coffee that Murdoch Perk serves and I don't WHEN the last time I had such a good breakfast. We ALL felt the same way. So much food for such a small price. If you find yourself in St. Louis Hills soon, you have to check this out. Even if you're not in the are, I'd HIGHLY suggest a morning visit. The atmosphere was a preppey or a college atmosphere, although I am neither and was very comfortable. I saw mothers stroll their babies inside just to have a pastery and a cup of coffee. It seemed to be a popular little meeting place. I loved the old fire place and the beautiful antique mantle. Perfect on such a cold day! I forgot to add that they serve lunch and dinner. Breakfast is served all day. Tues thru Friday 7am-9pm Sat and Sun 8am-9pm shellakers Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:56:48 -0800 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/912 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/912 Recently, we took my mom to see the amazing Body World display at the St. Louis Science Center. I'm not sure if anyone is familiar with this or not so I'll try to briefly explain. Body World is a traveling display of dead people who have (while living lol) agreed to be plastinized. Plastination is a process where a team of doctors inject the body with plastics in order to preserve in a scientific way. I'll have to admit, I was TOTALLY creeped out at the thought of seeing this. Once I was inside though, I became fascinated and awed! This is TOTALLY worth the money if it travels to your state. There is such a long line of people to get in to see this. I recommend making reservations at least a day in advance. After seeing the amazing display "Body Worlds" , the family was hungry so we went to eat on "The Hill" - The historic Italian settled district of St. Louis. We chose Mama Campisi's for some DELICIOUS Italian food. I orderd the tortelini which was filled with proschuto and cheese with a cream sauce. MOUTH WATERING! My 9 year old ordered her own pizza (and you can never go wrong with Mama's pizza), my 23 year old ordered chicken parmesan (again - delicious) and Mom got the chicken and broccoli pasta. The Ceaser's Salads are served with real anchovi's so if you're not into that, you might want to avoid the Ceaser's. The house salad is delicious though. shellakers Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:11:13 -0800 http://www.parentography.com/excursions/show/170 http://www.parentography.com/excursions/show/170 It was a clear, warm and colorful autumn day today so my husband and I decided to take our 16 year old for cycling. This ended up being our answer to exercise, fresh air, fun and nature! The trails are highly maintained by the state park system. Not being much of a cyclist, myself, I appreciated the fact that there are scenic "novice" trails. There are also expert trails for the expert cyclist. We enjoyed sitting and relaxing by the river after we finished our trail. This is a wonderful park for families to visit, whether you'll want to spend the day backpacking or cycling, playing frisbee or just chilling at one of the picnic sights. After leaving Castlewood State Park, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at the Sonic Drive In at Gravois Bluffs in Fenton. Fas, friendly service and good greasy food! shellakers Sun, 04 Nov 2007 20:22:23 -0800 http://www.parentography.com/excursions/show/165 http://www.parentography.com/excursions/show/165 Whether you're a novice cyclist or expert, there is a trail for you at Castlewood State Park. The scenery simply can't be beat anywhere in the St. Louis vacinity, in my opinion. There's a little taste of country living right here in St. Louis! Our family enjoys hiking and cycling along the Meramec River trails. These trails are all expertly maintained by the park services. During the summer, we enjoy going swimming in the Meramec river. The current can be swift so a life jacket is a must for the little ones! The beaches are maintained and are sandy so bring your buckets and shovels to biuld your own sand castle. My 9 year old had so much fun building a moat and catching tadpoles and minnows to put in her little hand made pond! During the spring and summer, this river boasts of some excellent fishing also. Bring your charcoal for the grill at the picnic sites. A day of hiking, biking and swimming is bound to make you hungry for your favorite grilled foods! shellakers Sun, 04 Nov 2007 18:21:39 -0800 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/859 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/859 I haven't been to Hawn State Park since 1984, when I was 9 months pregnant with my oldest daughter. Back then, there weren't the luxeries of mantained trails. A simple walk would take you up rugged terrain. Last weekend, we wanted to take the kids for a hike to appreciate the vibrant autumn colors. Hawn State Park is within an hour of where we live so we packed up Grandma, 3 of our girls and our little beagle, Dixie. We were pleasantly surprised by how well the trails were maintained. Hiking about 4 miles up and down the mountain and through Pickle Creek, we ended up back at the playground where the kids played on the swingsets and monkey bars. Grandma even joined in on the swingsets! My husband and I sat at the playground and munched on Grandma's home made M&M cookies! All in all it was a lovely day and the exercise helped us to a good nights sleep! I need to add that there are maps of the forested area