West!

We visit Illinois about once a year to see family. Every year I say that I want to see the arch in St. Louis and every year we do NOT see the arch.

This year was different. After a week of visiting family we took a detour on our way back, to stop in St. Louis for an afternoon. As I drove West I couldn't wait to see the arch. I wasn't sure how big the it would be. I wasn't really sure what it would look like besides a big curve. We drove past East St. Louis in Illinois. It seems that St. Louis is so good that Illinois tried to copy it. They failed. We crested a hill and then we saw it. It is enormous!
The arch is completely AWESOME. Yeah, it's just a curve in the sky, but dang that thing is beautiful. I never realized that it is made of steel. Sunlight reflects off of its polished sides differently every hour. The gardens and park areas on all sides are beautiful. I was like a kid on Christmas morning as I parked the car. I couldn't wait to walk up to it and TOUCH it.


Standing on the ground looking up at it is incredible. At the very top of the arch you can see little black squares. "Windows.", I told Cari. She started shaking her head no. We went underground to the complex of theatres, museum, and shops and purchased tickets for a ride to the top!


This is not a normal elevator. It travels on an arc. In a regular elevator you would arrive horizontal. The five of us squeezed into a small ball shaped vehicle and watched the doors shut. This was not fun for Cari in any way. The speaker told us about the arch as we ascended. Every little bit, you could feel the ball go up and then stop to readjust to keep us upright. The speaker said the transport system was built to the highest technical standards for their time (1960's). Cari was not impressed. Randy and I looked through the glass door to the innards of this marvel. Cari and Meredith kept their eyes closed.


At the top you stand in a hallway with windows on both sides. The arch is even more amazing at the top. I took a photo looking down and was able to get both legs of the arch in the shot. THAT was a freaky feeling.


On the other side I was able to see the shadow of the arch with the legs.

Cari was happy when we arrived back outside. I took a few more pictures before we headed back to the car. I ended up with tons of great shots from the arch and I'm SO happy we finally made it there.

Here is a shot of Randy standing on the hill with his arms outstretched.

Did I mention that it was my first time to cross the Mississippi? I have officially been to the West.