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Published: April 4th 2007
St. Louis, Missouri
Gateway Arch - tallest monument in the U.S. We wake up to heavy rain in St. Louis—first time since the Amarillo deluge way back when on the trip except that lasted for only a few minutes. The rain here doesn’t let up but we have no choice and must go to the Arch. Driving through downtown, we see some cool old historic buildings like Union Station and the old Courthouse but much of downtown seems to have been bulldozed and replaced with buildings from the 1970s through 1990s. This is even more evident when we get up to the top of the Arch and get a better view of the layout of the city. We see a fountain with a bronze statue of a runner in the center but the water is orange. Yes, orange. Cathy calls it the Tang fountain. No obvious explanation as to why it’s that color. Weird. We park and of course, there’s a torrential downpour as we take the long walk to the underground entrance to the Arch. Good thing we both have Gore-tex jackets and I had an umbrella in the car.
This is my first time in St. Louis and it’s cool seeing the Arch up close and personal. Eero
St. Louis, Missouri
Gateway Arch - not easy taking a photo while looking up during a torrential downpour. Saarinen designed a landmark that has stood the test of time. It sits on a big plaza in a nicely landscaped park that overlooks the Mississippi River. The setting is probably beautiful when it’s not raining cats and dogs. Although popularly known as the Gateway Arch, the actual name is the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (quite the mouthful and so Manifest Destiny-ish). The Arch symbolizes St. Louis as the gateway to the West. Saarinen won a design competition back in 1947 but the Arch was not completed until 1965, mainly due to lack of funding. But it finally gets built almost twenty years later. The land on which the Arch and the park sit used to be blocks of low-rise warehouses which were demolished in ca. 1935 in anticipation of the memorial—I find that fact fascinating especially when I see old aerial photos showing the warehouses and then a huge swath of cleared land. It would be like this for thirty more years. Pretty incredible that the property sat vacant for that long especially in downtown.
The level underneath the Arch houses a museum that tells the story of westward expansion. It tries to cover way too much history
St. Louis, Missouri
Gateway Arch side view in a way that is not that engaging so I gloss over everything and look at the displays quickly—I also know the history well enough so don’t feel the need to get re-educated. They have these amusing animatronic figures that move in a stiff manner and talk. Very Disneylandesque—I liked them as a kid but as an adult I realize how freaky they are. We just got tickets ($10) for the top of the Arch (they don’t advertise this so you have to ask; they only advertise the combo Arch access with one of two films which is $14 as I recall). The interior of the underground level is all concrete with a waffle slab ceiling—pretty much as Saarinen designed it. The only changes are to the interiors of the gift shop, the museum, and this funny little country store that has a fake 19th century wooden storefront. Saarinen would have been appalled. Employees inside the country store are dressed in Little House on the Prairie type dresses. Ah yes, this is the memorial to westward expansion so I guess it makes sense to have a country store there.
It’s finally time to line up to make our way
St. Louis, Missouri
Euge standing at base of the Arch. The rain is cascading down the Arch. It's raining and there's thunder and lighting. I'm next to a big steel structure. up top. We get into these superkewl pods or capsules that fit up to five people each. They are all white inside with a glow of light that makes them look really futuristic—reminds me of the movie “Sleeper” where everything is white. C and I split up so we can get up to the Arch faster. I ride up with a mother and her three kids. I’m not claustrophobic but I can see how one can be in such a tight space. As you ride up the rickety pod you see the steel and concrete structure of the Arch. The exterior is clad in stainless steel which gives it an always modern quality in addition to the minimalist design. At the top of the Arch there are narrow windows to look through on both sides. One side has views of downtown and beyond and the other side has views of the Mississippi River, East St. Louis and Illinois. The weather was crappy so visibility was low but even on a clear day, I’m not sure what I would have seen other than the flat landscape of the Midwest which is so incredibly boring. We head back down on the superkewl
St. Louis, Missouri
Superkewl pod that takes people up to the top of the Arch. pods and take photos of the exterior in the pouring rain. There’s thunder and lighting and we’re standing near the tallest metal monument in the country surrounded by trees. It’s a recipe for death. We find a squish penny machine across the street by the Riverboat Tours steamship. Our pants and shoes are completely drenched. We still have to trek back to the parking garage. We have lunch in the Hill District which is an Italian American neighborhood and head out of St. Louis.