that novice hikers (like we are) and serious backpackers can enjoy. We saw several serious backpackers coming back from an overnight of camping in the Hawn State Park woods. After talking to some of the "locals", we learned that fishing in Pickle Creek is good after the spring rains. We love to fish so we're looking forward to going back in the spring or summer! shellakers Sun, 04 Nov 2007 17:24:34 -0800 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/858 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/858 There are so many things to do in our area that there's really no reason at all to hear "I'm bored!". Last weekend we decided to cash in on some free adventure, exploring and activity. We packed up Grandma, the 4 girls and our little beagle, Dixie for a hike up the mountains at Hawn State Park in Ste. Genevieve Missouri. The fall colors were spectacular and we had so much fun enjoying nature and climbing rocks. Pickle Creek was spectacular too! This is a park that we'd definitely want to come back to in the spring or summer in order to backpack and camp in the designated camping areas. I think the water would be more enjoyable in the summer, as well. We like to go fishing and I can see that the creek would probably get deep enough to fish in after the rainy season. After hiking for about 4 miles, we relaxed back at the playground and watched the girls and Grandma play on the swingsets and monkey bars. Grandma had baked some homemade M&M cookies so we munched on them as we all sat around in the cool, fall breeze talking. I need to add that these hiking trails are maintained and range from novice to experienced. We met several serious backpackers, with all their professional gear coming back from their overnight stay in the hills. After leaving the park, we decided to go into the historic French town of Ste. Genevieve and have a late lunch at The Old Brick House. They have an awesome lunch buffet that's very affordable for a hungry family and the atmosphere was nice. shellakers Sun, 04 Nov 2007 11:51:43 -0800 http://www.parentography.com/excursions/show/163 http://www.parentography.com/excursions/show/163 This is a wonderful park for climbing granite mountains of rocks! I loved coming here to picnic with my parents when I was young. The tradition continued with my own children. My oldest daughter is 23 and she still likes rock climbing just as much as my younger children do! Elephant Rocks is located about 2 hours south of St. Louis so if you have some extra time on a weekend, I'd highly recommend packing a bucket of chicken and the kids up for an adventuresome and fun filled day. There are picnic tables nestled within the giant boulders so that if you want to be hidden from other park goers, it's VERY possible. Younger children will enjoy the playground facilities as well. From the brochure: Imagine giant granite rocks standing end-to-end like a train of circus elephants. That's what you'll see at Elephant Rocks State Park. About 1.5 billion years ago, hot magma cooled forming coarsely crystalline red granite, which later weathered into huge, rounded boulders. Standing atop a granite outcrop, one of the largest elephant rocks, Dumbo, tops the scales at a whopping 680 tons! Visitors to Elephant Rocks State Park can easily view the granite boulders from the one mile Braille Trail, designed to accommodate people with visual or physical disabilities. The trail passes by a quarry pond, which now supports a variety of animal life. A short spur off of the trail takes visitors off of the granite outcrop, where they can explore the maze of giant elephant rocks. A second spur brings visitors to a point of overlooking an old quarry site. This red granite, first commercially quarried in the late 1800's, has been used as building material and as paving blocks for the St. Louis levee and downtown streets. Today, "Missouri Red" granite is cut and polished mainly for use as monuments. Thirty picnic sites allow visitors to rest and have a cool drink among the stone pachyderms. Restrooms are available. Come see for yourself why Elephant Rocks State Park is a place you'll never forget! shellakers Sun, 04 Nov 2007 07:56:00 -0800 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/856 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/856 We just decided to get away from the house and surprise the kids at the spur of the moment. The place we chose was Pere Marquette Lodge in Graffton IL. Part of the reason we chose this lodge is for the price as a big room in the lodge only cost us $125 per night for the 5 of us to stay. This was great considering we'd checked out the YMCA Trout Lodge and it would have cost $350 plus per night for a family of 5. Pere Marquette is breathtaking! Not only do they have top of the line accomodations, the lodge is nestled in the rolling hills of Graffton Illinois and boasts of some excellent hiking trails which we will be checking out a little later today. The kids enjoy being here because they have a great indoor pool and game room with several video games and a billiard table. In the lobby of the lodge, I liked the almost life sized chess set that was painted on the floor! Totally awesome! Oh, I forgot to mention the convenient dining inside the lodge that is open to the public. There's definitely enough right here in the state park to do without ever having to leave the premises. shellakers Sat, 15 Sep 2007 08:43:58 -0700 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/821 