TODAY THE GATEWAY ARCH

When you first approach the Arch it overwhelms the landscape of downtown St. Louis.

After parking our car underground we emerged from the parking structure to a grassy park along the Mississippi River. We could see the arch through the trees, but in the summer I would imagine it would be hidden. You descend a ramp to enter the tram to the top. Security at the entrance is the same as going through airport security.








After buying a ticket (Golden Age Passports are honored here) you descend again to enter a gondola. They ask you when you buy a ticket if you are claustrophobic.

The gondola car feels like an escape capsule or a diving bell.

At the top, you are greeted by a panoramic view of St. Louis downtown on one side and The Mississippi River on the other. Marlene was holding on tight because the arch was swaying in the wind. The guide said it was only 4 or 5 inches of movement, but it felt like the deck of a boat in the swells. That's Busch Stadium where the Cardinals play baseball.

We're standing 630 feet above ground here at the apex of the arch.

The Mississippi is at flood stage because it has been raining for the last two days and this has combined with spring runoff the high water.

We shared the gondola on the way down with a couple from Michigan who were in St. Louis for the NCAA basketball tournament. They were kind enough to take our picture.

Below the arch is a museum with exhibits portraying the exploration and expansion of the West. Lewis and Clark's expedition and the treaties with the Indians were the focus of many of the displays.

Leaving the arch under gray rainy skies made it feel like something from outer space.

The Mississippi was over it's sea wall and the access to the freeway was blocked so we had to detour a ways to get back to our camp site.

Tonight we're staying in, Dr. Edmund Babler Memorial Park, a Missouri State Park. Good AT&T service for phones and Good Verizon coverage for internet. We also have 30 amp service and antenna TV for watching the tournament. Not bad for $17 and 25 miles from downtown St. Louis. Tomorrow we head east through Illinois and if the weather is sunny we may stop again to explore some more of the city.