St. Louis Arch - Gateway to the West!
Oct 25th, 2009I remember when I was about eight years old visiting the St Louis arch on a road trip from California to Maine. I stood under the tall metal arch that seemed as tall as a skyscraper. We were not able to take the tram to the top and look out the little tiny windows that I could barely see. Now I have my own family and have the passion for road trips, National Parks, and exploration that my parents instilled in me as a child.
This summer's road trip itinerary included a trip to visit family in historic St. Joseph, MO (Home of the Pony Express!), riverboat rides in Hannibal, MO (Home of Samuel Clemens AKA Mark Twain!), and St. Louis (Gateway to the West and the home of the St. Louis Arch!) Our entire family loved the trip, but the highlight was definitely the assent to the top of St. Louis arch via tram pods. The view at the top is spectacular. One side, looking east, boasts an unbelievable view of St. Louis where pioneers arrive to collect their supplies before heading west for new opportunities and adventure. The other side, looking west, overlooks the Mississippi River and the Eads Bridge which at the time it was built was the world's longest and the first bridge to be built using cantilever support methods exclusively. St. Louis was the main starting point for the pioneers who settled the west, thus the naming of the St. Louis Expansion Arch - Gateway to the West!
Helpful hints: You can pre-order your tickets in advance online. Bring your printed receipt to Will call and skip all the lines. I recommend including the St. Louis Arch movie which provides a captivating overview of the arch construction. You can also combine a riverboat trip on the Ole Miss. I highly recommend getting tickets for the first trip up the arch as the line we saw lines going out the door when we left to go on our luncheon boat tour where we were able to take amazing photos of the arch. The whole excursion took from 9:00 - 1:00. Enjoy! Click here to plan your trip: http://stlouiskids.com/activities.php |