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/821 This awesome park is just a few minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Our family enjoys packing a picnic lunch and eating under a shade tree. The kids enjoy either fishing in one of the several lakes or playing in the playground. There's a petting zoo or a barn with several farm animals such as horses, goats, chickens etc... for the younger children (and older) to enjoy. Some people ride bikes through the park. It's beautiful at sunset too! shellakers Sun, 01 Jul 2007 23:33:02 -0700 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/726 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/726 If you're just visiting St. Louis, there are some things you'll need to know (that the locals ALREADY know well). One of them is Ted Drewes Frozen Custard on Chippewa. Even if the line going up to the small building is backed out into the street, you'd do well to be patient and wait! They have so many "concrete" specialty flavors and they have the old stand by's (with extra whipped crream and nuts!!!). We don't live near Ted Drewes but somedays during the summertime, we'll take the kids on a night time drive (45 minutes away) just to indulge in the satiny, smooth and creamy frozen custard! shellakers Sun, 01 Jul 2007 23:17:00 -0700 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/725 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/725 Our family visited the St. Louis Art Museum during the winter time. It was such a great place to visit especially on a rainy, cold day. My teenagers especially liked the mummy display. My husband enjoyed the mid-evil armours and weapons and I enjoyed the period pieces and furnature. There's a little cafe inside the museum if you get hungry or thirsty. The gift shops are awesome and have such reasonably priced items. I believe they hold some type of art classes for children and adults (BUT please check the website to check). It's always a bonus when we find something that the whole family enjoys PLUS it's free! We would have needed more than than the 3 hours we were able to spend here. To do the art museum justice, I'd probably have to spend more than a day. It's definitely worth a visit! shellakers Sun, 01 Jul 2007 23:01:15 -0700 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/724 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/724 Although it didn't take long to be seated, the service wasn't friendly at all. The waitress at first, forgot about us and we had to find someone to take our order. The wrong food was given to us and when the RIGHT food was served, my burger was WAY underdone and the side orders were cold. When we asked the manager if our bill could be adjusted for all that was wrong, we were told that they would be happy to give us a percentage off the next visit (buy one meal get one meal free). Naturally, we will not be going back so we wouldn't be needing their discount on the next purchase. The bathroom was also pretty dirty. Maybe it was a bad day for them? shellakers Sun, 01 Jul 2007 22:47:57 -0700 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/723 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/723 Our family ate here after a day of shopping at Gravois Bluffs. The service was very good, in fact, our nine year old had a pretty major spill (blueberry syrup!!!) and the people didn't act like it was any big deal to clean it up. They acted like they were more concerned with my daughter than with the huge, sticky mess that they had to clean up. I appreciated that! There was a whole lot of food that came with every order and it was good too (which was surprising since it was around 9:00 p.m.). We liked it a lot and will be going back when we're in the area again. shellakers Sun, 01 Jul 2007 22:22:27 -0700 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/722 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/722 Ozark Outdoors is located about 1.5 hours from St. Louis. It's a fun place to take the kids camping for a weekend. Our family enjoys tent camping near the river banks but they do offer little cottages for the people who don't necessarily like the outdoors as much as we do! They also have hotel rooms. There's a convenience store where you can buy anything that you may have forgotten, such as, marshmellows, charcoal, worms for fishing, breakfast food, bread, tee-shirts, sun tan oil, etc... We've been taking the kids floating and fishing here since they were all 4 years old. Ozark Outdoors offers inflatable canoes that are also called "Soars" that can't tip PLUS they go faster in the water than the typical "raft" goes in the water. We usually have the kids all in one of these with the oldest of them (teenagers) in the front and in the back to steer. They aslo offer kayaks (which are easy to steer too for the kids and give you quite a work out) rafts for large families and canoes. There are some beautiful little places to pull over and picnic and swim, fish or float down the current on a floating seat cushion. When you get off the river and have worked up an appetite, the staff at Ozark Outdoors can serve you some pretty good bar-b-que (with all the trimmings) or you can start your own fire to grill your own hamburgers! We like to sit around the campfire at night and tell ghost stories and roast marshmellows. Ozark Outdoors does have hot showers that are kept pretty clean BUT you have to bring enough change to pay for them. It