Members of the NFL media horde, as well as league and union employees and lawyers are getting quite a U.S. tour as the NFL labor dispute drags on. They’ve made stops in courthouses and headquarter offices in St. Paul, Minnesota, New York City, and Washington, D.C. thus far. We can add an upcoming trip to St. Louis, Missouri to the list as well, as the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in the NFL’s appeal of a district court ruling on Friday June 3 at Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse.

As we did for the proceedings in St. Paul, Sports Power Weekends will break down some of the great activities, restaurants, and of course sporting events in the area as a service to those traveling to cover the appeal hearing. First and foremost is a rundown of sporting events being held in the area when NFL media members will be in town! The St. Louis Cardinals will be home at Busch Stadium over the course of that weekend, closing their series with the World Series champion Giants on Thursday before their bitter rivals the Chicago Cubs visit for a weekend set.

Photo courtesy of MLB.com

The St. Louis Blues missed out on the NHL playoffs this season, meaning the Scottrade Center will be vacant on this early June weekend. In addition to featuring Blues hockey during the NHL season and a bevy of other events and concerts throughout the year, the Scottrade Center also features the new St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame. The display features artifacts and memorabilia from the city’s current and former professional teams, including the Rams’ Super Bowl XXXIV trophy, Lou Brock’s stolen base number 898, and many game-used jerseys from the Cardinals and Blues.

Additionally, the home of the St. Louis Rams, Edward Jones Dome, is just a short walk northeast from both Busch Stadium and the Scottrade Center. They are all in the shadow of the Gateway Arch along the Mississippi River.

The Gateway City is home to some of the country’s most well known attractions, none more visible than the aforementioned Gateway Arch, which is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. This memorial signifies the westward expansion beyond the Mississippi River of U.S. settlers.

There is no shortage of things to do and see in St. Louis, and here is just a small sampling:

• Go to the top of the Gateway Arch.
• Take a riverboat tour on the Mississippi.
• Tour the Anheuser Busch Brewery and see the famous Clydesdales in their stables.
• Go to Forest Park, which is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. It opened in 1876 and is 500 acres larger than Central Park. Additionally, it is home to the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Art Museum, and the Missouri History Museum, which all feature free admission.
• Visit Grant’s Farm, the ancestral home of the Busch Family. The farm is named after President Ulysses S. Grant, who founded and farmed a portion of the area. More than 24 million visitors have taken a trip to the farm, which features more than 900 animals.
• Stroll through the campuses of Washington University in St. Louis and St. Louis University.
• Press your luck at one of the number of casinos in the city, including Lumiére Place, Harrah’s, and Casino Queen.
• Walk along Laclede’s Landing, an entertainment district featuring restaurants, nightclubs and casinos along the cobblestone streets.

St. Louis is also known for its fantastic barbeque. There is a reason St. Louis style ribs are so famous, and here are some of the best restaurants in town to try them, and other great local food:

• Roper’s Ribs – They have been serving BBQ in St. Louis since 1976, and in that time have won awards for best ribs in the city, and even the country by Steve Harvey’s Hoodie Awards.
• Pappy’s Smokehouse – Pappy’s has been featured on the Travel Channel and has been voted best BBQ in St. Louis three years running by the Riverfront Times.
• Iron Barley – Their fantastic food has been featured on both the Travel Channel and Food Network for its freshness, quality and eclectic menu.
• Sweetie Pies at the Mangrove – This soul food spot has also been featured on Food Network, which was particularly fond of their Mac and Cheese.
• Crown Candy Kitchen – Since 1913 they have been satiating the cravings of the locals, making their own chocolate candy, and not to mention some of the best malts and shakes you will ever try.
• Ted Drewes Frozen Custard – A St. Louis tradition for more than 80 years.

As always, for those interesting in booking a Sports Power Weekends experience anywhere in the country, please email me at Jared.Cooper@SPWtravel.com.