Gateway Arch or Westward Ho!

It's a beautiful fall day in Missouri.  And for once, there isn't a parade or even a Cardinals game downtown! LOL!  So I decided to do some sightseeing at the Arch.  After parking at LaCledes Landing (yay only $5!), I walked over through the beautiful park grounds of the Arch.  (You can see the temperature on the sign at Busch Stadium where the Cardinals usually play.)

The Gateway Arch in St Louis Missouri is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (along with the Old Courthouse that I toured earlier).  It is a monument to Thomas Jefferson and St. Louis' role in the westward expansion of the United States.  It is the tallest monument in the United States - made of Stainless Steel plates with concrete poured between them.  It can withstand winds up to 150 mph, and would only sway about 9 inches each way at those speeds.  It was designed by Eero Saarinen, whose design won a contest.  It cost 13 million to build and was finished Oct. 28, 1965.

To get to the top, you actually go into the underground museum and ride a tram to the top.  The tram is basically a huge round metal barrel with 5 seats inside each car - about 6 cars on each side.  The picture I have is of the fake tram in the entry area - as they shunt you in and out so fast that they ask you not to stop and take pictures of the actual trams so you don't hold up traffic.  It takes 4 minutes to reach to top.  The only view on the way up is of the stairs and the bolts on the metal plates.  It's a weird feeling and they ask you several times before you get to the trams if you are claustrophobic.  Once you see the tram, you understand why.  The door is about 4 ft long and maybe 3 ft wide if that.  Inside are 5 small seats - everyone has to arrange their knees just so to fit.  Thank god I had a pretty thin group going up and down.  I'm not claustrophobic, but when it started out, I did get an eery feeling.  It's a round barrel, going up 630 ft of an arch - so it has to hitch around every now and then to keep the car even - you go sideways into the arch underground, and then up and over inside the arch.  The top is a narrow spot with very thin windows - about 15 in high and 24 inches wide (I'm guessing here).  It was incredibly crowded and you had to wait your turn at the windows to see out.  Some people just parked themselves there and wouldn't budge.  A very nice child asked me if I would like her spot (there's hope for the younger generation yet! LOL!).

After the tram ride, I wandered into the Museum of Westward Expansion, which covered Lewis & Clark's expedition, the Indian wars and treaties, the Louisiana Purchase and life in the 1800's as settlers expanded into the west.  One of the coolest parts was a viewing of rare Indian Peace Medals.  These were stamped with the various presidents likeness and given to Indians when signing peace treaties, etc.  The were essentially worthless - being two pieces of metal stamped together and hollow inside.  Yet another way we screwed the Indians.  It was interesting to see them, but sad at the same time.