usually takes me $1.50 to take a decent shower. They also have restrooms posistioned stragically throughout the campgrounds. A very nice inground pool is located on the hill above the convenience store for the families who don't like swimming in the river. There is also a pretty nice playground for the kids to play on. They do allow pets but they must be on a leash. All in all, I highly recommend this place for camping. We've stayed in the cottages and although they say these cabins are big enough for a family, you can hardly move in them. It costs us over $400 to stay for 3 nights in the cabin. The cabin does have a/c and a full refridgerator but no stove. Just a microwave. They don't provide bed clothes (sheets, blankets and such), bath towels or utensils for the kitchen. They didn't have it cleaned when we checked in and the a/c didn't work. My husband had to help them put another a/c unit in because they didn't have enough help to lift it up into the loft. I'm hoping this is an isolated experience because it was Memorial Day and the place was completely packed (graduation parties etc...). I wouldn't recommend taking small children or young children during these major holiday weekends because although the resort does advertise that it's always a family enviroment, the crowd can get pretty loud and crazy (even during quiet hours). shellakers Sun, 01 Jul 2007 21:38:36 -0700 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/721 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/721 This little farm is such a well kept secret in the St. Louis area! It's so unusual because lavender doesn't typically grow well because of the humidity in Missouri. The owners of Winding Brook Estates have mastered which varieties of lavender are able to grow well and the exact art of growing this therapeutic herb in our state. Upon entering this secluded farm, you'll notice a sea of purple, deep blue and silvery white lavender. If you like, you may borrow scissors from the little red barn and cut your own lavender for fresh boquets or for drying. The owner of the farm will provide you with a wire twist tie and you're allowed to cut as much as will fit in the twist tie for $12.00. Picnic tables are placed outside of the little red barn in case you want to bring your own lunch to eat beside a beautiful babbling spring. It's so peaceful and calming. Even the children who were there to help their mom's pick the lavender, seemed to be calmed by the quiet setting. Inside the red barn, the owner of Winding Brook Estates will be decoratively wrapping lavender or making lavender soap bars. In fact they sell everything that could possibly have to do with lavender! They offer a variety of aromatherapy, bath/body, comfort, culinary, home/kitchen, pet, spa wedding favors, wreaths and other floral products for sale. Description on brochure: "Winding Brook Estate is a 17 acre farm with acres of lavender planted for public harvesting during blooming season. We are nestled in the hills of the northern Ozarks in Eureka, Missouri, just 20 miles west of St. Louis." The farm is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May thru October. Blooming season varies from year to year, so please visit the website for the specific harvesting date each season. Hours 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Winding Brook Estate asks that you help maintain the farms natural beauty by leaving your pets at home and by not smoking. shellakers Sun, 01 Jul 2007 20:42:03 -0700 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/720 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/720 Recently my wonderful husband treated me to a surprise night out. He chose The Bissell Mansion Dinner Theatre because we'd never been to a dinner theatre and have always wanted to see what it was like. I was surprised to see that this historic old mansion was located in a very bad part of town. Located a couple of minutes from Downtown St. Louis, most areas are decent enough but in order to get here we had to drive through streets with houses that had windows that had been either shot out or broken and boarded up. People outside the houses in groups, drinking on the street and looking at us as if the outsider just passed through thier neighborhood. It was a little intimidating! Upon arriving, we were relieved to find out that a security guard had been paid to take care of the gated parking lot where our vehicles would stay. Whew! I'll have to admit that we were still greatful to have full coverage insurance! We talked with other dinner guests who were from out of town (one couple from Chicago and one family from Kansas City) and they expressed thier aprehension about the location too, so I guess it wasn't just us. In fact, when the production was over, some people decided to leave in groups with others that they didn't even know! I thought that was funny. My husband and I were happy to find that NOTHING had happened to us or to our car. Everything turned out just fine so really there was nothing to worry about! lol Upon entering the Bissell Mansion, we were met by one of the actors in the production "Go With The Wind" an obvious parody of "Gone With The Wind". He gave us the lines that we would be reading for the roles that we were playing. My husband was to play the character "Gentleman Jack" . I had no lines but for some reason had to wear a name tag announcing that I was "Sister Mary Martin". The idea of the play was to get everyone