St. Charles, on the Missouri River, is about 20 miles from downtown St. Louis, on the Mississippi River. The starred item in St. Louis, on our Great River Road map, is the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, a.k.a., The Arch. Situated in a 90-acre park along the banks of the Mississippi, is was designed by none other that great crossword puzzle clue, Eero Saarinen. Unbelievably, it has been almost 50 years since the Arch was completed.What is unbelievable about that is I remember when it was being built. It was, I remember, somewhat controversial but, when it was up, everyone loved it.
Coming into town off the freeway we came face-to-face with Busch Stadium, the home of the St.Louis Cardinals.
Busch Stadium is right downtown and they did a very nice job of situating it and adding interest around the perimeter. These statues of ballplayers in action are past stars of the Cardinals - Enos Slaughter, Dizzy Dean, Rogers Hornsby, Red Schoendienst, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, and Ozzie Smith.
The Gateway Arch is the nation's tallest monument, reaching 630 feet. It is meant to celebrate Thomas Jefferson and St. Louis' role in the westward expansion of the United States.
The Old Courthouse is an architectural masterpiece that is perfectly framed by the Gateway Arch if you are standing in the Mississippi River. Its historic role includes the place where Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom from slavery and where Virginia Minor fought for women's right to vote.
The top of the Arch against a cloudy sky.
Beneath the Gateway Arch, underground, is a museum, run by the National Park Service, full of historical artifacts that tell the story of the Old West and the role of St. Louis in the westward expansion.
TJ himself - Thomas Jefferson.
There were numerous exhibits that were meant to portray a feeling of the West.
Nice map of the Louisiana Purchase and the route taken by Lewis & Clark.
These beavers looked awfully blond to me.
Maybe it's the lighting because this bison looks like a redhead.
A Texas Longhorn.
Early transportation.
Sod house.
The Arch from left to right. The earlier picture is from right to left.
Lovely fall foliage that is part of the landscaping around the Arch.
When John commanded the 102nd ARCOM in St. Louis, we had the chance to go up into the arch and also to fly over it in a Blackhawk helicopter - a very neat experience. We stood on the steps leading up to the arch when down below was completely flooded. Flying over the area coming and going from Chicago all you saw was isolated farmhouses surrounded by water. The flooding was really horrible in the early 90's when we were making that commute on a regular basis. You're seeing so much of the country. Is it your intention to get to all 50 states? I notice you haven't been to Alaska yet. Is that on your list? Judy S.
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