The Search for Perfect Fried Chicken Our destination for the evening is Kansas City, Missouri. Dinner is either at Arthur Bryant’s for ribs (C had been there on a previous trip and raved about it and it’s also famous for its ribs) or Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor (I read about their amazing pan-fried chicken). We go to Stroud’s because I had not found my perfect fried chicken yet on the trip. The restaurant is quite a bit north of downtown in the sprawling city. It’s in an old house on land that was homesteaded in the mid-1800s. Everyone in there is friendly and I have to remember that I’m in the Midwest and Midwesterners are
St. Louis, Missouri
Cathy inside the pod. known for their niceness. We each order the All Dark Chicken Dinner (figure we can take the leftover chicken and eat it for lunch on the road the next day). Our waitress brings out massive quantities of food (see pic)—eight pieces of fried chicken, a big bowl of mashed potatoes, a big bowl of gravy, a big bowl of green beans, a big plate of cottage fries, and a basket of cinnamon rolls. This all came with the dinner for $13.50 each. And it’s 9:30 at night. She brings all our food and says, “Just what you needed this time at night.” She’s a fit petite woman who also works at a gym for her other job. We each eat two pieces of fried chicken and some of the sides. I love mashed potatoes but barely put a dent in the bowl. The chicken is pan-fried and made to order so it comes steaming hot. It is juicy and flavorful and not greasy. The skin is perfect. I’ve died and gone to perfect fried chicken heaven. My search has ended. Once the waitress and the manager find out we are from Seattle they tell us that Bill Gates’s second in
St. Louis, Missouri
View of downtown from the top of the Arch. command (dunno who that is) was in KC recently on a food trip (ribs and chicken). They ask if we work at Microsoft and we say no, we’re the only people in Seattle who don’t work there. Wonder if he left a big tip. He can buy the whole property. The fried chicken is so good I think of ways to come back to KC for a long weekend just to eat ribs and chicken and take in some of the sights. We stay in a cool neighborhood (Westport) with a nice commercial district. The next morning I'm on a search for good espresso. I see a Starbucks but avoid it because I know this neighborhood has to have a good coffeehouse. I turn on my espresso radar, turn the corner towards the Bank of America and bingo, I spot the Broadway Cafe. They make a good Americano and I'm happy. The place has a good vibe. C shows me around some of the areas she saw the last time she was here. This one boulevard has an insane number of incredible early twentieth century houses. Country Club Plaza is an upscale shopping area but was built in the 1920s
St. Louis, Missouri
Top of the Arch. People leaning towards the windows. Kid on left climbing the walls. Spanish Colonial Revival style. I’m digging KC—who knew?
The Heartland The next day, we drive just enough into Kansas to say I’ve been there (I would have liked to have gone to Lawrence or Topeka but there was no time). I get my first MINI wave somewhere south of Kansas City, Kansas (the other KC). It was a red MINI with racing stripes. He was driving on the opposite side of the road and gave me the cool one hand lift wave while still keeping the hand on the steering wheel—I do the same. It’s all very natural. My personal rule of coolness when I see another MINI is to not initiate the wave. If the other driver waves to me (usually the one hand lift or the index finger lift), then I’ll acknowledge it.
The temperature drops considerably and I’m anticipating much colder weather up in South Dakota. I forgot to pack gloves on this trip though I have long underwear. I thought about the gloves as I was packing but then moved onto something else and didn’t put them in my bag. Damn. We stop off at a Dick’s Sporting Goods store in Kansas City, MO.
St. Louis, Missouri
Euge leaning to see out of the Arch. They no longer carry gloves but have plenty of swimsuits. Not what I need. We drive through Omaha, Nebraska and stop off at a Target and Dillard’s. No gloves at Target and the ones in Dillard’s are the leftover seasonal ones that no one wants. They have fake fur on them. I can’t do it. We get off the interstate and drive on a country road and pass cornfield after cornfield. We take some images of the heartland. We keep going north to Sioux City, Iowa and then Sioux Falls, South Dakota where we stay the night. We hit five states that day and got in at a decent time. Had a great burger at this local brew pub called Granite City Food & Brewery and then caught a late show of “Blades of Glory,” exactly the kind of brainless funny movie we needed. It’s so cold that when we leave the movie theater our hair was cold to the touch. It’s about 20 degrees but with the wind chill, it feels like 5 degrees.
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Janet Langford
non-member comment
Great trip
Hi, Eugenia, It is so much fun following your trip. While not nearly so good as being with you for all these great adventures, especially the culinary ones, your descriptions and photos are the very best next thing. Thank you. Love, Janet