Travel Inspired to Pinemark Inn

(ST. CLAIR, MO.) — Have you ever seen billboards that say “DOES BILLBOARD ADVERTISING WORK? IT JUST DID” or something similar?

Well rewind about six months ago, when my wife, son and I were on our way to Springfield, Missouri. We were driving down I-44, an interstate I’ve traversed a thousand times during my time at Missouri State University (Go Bears!).

I continued to see billboards for a place I had never heard of before, the Pinemark Inn.

Intrigued, I told Rachel to look up the place and it seemed really nice! Not only that, but it appeared there was a lot to do in the area. So, I made the connection with Pinemark, and here we are today, writing about a weekend away in St. Clair, Missouri.

Roughly 45 minutes outside of St. Louis, you can hop on I-44 and head southwest towards St. Clair. The Pinemark Inn is an easy exit off the interstate, which is great for any travelers looking for a place to stop during a long road trip.

We stayed in the Club Suite, a magnificent multi-room unit with a jacuzzi tub, king size bed, full bathroom, a desk where you could work or read, and a secondary room with a mini fridge, sink, microwave and multiple seating areas.

For a smaller family of three, this was the perfect size. They had a pack-n-play ready for Bennett, and it was super spacious.

The jacuzzi was fantastic, and while it was outside of the full bathroom, that doesn’t take away from the greatness of the shower in the bathroom.

The shower had three shower faucets inside. One like usual, above your head, one that could be hand-held and moved out of where it was stationed, and a third that came out of the wall.

The attention to detail in the room is where Pinemark really stood out compared to other hotels we’ve stayed in. From the remote-controlled candles around the jacuzzi, to the desk with mirror in the main bedroom, to the overall design of the Suite. This is the perfect place for any traveler, but a couple of specifics come to mind.

1: Long road trips, need a night to rest your head. The bed was really comfortable, the jacuzzi and shower were very relaxing, and you have a work space either at the desk in the main room or in the secondary room.

2: Smaller families like us!

3: Remote workers needing a night or two away. This was something local tourism bureaus tried to promote during the COVID-19 Pandemic, when hotel stays weren’t happening as often as usual. Doing “staycations” at a local hotel to get out of the house and enjoy something new. I think the Club Suite at the Pinemark Inn would be perfect for this.

The Pinemark Inn does have food service, too! I would recommend the pepperoni flatbread!

There is a complimentary breakfast as well, which has a great variety of food and drink options. Plus, coffee! Route 66 themed, I might add.

Another awesome amenity at Pinemark is the outdoor pool! It’s a bit of a smaller area, but the chairs and couches make for a comfy cozy setting. It was the beginning of May so the water was a little chilly, but Bennett and I still had a fun time swimming!

Local places to eat/drink nearby:

Let’s start at breakfast time, then move ourselves later!

1: BB Coffee Lab: With delicious coffee and AMAZING food, you need to stop by BB Coffee Lab. The inside is very modern and spacious, and the breakfast burrito is arguably the best I’ve ever had. It comes with a sauce that reminded us of the sauce Taco Bell has inside of Crunch Wraps, and I got a side of apple slices.

I went with a grape passion drink, which was refreshing, and Rachel ordered a frappuccino like usual. The flavor… toffee crunch and white chocolate. It was one of the best frappes I’ve ever had. If BB Coffee Lab wants to expand to Peoria, Illinois – I’m down! While mine was really good, hers was heavenly. Next time I’ll be ordering a frappe for sure.

And don’t forget the blueberry muffin!

2: Gibby’s

Known for their St. Louis-style pizza, wings and cheeseburgers, Gibby’s is a great St. Clair restaurant to add to the list.

Rachel enjoyed a nice salad while we split some pizza and wings, and I also ordered a cheeseburger. Way too much food for the three of us, we definitely had leftovers!

Feeling adventurous? Well then take on the The Great Gibby Burger. It’s 1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef smothered with provel cheese and other toppings. You’ll notice one thing about Gibby’s, there’s plenty of provel cheese to go around. Us St. Louisans sure love our provel, and Gibby’s makes sure it’s all across the menu.

3: Marquarts Landing Inc.

Not St. Clair, but Marquarts Landing Inc. is nearby in Washington, Missouri.

A cool vibe near the river in downtown Washington in what appeared to be a fun downtown experience.

I went with the ribeye sandwich which was quite good! Good drink selection as well for those looking to have a beer or two.

Now that we’ve got a good starter list for food options out in the area, let’s head into what fun activities are available nearby.

Wild Animal Adventures | Stanton, Missouri

One of the best highlights of the trip was our visit to Wild Animal Adventures. This is a place I had seen a thousand times driving from STL to Springvegas (a nickname for Springfield, MO by some Missouri State folks) during my college years. It did not disappoint!

At the wildlife habitat, we were able to feed goats, chickens, ducks, porcupines, deer and even sharks! It was a blast feeding these sharks with a piece of meat on the end of a feeding stick. Now I can cross feeding sharks off my list of things I’ve done!

The place has all kinds of animals. Wolves, bears, lions and tigers and much more. It’s mostly an outdoor walk, but for those reptile and amphibian lovers, there’s plenty of options inside.

As weekends always do, it came and went too fast. I definitely think there were a lot of other things in the area we would’ve liked to see, but nap times for a toddler and every bedtimes have an impact on that.

But as you have to do in family travel, be flexible! Take your time, relax when you have a chance, and don’t rush things. Allowing ourselves to recharge midday helped the evenings go much smoother.

I definitely hope to return to Pinemark Inn one day. It was overall an outstanding stay and I would recommend it to anyone. Thanks to Jason and Courtney at Pinemark for the hospitable stay, and all the local food recommendations! I’m still craving that frappucino from BB Coffee lab.