This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: August 12, 2008 - We know it's vacation, but today you've got to get up early because we've got a full day planned. Think of this day as a substitute for that all-inclusive Mayan Riviera resort.
9:30 a.m.
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
- https://www.cahokiamounds.com
- 30 Ramey St., Collinsville IL 62234
- Tel: 618-346-5160
- Admission: Free but suggested donation of $4 for adults, $2 children ($10 maximum a family)
The Mayan pyramid at Chichen Itza is a dazzler, but so too is Monk's Mound, the largest prehistoric earthen mound in the Americas and the centerpiece of Cahokia Mounds. Covering 14 acres, it's 100 feet tall. From the top, you can even see the Arch.
But before you climb Monk's Mound and wander around the site, visit the Interpretive Center. Expect to spend at least an hour looking at the museum exhibits, the film "City of the Sun" and especially the very cool diorama. (The village diorama includes a sweat lodge and scenes of Native Americans grinding corn, cooking venison, making pottery. The attention to detail is impressive.) Taken together, the exhibits, movie and village give visitors a well-rounded sense of life at Cahokia between 700-1400 A.D. The largest pre-Columbian city north of Mexico, Cahokia was a bustling place. At its peak around 1100 A.D., it had a population estimated between 10,000-20,000. It was also an important trading center, and archeologists have discovered shells from the Gulf of Mexico that were crafted there into valuable objects.
Outside, one trail takes you around the central plaza and the twin mounds; another around Monk's Mound and the stockade; and a third around the Woodhenge area. More adventurous visitors can also undertake a 6.2-mile Nature/Culture Trail, which winds its way through more remote areas. You'll spend an hour or two just on the three major paths.
12:30 p.m.
Soulard Coffee Garden Cafe
- 910 Geyer Ave., Soulard
- 314-241-1464
After all that walking and hiking, it's time for a nice, relaxing lunch. OK, it's not Mexican, but Soulard Coffee Garden Cafe has one of the loveliest patios in town -- a lush, overgrown garden that recalls a tropical clime and a slower lifestyle. Find a seat by the fountain. Who doesn't love the soothing sounds of water? Then have an omelette, a salad, a panini or some other light fare. You don't want to eat too much; there's still lots to see this afternoon.
2 p.m.
St. Louis Art Museum
- www.slam.org
- Forest Park, St. Louis
- Tel: 314-721-0072
- Admission: free, except for special exhibitions
You've seen the new Van Gogh and the old Monets. But have you explored the basement of the the St. Louis Art Museum, especially its collections of pre-Columbian and Native American art? A tour of these two collections will reinforce what you discovered in the morning: The Americas had a vital, extraordinary culture before European contact; after contact, Native American art began to incorporate European materials and motifs, often to spectacular effect.
The museum's pre-Columbian collection is especially interesting. (Most of it comes as the legacy one Morton May of the now defunct May Co. Think Famous-Barr.) The collection has some stunning Mayan pottery, figures and incense burners with incredible detail in the face and costumes, a basalt mask from Teotihuacan (a culture that may have influenced the Maya) as well as Inca pieces from South America. The museum also has fine pieces of American Indian art, including examples of Mississippian culture. But you can also see pottery and weavings from the Southwest, carvings from the Northwest, basketry from California and beadwork from the Plains.
6:30 p.m.
Flaco's Cocina
- www.flacoscocina.com
- 8400 Delmar St. Louis, University City
- 314-721-0072
Ready for that margarita? You deserve it. Flaco's is a small but lively Mexican restaurant close to I-170 and Delmar. It offers familiar dishes, like burritos and fish tacos, in a nod to the old (and unrelated) Flaco's Tacos -- as well as some items but with a twist, like the enchiladas in mole. It also has entrees with a touch more creative flair, like diver scallops in a dark-rum sauce over grits and chorizo kebabs. The margaritas are tasty, and there's no better place to sip them than on the outside deck, which is made cheerful by lights and an array of plants and greenery. What a congenial place to mull over the decline of the Maya and the mysterious mound builders of Cahokia.
Susan Hegger is the Issues and Politics editor at the Beacon.