1. The Gateway Arch is the main monument to see in St. Louis, and it definitely stands out. It’s dedicated to the western expansion of the United States, which is why it’s sometimes called the gateway to the West.
2. The old courthouse has this completely unexpected Italian Renaissance-style rotunda painted in pastel pinks and blues.
3. It’s also — more importantly — the place where the historic Dred Scott case was heard in 1847.
4. Living in a city where you can throw a rock at a beautiful, neo-Gothic church from pretty much anywhere you’re standing at any given moment, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this neo-Byzantine gem complete with the largest mosaic collection in the world.
5. I’ll admit it — St. Louis was far from being at the top of my list of places to visit. But after taking an unexpected trip there just before Christmas, I’m pretty glad I went.