St. Louis, MO

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We spent the day in St. Louis today. We drove downtown after breakfast and visited the Gateway Arch, a St. Louis icon. It is run by the National Park Service and we were pleased to find that it is operating again after the government shut down. Here is my take on the arch: it is great from the outside - inspiring and very photogenic - and the informational displays in the visitor center are well worthwhile, but the view from the top is anticlimactic after the hassle of getting up there. They cram five people into each of eight little capsules (see photo of full-scale replica) and there is a slow trip to the crowded viewing area where tiny windows allow limited views of the city and of the Mississippi River. We did get a good look at Busch Stadium where the Cardinals won the NLCS last night. After the Arch, we headed to the St. Louis Zoo. We ate lunch and wandered around the grounds. It is fun to visit other zoos and see the unfamiliar animals. This evening we went to mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, a 20th century construction with a Byzantine flavor because of all the mosaics inside. Tomorrow we will leave St. Louis and continue moving north to see more sights along the mighty Mississippi.

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