Getting This Trip Off the Ground
Okay, first things first – needed a place to crash for the WWE event downtown. St. Louis has options, but man, wrestling weekends jack up prices. Felt like hunting for buried treasure without a map.
Checked reviews on Marriott vs Hyatt near the venue. Hyatt Regency won me over. Bit pricier, but right across the street? Yes please. Booked that sucker online five months ahead. Priced kinda crazy, but location? Couldn’t beat it for skipping traffic headaches after the show.
Feeding the Beast (Mostly BBQ)
Stomach started rumbling while packing. Knew St. Louis meant BBQ. Googled “best ribs near me”. Everyone screamed about Pappy’s Smokehouse and Bogart’s. Put them top of my list.
- Day One: Walked into Pappy’s. Line snaked out the door! Waited almost an hour – totally worth it. Got the ribs, cornbread, sweet potato fries. Meat fell right off the bone. Messy. Delicious. Sauce? Tried the original and the sweet heat. Sweet heat rocked my face off. 10/10, sticky fingers and all.
- Day Two: Hit Bogart’s next day. Less insane line. Beef brisket this time. Melt-in-your-mouth stuff. Smoky goodness. Ate way too much. Learned something new – their pit beans? Absolute fire. Got extra sauce bottles to take home.
Also grabbed breakfast at the hotel diner – fast and surprisingly decent eggs & bacon when rushing out. Coffee kept me alive.
Navigating the City & Venue
Flew into STL airport. Uber was easy to snag, about $35 bucks to the Hyatt downtown. Fair enough.
Once downtown, didn’t need a car. Walked everywhere:
- Arch grounds? Huge green space. Cool to see, didn’t go up though.
- Ballpark Village? Baseball stadium bars. Atmosphere was hopping even without a game.
- The arena? Hyatt was right there. Saw other fans at the hotel bar before the show. Easy.
WWE Specific Pro Tip: Even staying close, GET TO THE ARENA EARLY. Like, really early. Security lines and merch tables are no joke. We lined up at 5:30 PM for a 7 PM start just to get through and grab a shirt. Personal fail time: missed getting a specific shirt because they sold out before we got through.
Making It Stick – Easy Plan Takeaway
So, what worked? Booking the Hyatt early saved my sanity. Walking meant no parking nightmare. Eating at those BBQ spots was the taste highlight. Most importantly – showing up stupid early for the show itself. Way more chill to grab a drink inside, soak up the crowd vibe, and avoid missing anything.
Whole trip felt smooth because the big pieces – sleep, eat, transport, entry – were locked down without overcomplicating it. Simple wins.
