Day 30 - St Louis

The Eads Bridge connecting St Louis (Missouri) with East St Louis (Illinois). This bridge is the first cast bridge built in the world back in the mid 1800's 

Old St Louis cobblestone street leading down to the Mississippi River where the paddle steamers and fur canoes used to berth

The Bernard F Dickman Bridge - the I-64 highway crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois

One of the new buildings in St Louis, Missouri

Unsure what this building is in St Louis but look at the "hippo" on top!

At the back of one of St Louis's city buildings, possibly the Public Library is a fun park for children (and also adults). It appears that fun revellers need to climb structures such as this old aircraft - weird!

Another grand old building in St Louis, Missouri

The Busch Baseball Stadium in St Louis - home of the St Louis Cardinals. Last night there was a big game after the storm abated

The Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Benton Park, St Louis. Like our Australian breweries this one has oversea ownership

Found this creature on one of Anheuser-Busch  buildings on our tour - what is it?

This mansion has German architecture - as indicated by the round tower. Located in one of St Louis's well-to-do suburbs

The old Union Station in St Louis is not used for any rail traffic. So they turned the grand and opulent building into a series of restaurants. Inside the main foyer is this stained window representing San Francisco (on the left) St Louis (middle) and New York (right)

The locals believe that this St Louis building was used as the Daily Planet in the old Superman TV series "look up in the sky, is it a bird, is it a plane, it's........."

Obscured by a gardener's truck but the fountain bordering the St Louis University

The brand new Catholic Church in St Louis. This picture does not do justice to the beautiful green dome on top of the structure

A Lutheran Church in St Louis

This is the boyhood home of the famous American playwright Tennessee Williams, St Louis, Missouri

Remember the song "I found my thrill, on Blueberry Hill" by Fats Domino - this is the Blueberry Hill in St Louis, location of many fine jazz and blue singers and writers

Stature of Chuck Berry - he plays here regularly once a month, St Louis, Missouri

The Grand Basin and St Louis Art Museum in Forest Park, St Louis, Missouri

Near Forest Park, St Louis. This art work was destined for New York City but found its way in St Louis

Ulysses Grant's St Louis home - victor for the Union Army during the American Civil War

One of three decorated water towers in St Louis

The Cinderella coach near the Gateway Arch, St Louis

The pink fountain in Kiener Plaza and the Old Courthouse and the Gateway Arch in St Louis

The brown building is purported to be the very first skyscraper in the world. What determines a skyscraper - it needs to be built of iron (not stone) and has a significant amount of stories

We do not know what the pink headless stature represents - but it looks unusual. Located near Market Street, St Louis, Missouri

Here's that Daily Planet Building again, in St Louis, Missouri

This poor old building needs some TLC. It's the St Louis City Hall

This is a St Louis cuisine - served at Sqwires (the spelling is correct) in Lafayette Square, St Louis - it was delicious

AND NOW FOR THE GATEWAY ARCH

A morning view of the Gateway Arch in St St Louis - built in 1965

Outside frame is made of stainless steel which gives it a silvery shine against a blue sky

A view from the southern end

Looking directly up from the centre. An optical illusion makes it appears to narrow in the centre - but no it is the same width all along its structure

Anne ready to board the capsule to the top of the Arch. We entered number 5 door (it's only 4 feet 6 inch high!)

View of St Louis downtown from the top of the Gateway Arch

View of Busch Baseball Stadium from the top of the Gateway Arch

At the very top of the Gateway Arch - at 630 feet!

View of the Mississippi River and the Eads Bridge from the top o the Gateway Arch. The Eads Bridge is the world's first cast iron bridge

Looking down river from the top of the Gateway Arch

Ready to leave the claustrophobic Gateway Arch viewing top

One of the Gateway Arch small capsule that takes you to the top - 1965 technology

A view of the Gateway Arch taken in the pm hours

The viewing windows along the peak of the Gateway Arch

Our last decent view of the Gateway Arch from the St Louis Old Courthouse

By gee we took a lot of photographs today. After yesterday's storm today was beautiful - couldn't pick a better day weather wise. We were picked up from our hotel at 10 am by Barbra from Show-me-MO Tours and we were the only passengers in a SUV vehicle. Basically it was a personal tour of St Louis. For four hours we went everywhere around St Louis and its immediate surrounding suburbs. Along the riverfront, Grant's Farm Building (that's Ulysses S Grant - American Civil War hero and President), Forest Park, Union Station, and many places that we have forgot what they were. It was a great tour. We are surprised how St Louis still retains its old charm with the new buildings amongst the old. The highlight of St Louis is the Gateway Arch. It is magnificent - to stand underneath and gaze upwards towards the top is awesome. We believe this structure has the same standing (in world class standards) with our own icon - the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The ride to the top was eerie. There was a line-up and took about 40 mins to reach the top. A strict security check, purchase tickets, wait for the next available capsule and you arrive in a small passageway looking through small viewing windows at St Louis and its surrounds. It takes 4 minutes to travel the unusual incline to the top. We were in a five-person capsule that is so small all were invading each other's personal space. To enter the capsule there is only a four and a half feet aperture to gain entry. It only takes four minutes to reach the top it only took three minutes to descend. Why the difference? We don't know. Anyway it was a good experience and happy we did the ride. After the Gateway Arch we walked back to our hotel. It was a four klm walk going through the heart of St Louis and we stopped at a recommended St Louis restaurant near our hotel. It was called Sqwires. The cuisine is St Louis style food and was tops. Well, we had an exhaustive day, Ralph was left alone in the hotel car park and tomorrow we have a rest day in St Louis. Don't know what we are going to do as yet. So until now cheers.