Tour of the St. Louis Arch
For my first installment of "Tour of..." Tuesdays, I decided the Saint Louis Arch would be appropriate. The photos were taken during an excursion with my friend Ellen in Spring 2011 for a storytelling festival that was being held in the visitor's center below the Arch.
Here is the arch in all its silvery glory:
This trip was the first time I had visited the grounds since I was a young child. While the Arch is the first place tourists think to visit when exploring St. Louis, it is usually the last place native St. Louisans ever visit for fun on a weekend unless there is a concert on the grounds. It is a beautiful structure and as I drive around during the day, I love to see it in the distance, but rarely think to stroll the grounds. Visiting the Arch as an adult after years of absence was surprisingly fun.
A view from under the Arch, looking West towards the city:
A game of Ultimate Frisbee anyone?
If you are unable to take stairs, it is not a good idea to access the area via the eastern edge bordering the river for this reason:
However, there is a parking garage on the north edge of the park which has elevators to the level of the Arch and also sidewalks leading from the garage down to the river's edge.
The pleasant green pathway leading from the parking garage area towards the Arch:
My friend and I did not go up to the top the day we visited, but it is a stunning view and worth doing once at least. Sadly, the top of the Arch is not wheelchair accessible, but the grounds and visitor center are accessible. Be prepared for the egg shaped seated elevators that climb inside the leg (scandalous!) of the Arch, WAY up to the top!
I spy with my little eye, teeny tiny windows!
The grounds are nice to visit for the views of the city, river, bridges, barges, horses and carriages.
On this particular day, the river was high since we'd had much recent rain. Normally, this statue includes Lewis, Clark and a dog on a pedestal, but Spring rains usually drown them for a time.
If you would like to find out more about visiting the Gateway Arch, visit: www.nps.gov/jeff/index.htm
Here is the arch in all its silvery glory:
This trip was the first time I had visited the grounds since I was a young child. While the Arch is the first place tourists think to visit when exploring St. Louis, it is usually the last place native St. Louisans ever visit for fun on a weekend unless there is a concert on the grounds. It is a beautiful structure and as I drive around during the day, I love to see it in the distance, but rarely think to stroll the grounds. Visiting the Arch as an adult after years of absence was surprisingly fun.
A view from under the Arch, looking West towards the city:
If you are unable to take stairs, it is not a good idea to access the area via the eastern edge bordering the river for this reason:
However, there is a parking garage on the north edge of the park which has elevators to the level of the Arch and also sidewalks leading from the garage down to the river's edge.
The pleasant green pathway leading from the parking garage area towards the Arch:
My friend and I did not go up to the top the day we visited, but it is a stunning view and worth doing once at least. Sadly, the top of the Arch is not wheelchair accessible, but the grounds and visitor center are accessible. Be prepared for the egg shaped seated elevators that climb inside the leg (scandalous!) of the Arch, WAY up to the top!
I spy with my little eye, teeny tiny windows!
The grounds are nice to visit for the views of the city, river, bridges, barges, horses and carriages.
On this particular day, the river was high since we'd had much recent rain. Normally, this statue includes Lewis, Clark and a dog on a pedestal, but Spring rains usually drown them for a time.
If you would like to find out more about visiting the Gateway Arch, visit: www.nps.gov/jeff/index.htm
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