Gateway Arch (St. Louis County, Missouri)

When I planned my trip to St. Louis, I had to check back in the history of this blog. I was sure I had written about the Gateway Arch before, but as it turns out, I was incorrect. That said, I figured it wouldn't hurt to make a return to trip to symbol of my hometown. I've visited many times over the years, but it's always a great stop.

The Gateway Arch, built as a monument to the westward expansion of our great nation, stands 630 feet tall above the Mighty Mississippi River and welcomes travelers to the vast stretches of the west beyond. It was built between 1963 and 1965 and includes an underground museum. My memories of this place include walking through the museum as a child on a field trip and later of dancing with my senior prom date under the starlight and stainless steel behemoth after dinner and on our way to the actual dance, which was held on one of the riverboats below. It's also worth noting that the term 'arch' is a little misleading, as the shape of the structure is actually an upside down catenary, at least in mathematical terms. If you were to hold a string between your hands and let it go from taut to loose, the shape formed would be a catenary. Now flip it upside down and that's the Gateway Arch.

Oddly for having grown up so close, I didn't actually ride the tiny elevator cars to the top of the structure until after I had moved away to Reno and returned to St. Louis on a business trip. That said, I figured I would do it again today. I bought a ticket in advance and as the time approached, I made the short half-mile walk from my hometown to the park grounds. 

Entering, I quickly found where I needed to be after passing through an airport-like security check. I suppose the park service can't be too careful with a structure like this. They line us all up in a room and show a little video on the walls of the waiting area, which details what was going on in the world in the 1960's when the monument was built. Even for an old guy like me, this was just a little before my time, but I'm very familiar with the culture of that era.

Once the video is complete, we load into the eight tiny cars that are a combination of elevator and escalator. If you think about that, it make sense given how the cars must travel to the top. It starts out my vertical, but as we approach the top becomes much more horizontal. It's a tight fit, as I remember, in this car, but I'm with a nice family and we chat a little bit during the four-minute ride to the top.

At the top, we climb a few stairs and then head into the observation deck. Here, sixteen windows per side offer spectacular views of the city. Since the shape of the arch is actually a triangle, the windows are fashioned with a carpeted area to lean out onto and take in everything to be seen from this amazing vantage point. I take a few minutes to lean over several windows and see the city and river below me before heading back towards the elevators. 

After about ten minutes, we are asked to prepare to re-board the elevator cars and they call our groups one by one. The ride down is just slightly faster thanks to the gravity assist, but we arrive back at the base in one piece. I think the young man who's family I shared the car with was impressed by the entire experience. I wish them well and once we reach the bottom, I head towards my next destination for the day.