involved. We would be sitting with people we didn't know and hopefully liked. The staff lets you know that anybody could have been the killer in this play, even YOU and you might not even know it. The audience decides. There were only 2 actors in this play besides the audience (and our acting sucked! lol). The acting was supposed to be funny so I'll give them a break for the bad acting. It seemed like the worse the acting the funnier it got! Maybe it was supposed to be that way? Overall, I was not impressed with the theatre part. The part that I enjoyed was how well the staff got the audience involved. They were very good and patient with the children who attended this paly. They really seemed to be interested in allowing the children to participate, which was cool. We sat with a couple from Kansas City who came to St. Louis just to attend this play. They had thier 9 year old son with them. He had a pretty big part in the acting! lol The price for this evening was very reasonable. $43.95 per person and no breaks for kids. On Sundays, the play starts at 2:00 and on every other evening, at 7:00. They ask that you be there by 6:30 to get familiar with the other guests and to have drinks and appetizers. The appetizers are included in the price of the show but the bar is a cash bar. I ordered a Cosmopolitan and all though served in a water glass, it was very good. At around 7:00 we were seated in the dining room where we watched the play and ate dinner. You have a choice of 3 entrees 8 oz New York Strip steak, Chicken Parmesan, or White fish with almondine sauce. We had the steak which is always cooked medium. It was ok. Entrees are served with a dinner salad (the tomatoes on my salad tasted like they'd been sitting on top of raw fish and I HATE fish), a potato and vegetable. Dessert was a chocolate mousse type dessert served in a small dish on top of whipped cream. Along with dinner, 2 glasses of blush wine is served. We didn't have the wine so I can't say if it was good. All in all, I'd give the dinner and appetizers 2 out of 5 stars. We enjoyed this show because we'd never been to one of these before but will probably never do this one again. I kind of felt sorry for the people who drove from out of town just to attend (and there were several). Everyone seemed to have a good time and I didn't hear too much complaining from others. People mentioned that they were surprised to see the wall paper to be partially falling off the walls at the corners and the building in need of a little repair. I think the owners were doing the Dinner Theatre in order to raise the money to preserve the historical mansion. The other complaint of the evening was that in general, people thought it was way too hot. I didn't because I'm always cold but I did hear a lot of grumblings! All in all, I'd recommend this if you've never been to one or if you just want something out of the ordinary to do within a good price range. The children who attended were between the ages of 9 through teenaged. There were some college students in attendence as well. shellakers Wed, 04 Apr 2007 06:56:50 -0700 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/543 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/543 Recently I took my girls on a "girls night out". We decided to stay at the Adams Mark Hotel in St. Louis near the Arch. This was a spur of the moment decision because we wanted to do something fun and "new" for the girls. They'd never been to such a nice hotel and I wanted to "pamper" them a little on thier spring break. We reserved a king suite which came equipped with 1 queen sized bed, internet access, a living room area with a seperate TV and a decent sized bathroom. The cost for this room was nearly $200 per/night. WAY too expensive for what we got. I was not impressed with the service at all. I've been to a lot less expensive hotels where I'd forgotten to pack a razor or toothpaste and the hotel provided little care packages free of charge. This hotel DOES not provide any kind of personal care package. I was a little surprised with this. The room we stayed in was clean though so that was a plus and the view from our window was BREATHTAKING! We ate at Chestnut's inside the Adam's Mark. I'd remembered this to be a great place to eat with reasonable prices and great food. In fact, upon entering the hotel, the desk clerk referred us to Chestnut's because (according to him) it was very reasonable for children. Again, I was very disappointed in this one too. The menu had VERY little selection, especially for kids. I have an 8 year old and a 13 year old so they're not in that "picky" stage. We spent $70 for the 3 of us to eat and that was without dessert! The food was NOT good for any of us. My daughter's burger, although large, tasted like dried out cardboard. The presentation of the food was elegant but I would have traded that for tastey! After swimming in thier indoor pool (which was clean and manned with an attendent ready to give you a clean towel) and using the hot tub (also clean and large) we retired to our room and ordered a movie ($13) and room service for dessert. This was a treat for the kids and they were looking forward to getting room service. This turned into a major ordeal as well. The kitchen had to call us back 3 times to say that they didn't have what we ordered (on the menu). They repeatedly changed my order only to call back and say they didn't have the item. This was on a Weds. - NOT a busy day for them so