St. Louis, Mo 2022
Nothing says St. Louis like its Gateway Arch. It commemorates the Louisiana Purchase and the opening of the West to settlers following Lewis and Clark.
Previously I just assumed that it was a big sculpture. It is both 630 tall and wide even though from all angels it seems taller than wide. It is gigantic.
We actually took a tram ride inside it in a tight five-person module where we went to the top. That was quite special. And what a great view.
It is part of the Gateway Arch National Park which is our smallest National Park.
In one direction is the Mississippi River and Illinois is directly across it. The other side is St. Louis.
The Old Courthouse is also in the Park. The infamous first two trials of Dred Scott took place here. It went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court where they ruled that The Constitution did not cover people of African descent whether free or enslaved. This decision is universally considered as its worst decision in history and pushed the country towards the Civil War.
From the top of the Arch we had a beautiful view of Busch Stadium. It holds over 45,000 people and look how well the stands are configured with so many great seats.
Walking up over a mile from the Arch we encountered wall to wall government buildings – courthouses, City Hall, Museums, Library etc. Exactly across the street was block after block of beautiful open space. That is so unusual for big cities.
Finally, I would like to give a big shout out to Sydney Street Café where we had a fabulous dinner.
And the St. Louis Muni Opera in Forest Park is one of the finest theatre venues in the USA 🇺🇸!