STL FTers are planning an FT Do in STL for next year. There's lots to do in STL, and there are certain fun things involving aviation and/or baseball available that we think you all would like.

So your feedback is requested. Could you tell us:

1) If you're interested

2) Of these three 2007 weekends, does one work better than the others for you? Memorial Day, Labor Day, and the weekend of Sept 14. All three weekends feature Cards home stands, the weekend of 9/14 the opponent is the Cubs. The 9/14 weekend also includes the very beautiful and fun Balloon Glow in Forest Park, on the Friday evening, followed the next day by a big balloon race. Labor Day may include a wonderful Air Show, details will be known by Dec. A local FTer has good connections with this airshow and will be able to get us various upgrades for it.

3) What activities are you interested in? Baseball, Air Show, Balloon Glow/Races, Zoo (free and fabulous), Museums (free and fabulous), Brewery Tour (free beer), Grant's Farm Tour (Free beer, exotic animals in natural settings), the Arch (a must see), Riverboat tour, gambling, blues clubs, dining, anything else?

4) There is a party room package available at Busch Stadium that includes free beer and bar snacks and a private party room, but checks in at $82/ticket (more for Cubs and Saturdays). Is this too expensive or can you drink enough free beer to make it worthwhile?

5) Any hotel preferences? Would you rather have one host hotel, or everyone for himself? Would you rather stay downtown (pricier) or at airport hotels where you can Metrolink in for the fun?

Thanks very much for your help!

Love, the nervous planners of the inaugural STL DO

Given that a lot of US-based FTers do international runs on 3-day holiday weekends, that September 14 weekend is probably your best choice. We've had events in 2005 and 2006 which were loosely tied to watching the Cubs lose to other teams, and the turnout has been around 25 people each time. But I think $82 might be out of most people's price ranges for a game for all but the most hardcore baseball fans or the most hardcore drinkers.

Good luck with your planning!!

I agree with Nick. Labor Day will either be a 3-day International MR opp. for mileage runners, a traditional Do date for AAsia runs of the past, or the increasingly popular Cow Do; or it's a chance for travellers to hang out with the people whom their travels usually take them away from. I also agree that the "party box" sounds like a blast, but the cost prohibitive to all but the diehard baseball fans.

The Balloon Glow & Ballon Race is really cool, and kind of a unique thing....and in spite of the crowds, Forest Park has so much to explore that this event and its venue kind of "plan" the Do themselves. It's crowded to be sure, people should be advised to not even THINK of parking, and would simply entail picking meeting spots/venues that are unmistakable/easy to find for non-locals. Plenty of pubs & resto's near Metrolink stations & within walking distance of Forest Park for said meetings.

I definitely enjoyed my recent trip, which was during the homestand versus the Cubs where the Cards won all three games. (I didn't see any of the games in person, but I did get to meet the lovely scoow, and I can brag that I was the first FT'er she ever met. )

That said, my answer to the questions:

1) Yes! My first trip there was on a free ticket from AA (the Mavericks promotion), and I enjoyed the weekend. (I posted in Community, but maybe not everyone noticed it - some did, however, for which I am very glad. )

2) The weekend of Sept 14 works better for me. I would love to get to see a Cubs-Cards game in person.

3) On this trip, I visited the Arch, so I'd pass on it. The Balloon Glow/Races would be very cool! Going back to Harrah's is definitely a must - I need to continue my hotstreak on the Blackjack tables. I also want to prove the aforementioned scoow wrong on the Brewery Tour so she can finally see the beer being bottled (when we were there, this part of the tour was not taken due to maintenance on the machinery).

Oh yeah, I was also lightly (and I believe unfairly ) criticized for not taking in any of the other tours and activities, so I'd be interested in them.

4) I don't mind the party room thing, but IMHO, the additional money spent there could be better utilized at the casino (see above).

5) Airport Hilton. The braised Lamb Chops are awesome! They have a shuttle to/from the airport, which also stops at the airport's Metrolink station. Harrah's Casino have a shuttle that services the hotel.

The weekend I was there (the weekend before Labor Day), I booked an Executive Level room for next to nothing, so I figure that 9/14 would probably offer more of the same pricing.

Metrolink is extremely convenient and easy to use, with stops near most of the key venues, particularly the ballpark (the day I traveled to the Arch, I was awash in a sea of red as fans were heading to the game). A One-Day Pass offers the best value.

I would opt for an "on my own" option based on the reasons above.

Agree with John and Nick that the long weekends aren't usually conducive for most of us to only fly a few hundred miles (those are definitely international hops when schedule allows!). I'd love to come but alas in 2007 I have a trade show that second weekend in September - but hopefully this will become a regular event!

Oh yeah, I never did actually get around to saying that I'd probably come down for that if I was free that weekend. No way of knowing my schedule a year in advance, of course, but I'd try to make it for at least Saturday.