Going West 2013

Today was Arch day! If you ever go there, plan on the whole day. Were not able to cruise on the river because of the flooding – couldn’t get to the boats – but I don’t think we would have had time anyway. We attended two ranger programs, one about Lewis and Clark, the other about the construction of the arch. We also saw a movie about the Lewis and Clark expedition’s exploration of the West. There is also a Museum of Westward Expansion on the grounds, so we are now experts in that phase of American history. The highlight of course was the trip to the top of the Arch. The ride is in a tram made up of eight drum like cars which seat five people each. They travel inside the arch, and since the arch is curved, they rotate so the passengers are more or less level. The area at the top is like a hallway with a curved floor and slanted in walls with windows. It is designed so you can lean on the wall and look out the windows either straight out or even straight down. Really neat!

Close to the arch area are the Old Basilica of St. Louis and the Old Courthouse. We toured both in between things at the arch. The basilica is a rather plain church, the courthouse has an ornately painted dome. This is the courthouse where Dred Scott petitioned for his freedom from slavery. He lost, by the way, but the case went all the way to the US Supreme Court.

On the way home we got some St. Louis pizza, a very thin crust pizza. The cheese is also a combination – processed cheddar, swiss, and provolone. It’s called Provel. The pizza is good, just different. We also went to Walmart this evening. Nothing different there. I also discovered a screw in one of the camper tires, so we’ll be going to a tire shop tomorrow on our way to Hannibal, MO and Plattsburg, MO, the town where our friends live.