St Louis, MO

First stop on the tour yesterday was The Arch. 630 feet tall. Triangular shaped stainless steel skin with concrete supports inside. The Visitor Center is all underground in between the legs of the Arch, so it doesn't take away from the simplicity of its look. To get to the top, you hop in a tiny 5-seater pod (think of space-ship or amusement ride) and it cranks to the top in about 5 minutes. This is not for anyone who is claustrophobic. The view from the top is spectacular looking over St Louis and the Mississippi River. But the windows to peer out were tiny.


Then we walked over to the old Courthouse which looked like a Capitol building with the dome.

From there we went to Anheuser-Busch Brewery for a tour and two free beers each. (Yippee...got a quick buzz before lunch!) The factory and museum take up about 70 city blocks and looks more like a college campus than a factory. The red brick buildings provide a nice backdrop to their gardens that line the walkways. If you look, you'll see the Eagle logo on buildings or on top of pillars or fences and everywhere. We got to see a couple of the identical-looking Clydesdales. I'm sure there aren't many stables that have chandeliers hanging in them, either.

On the way home we stopped at the Soulard Farmers Market. We love these places - fresh, locally-grown fruits and veggies. Andy says he likes the environment, when the vendors hawk their wares, yelling out prices, etc. But I specifically remember him running for cover when the fish mongers in Pikes Place (Seattle) started throwing fish pieces into the crowd. But our fridge is now over-flowing needless to say.

This morning we crossed Missouri and stopped in Independence, MO, the birthplace of Pres Harry Truman. Originally our plan was to spend one night and focus on washing and cleaning the RV (it still amazes me how much dust collects inside and out). But we may try to squeeze in some touristy stuff since it looks like both Independence and Kansas City have things worth seeing. Either way, from here we are shooting across Kansas on I-70 to Estes Park, CO (Rocky Mtn Natl Park) by Thursday. We can't wait!