The Church I Kept Passing

Every time I drove into downtown on Natural Bridge Road from my hotel near the airport, a church steeple rose above the treeline and caught my eye. This time I finally went looking for it. I also gave the rest of the day to parts of St. Louis I had not explored yet.

The church turned out to be the former St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, and it was worth the search. It was massive and red brick, its spire still standing tall, but it had been left to time, with ivy climbing the walls and empty window frames. From there I wandered through Grand Center and past Saint Louis University. In the Central West End, the Cathedral Basilica anchors grand old streets. I ended up on the Delmar Loop, where neon signs, the Tivoli marquee, and Chuck Berry’s likeness gave the city a completely different energy.

St. Louis kept rewarding my curiosity. Sometimes the best part of a trip is finally following the thing you keep passing on the way somewhere else.