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After driving another 380 miles we arrived yesterday at our campground Queen Casino in East Saint Louis, IL. Since we had a late night we took it easy in the morning and headed out later. We arrived by evening and had time to set up and go for dinner before we checked in for the night.
The RV park where we stayed, Queen Casino is in a very convenient location for exploring St Louis, MO. They offer a shuttle service that drove us around from the campground to where we needed to go - Casino restaurants and Metro station to cross the river into Saint Louis, MO.
This morning after breakfast buffet at the casino, we headed out to the Metro and crossed the mighty (muddy) Mississippi. We made our way to the Gateway Arch through a maze of construction sidewalk closings.
The Gateway Arch was built as a monument to Thomas Jefferson commemorating the Louisiana Purchase and the beginning of the westward expansion. It stands at 630 feet tall. We rode the Ferris wheel pods like elevator to the top and were able to look out from the windows at the very top. Each leg has its own elevator that goes up and down on the same side taking about four minutes to go up and 3 to go down. We also watched the movie about how they build the Arch - the ingenuity was incredible.
Due to the construction only one leg was operating, many areas outside around the Arch were closed off and the Museum of Westward Expansion was also closed. We will have to return one day with the children to get the full experience. The good thing is St Louis is a good stop to break the long drive to the West.
Things we missed: Taking the trolley tour of St. Louis and visiting some of the sites on the route. I would like to visit the Sculpture Park and City Museum. Hubby wants to visit the Federal Reserve.
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