I'm going to assume they don't stock a whole lot during the week? By the next morning we were ready to eat our advertised contenental breakfast which was supposed to be on a certain floor in a certain room. This was also NOT the case. The breakfast took place inside Chestnut's again. There was a buffet but you could order from thier "inexpensive" menu. We chose the buffet. Thier was a line chef ready to make omlets to order. The food was cold and not tasty. The omlet was ok but nothing to brag about. The service was horrible (our server didn't speak English) and our breakfast bill was $50.00! I don't complain about prices especially when we're planning a luxury event but I DO expect something good for the money I pay. By the time all was said and done, this night of luxury (not) cost around $400.00. We found the staff to be unfriendly for the most part. I got the feeling they weren't accustomed to children and mine weren't misbehaved but very respectful. I did see another family with a teenaged son, however. In the gift shop, my kids were actually followed by the attendant! I don't allow them to touch anything unless they ask so I was a little offended by this. When I tried to break the ice with the lady by smiling to let her know I was with them, she did not smile back. She didn't have the correct change and actually asked me if I still wanted what I purchased because she'd have to call for change. Kind of strange. I understand this hotel is used for mainly business travelers but it is advertised for families also. The good points about staying here is that it's witin walking distance of the Arch and several other attractions. We could see the Baseball Stadium from where we stayed also. There is a gym and 2 pools, a hot tub and a sauna. Other than that, not impressed. shellakers Tue, 03 Apr 2007 02:02:03 -0700 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/542 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/542 The St. Louis Science Center is SUCH a fun and activity packed place for the whole family. If you're traveling through St. Louis or if you live here and are looking for an all day outing for the family, it's well worth your while to spend some time here. I recently took my girls here and I was amazed at how much it changes every year! We were able to spend 3 hours and the time flew by with us not being able to see even half of what was offered. Most of the activities are free and interactive. There's even a computer room with computer use and internet access being free to the public. We didn't use them but I wittnessed several people of varied ages from 2 years (on what looked like toddler computers) to 70 years who were making use of them. The activities that we enjoyed the most were the hands on - medical activities. There is a part of the Science Center on the first floor where children of all ages can "pretend" to preform an operation and stitch up the "patient" using a scope. We spent most of our time here! Most activities are free of charge. There is no charge for entering. The only charges are incurred when visiting the Discovery Room during certain scheduled times. The Discovery Room is for children and it costs $3.00. Call ahead for times. The Omnimax is completely breathtaking and well worth the money, if you have time. Shows change during different times of the year so call ahead to see what's playing. Omnimax charges are $8.00 for adults and $7.00 for children. The Science Center always has different free learning activities planned. Some activities do cost a minimal amount but all prices are listed on thier website. I've yet to see the planetarium but I understand it is something I shouldn't take for granted! I want to be able to take the kids for a camp out under the stars at the planetarium soon! Again, there is so much to see that you woudn't have to spend a dime and not be able to see or do everything. Parking is even free on the Planetarium side of the Science Center. I'd recommend you get there early if you're going for the free parking. There is also public parking along side the Science Center, however, it costs $6.00 for all day. shellakers Tue, 03 Apr 2007 00:56:37 -0700 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/541 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/541 This is a beautiful, private little park, great for picnicing on a sunny spring day. Each picnic area is equipped with picnic tables, covered trash cans, and charcoal grills. Sandy Creek runs under the covered bridge and in late spring and early summer, children are seen wading and swimming in the deep sections. There is no playground equipment but there's plenty for the kids to do such as taking a nature hike, throwing the frisbee or playing catch. From time to time, you might even see someone fishing (cat fish are known to hide in the waters by the big rock). Pets are welcome on leashes, be sure to bring your handy little reusable grocery bag to clean up after little Fido though. The Covered Bridge Park is kept very clean (even the rest rooms!). One of the very few covered bridges left in the country, it would be a mistake not to spend a little time walking through and taking pictures. Sandy Creek Covered Bridge is located about 45 minutes south of Downtown St. Louis. It's a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. shellakers Mon, 02 Apr 2007 17:29:16 -0700 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/540 http://www.parentography.com/reviews/show/540