Manchester, MO Outdoor Activities

In 2009, while refereeing women’s flat-track derby bouts, the founding fathers of the St. Louis GateKeepers realized they wanted a taste of the speed, adrenaline, and action found in competitive roller derby. The pair gathered a crew of like-minded skaters and, in November of that year, the GateKeepers held its first league practice. By the end of their 2012 season, the league had expanded to feature three teams, plus a travel team that defends St. Louis from out-of-town opponents hoping to claim the Arch as a trophy. Despite its expansion, the GateKeepers stands by its original mission to provide a league for the players, by the players, and welcomes men from all walks of life to try on the sport's sweat-soaked jerseys and multicolored bruises.

A tradition-rich NHL franchise, the St. Louis Blues look to continue their 2010–2011 campaign of slap shots, penalty kills, and all-around pucksmanship as they scrap for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. See if you can catch a glimpse of your favorite player amidst the blurred and helmeted faces of Eric Brewer, David Backes, and the rest of the squad as you cheer for the home team or wear a fake mustache and infiltrate a crowd of the visiting team’s fans. Kids 3 and younger get in free, though they are not guaranteed a seat, so bring along a lap or your dandling knee. Hockey is like the magnificent mutt of the sporting world. You get the suspense of watching an object swish through a net (like in basketball or soccer), the thrill of rambunctious brawls (boxing), the elegance of ice skating, and the utter brutality of golf all combined into one action-packed event.

This Groupon is valid for cruises beginning April 11, 2011 to October 31, 2011. When your reservation is made prime rib or child’s chicken strips will automatically be set up unless otherwise specified. Casual to dressy attire suggested.

Chris and Pam Schmick's passion for climbing inspired them to clear tons of rotting soybeans out of an abandoned grain silo in Illinois and transform it into a state-of-the-art climbing facility. Now, in St. Louis, the duo has converted a 10,000-square-foot historic train station into a climber’s haven. They installed massive rock arches that soar 35 feet in the air, and dotted the climbing walls with a diverse mix of slabs, cracks, dihedrals, and bald-eagle nests. After their successful expansion in St. Louis, the pair acquired a 14,000-square-foot gym space in West County in which they designed a full-service climbing paradise. All three gyms cater to beginner climbers, with 18-foot-tall bouldering walls and 14 autobelays. The gyms furnish climbers with showers and a locker room, and stock their pro shops with top-tier equipment from Black Diamond and La Sportiva.

With 11 World Series titles under their belts, the St. Louis Cardinals have thrilled hometown crowds with more than a century of on-field excellence. Opened in 2006, the current Busch Stadium greets each guest with stunning views of the Gateway Arch, treating them to foot-long hot dogs and mile-long bratwursts from the concession stands. Cards fans can also snap photos of the verdant natural-grass field, create their own Fredbird at a Build-a-Bear station, or play musical chairs in the stadium's 46,000 seats.

The Missouri Botanical Garden has stunned visitors for more than a century and a half with a vast collection of local and exotic plants arranged across 79 acres of gardens. Nature-lovers and homesick lemurs can wander around waterfalls and gaze at tropical birds under the Climatron's geodesic dome, which also encloses about 1,400 species of tropical plants. Afterward, take a tot to burn off photosynthized energy at the Children's Garden, where they can romp through the educational exhibits, traverse a limestone cave, and soar down a slide. The Kresko Family Victorian Garden provides insight to both the land and skies with the Piper Observatory and Kaeser Memorial Maze, anchored by garden founder Henry Shaw's 1849 residence and final resting place, both of which disappear under the light of a full moon.