Reviews written by The Travel Penguin
Of all of the non-temple/garden attractions in Kyoto, Nijo Castle is my favorite. I've been there several times and always enjoy it. This was the castle of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu when the capital of Japan was centered in Kyoto. Although many castles in Japan are built on hilltops, Nijo Castle was built down in the...
Hama Rikyu Garden is one of the larger city parks near where the Sumida River runs into Tokyo Bay. It is nearby the new Shiodome area. The park is not spectacular but it does have a pond, open lawn areas, and trees. The garden is mostly frequented by families and couples. There is ample area at Hama Rikyu Garden for...
I visited South 94 Bistro late on a Wednesday evening. What is interesting about this bar is that they have 20 or more hard tipped dart boards. This is the largest darts bar I've seen in St. Charles County. There were signs indicating that they have darts league play, too. My guess is that South 94 Bistro is able to...
This McDonald's is located just northwest of the intersection of Highways K & N in southern O'Fallon, Missouri. It is one of those rarer McDonald's that still has an indoor kid's play area. This McDonald's is open 24-hours daily and has free wifi. We stopped in late at night for a quick snack of a...
Maggiano's Little Italy is located in a nice boutique mall known as The Boulevard. That mall is just across Brentwood Boulevard from the much larger Galleria shopping mall. For a chain restaurant, Maggiano's Little Italy is a done up very well. It has two levels although unless crowded, only the lower level may be open....
As a kid, I somewhat dreaded going to the "Muny Opera" as we called it back then. Its not because I didn't enjoy the performances (I did!). Its because my parents made us kids dress up in coats and ties to attend performances in the warm months of the summer theater season. But now things have changed a lot. People...
The Museum of Transportation is located in a quiet area of Kirkwood on the south side of I-270. It is part of the St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Department and covers 129 acres. The museum is considered to be one of the largest collections of transportation related vehicles in the world and encompasses more than 190 major exhibits. ...
The Missouri Botanical Garden has been a favorite stop on my St. Louis sightseeing list since I was a youngster. I was always impressed with the Climatron (1960) built as a geodesic dome plus the Seiwa-en Japanese garden (1977) which was developed later on. It is also the site of the annual Japan Festival normally held over the Labor Day...
Creve Coeur Lakehouse is located on a small arm of Creve Coeur Lake. You won't see anything of the main area of the lake from here. But if you like to relax and have drinks or eat "al fresco" at a lake environment, this is one of your few choices in St. Louis County. They do have bands playing during...
I don't know how many times I've been to the St. Louis Arch. As a native St. Louisian, I've visited the Arch many times going all the way back to childhood school excursions. And, whenever a visitor comes to town, its a must-see on our local sightseeing days. The Arch is a rather unique architectural...
It's amazing how many people have lived their entire lives in the St. Louis area and have never once seen where the Mississippi and Missouri rivers meet just a few miles north of the city. Well, not too surprising since the Confluence Point State Park where the rivers meet used to be private property until fairly recently. ...
The National Great Rivers Museum is located next to the Melvin Price Locks and Dam just east of Alton, Illinois. The museum is in a modern, air-conditioned facility. It's not very large, but combined with a free tour of the locks and dam, it makes a nice stop in the area when day-tripping from St. Louis. Its a great way...