The Gateway to the West

A straight drive from Council Bluffs to Saint Louis today.  We stopped at a roadside rest stop to go to the bathroom and have a snack at a picnic table.  The kids kept asking us about "truck stops" and what kind was the rest area.  We tried to explain what a "truck stop" was but they did not seem to understand.  Boy will they be surprised when we stop at Iowa 80!

Once in St. Louis we checked into our hotel and loved seeing the Arch in full view out of our window.

Once our belongings were set in the room, we walked over to the Old Court House to buy our Arch tickets.  Walking through the Court House and reading the history about the 1846 Dred Scott case was fascinating!  The kids set up a mock trial in the courtroom- Son #2 played both Dred Scott and his owner while the girls were the judge and the baliff.  (Son #1 was off taking photos.)

Next we walked over to the Gateway Arch for our tour.  My husband does not do well with heights so the kids found it quite comical to see him so nervous.  We loaded up into our little "tram pod" and moved our way sideways up the Arch.  From the top of the Arch, we looked out of both sides- both into St. Louis and across the river into Illinois.  Standing in the middle of the Arch, we all felt a little dizzy- the kids were bouncing off of the viewing sides while my husband hung close to the exit.

We then went to watch the movie about the construction of the Arch.  Very scary to think that in 1963 the workers were not wearing safety equipment.  Often they were shirtless with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth atop the construction site- no nets, harnesses or other safety equipment.  Clearly I knew that the building of the Arch was successful- but I was still nervous watching them put the final center section in.

From the Arch, we went to Ballpark Village.  

The area around Busch Stadium is very impressive- clean, new and full of entertainment options for all!  The Cardinals were out of town so the area was not crazy with Cards fans (and maneuvering around the area with 4 kids was easy!).  Dinner was at Joe Buck's BBQ where 3 of us enjoyed St. Louis ribs. Yum!

Following dinner, we went to an area that has turf and a humongous TV where they were showing the College World Series game.  The kids ate some Ted Drewes frozen custard, we laid on our backs and watched the TV and the girls did cartwheels and spun around.  We needed a night like tonight to explore, relax and stretch out after 2650 miles in the car.

As their eyes started to shut and their energy began to fade, we returned to the hotel and tucked the kids in.  We left the 13 year old in charge so that we could go to the rooftop bar and enjoy some adult conversation and a beer.  It was the ideal end to our day- great views, festive environment and a cold beverage!