St Louis - home of the Gateway Arch, built to commemorate the westward migration of the USA; the Lewis & Clark expeditions up the Missouri; the Louisiana purchase that doubled US territory; and the eventual acquisition of Mexico’s California (I have simplified the history somewhat!). But perhaps not built to recognise the eventual virtual elimination of the Indian population by force, disease and broken treaties.
But, and I do actually mean this sincerely, the underground museum dedicated to the westward expansion does, in all fairness, deal very well with the mixed political history. And the arch itself is something of an engineering marvel. View from our hotel!
Yes, I know I should have stood further back!
The Gateway Arch is, I understand, the smallest National Park, but it is no less impressive for that. And talking of small, that's Nareesa at the bottom!
At 630ft high and, as it happens, exactly 630ft wide at the bottom, it is a magnificent testament to the engineering innovation of humanity. I won’t bore you with the building methodology in detail but just to have built two leaning steel structures over 200m high that then met in the middle is enough. All encapsulated in a half hour film shot at the time as it was built in the 60s, apparently without a single safety line, but avoiding a single death in its construction, despite the expectation that 13 wouldn’t see it completed! Really? If you expected it, why not do something about it?
More engineering marvel was provided by the “tram” that takes you up the inside of the south leg (or the north leg), for views over the city to the west and Illinois to the east. If heights are not your thing, do not come up! The top of the arch looks pretty flimsy from the ground! And the shadow of it from the top looks pretty ... well, pretty!
Come to think of it if claustrophobia is your thing, don’t get in the “tram”. The pods, with no windows, until you get going, then the door is see through!
We finished our day with a paddle steamer cruise up the Mississippi, providing historical context for the importance of the river, (most of which went in one ear and out the other), and perhaps more importantly views of the Arch from the water.
Almost hard to believe but by the time we had finished we had spent almost 5 hours in this smallest of National Parks. Another great day!
All we need to do is find a nice restaurant for this evening, something we rather struggled to do last night. Unlike Kansas City, which had a bit of a vibe going on in the evening, and a rather funky free street car up Main Street, the area we are staying in here near the Arch, seems pretty dead. They have obviously tried to regenerate the river front but, perhaps due to Covid, it hasn’t really worked. The only two restaurants open down there didn’t look like places we wanted to walk home from at night. We may have to explore further afield tonight. I'll finish with a last pics!
Nareesa at the top.
Inside the very small "tram" car
That's not my arse, its a shadow!
Arty, f***y
The Mississippi and Illinois. We are going that way tomorrow.
Bye for now
Loved the fact that I was able to get my Mum and Dad up in the Arch... Mum was a wee bit worried about the movement of the car. The view from the top was great, she loved it.