St Louis is 1,030 miles from Boston -- at least 2 days driving.

St Louis has 79 different neighborhoods, plenty of cool postcards, and helicopter tours. The Missouri Botanical Garden looks interesting, and the St Louis Symphony is renowned.

It might be worth it just to see the city associated with Maya Angelou, T.S. Eliot, Scott Joplin, Miles Davis, Albert King, Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, and Tennessee Williams. All of them have stars along Delmar Boulevard, as part of the St Louis Walk of Fame.

Here's a picture from the top of the Gateway Arch:

During the summer, 6,400 people can visit the top of the Gateway Arch every day. The Arch is larger than both the Washington Monument and the Statue of Liberty, and it is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

Finally, Forest Park sounds great. 1,300 acres, 20 lakes and ponds, 120 years' worth of relaxation.

Why not? I've never been to Missouri anyway.