The beginning of another discovery trail.

(From Business Line)

Many travelling to the US rarely visit lesser-known cities that are steeped in history and boast of exceptional natural beauty. M. Ramesh on why a trip to St Louis is worth the while.

If it is not a hot tourist spot for Indians visiting the US, it is a pity. For St Louis, that lies bang in the middle of all that is America, has that historical aspect about it, transports you back in time. A century and half ago, if you were a cowboy with a gun tucked on either side of your waist, you would have had much to do with St Louis - be it for selling a piece of robbed wealth or buying gun powder. If you were a fortune hunter, eager to discover a hidden vein of gold, you would have had to scrounge for scraps of information in the dark taverns of St Louis. Sure, the modern city today resembles nothing of its eventful past. But the city planners have made sure that the history is not forgotten.

St Louis sits on a piece of geography that was destined to make history. This is where the river Missouri empties into the Mississippi. About the time George Washington secured US its Independence, the village of St Louis represented …