Woke up to another beautiful day. We try to find diners, restaurants, etc. along the route when we can, and this morning we found Terri’s Route 66 Diner. Located in Granite, this would be our last stop before heading out to our next state. Cute little spot, decorated with old albums on the walls and a 50’s décor. While our order took quite a bit longer than we expected, (they must have gone to the local farm to grab the eggs), it was hot and good. Finished up and headed out.
Our course was set, St. Louis, MO and a trip to the Gateway Arch. Heading west on route 44/66, we crossed over the Mighty Mississippi. The name originated with the Ojibwe tribe and comes from their word misi-ziibi which means “Great River”. The river has many other names too including “The Big Muddy” and it’s obvious where this one came from, if you have ever seen it, you could say it looks like a river of coffee with cream.
Over the river and through the downtown streets to the Arch we go. Of course, you don’t need GPS directions to find it. This beauty stands 630 feet tall, designed in the shape of an inverted catenary, she is clad in stainless steel panels and when the sun hits her, she shines brightly. The construction started in 1963 and was completed in 1965 with a cost of about $13 million, equivalent to about $98.4 million in 2024. Prior to arriving, I checked online to buy tickets for the tram ride to the top, the entire morning showed it was sold out ☹️. Upon arriving, it did not seem busy, so we checked the ticket office and sure enough, we go two seats on the next trip up. Word to the wise, don’t believe everything you read online! 👍
The tram ride – the tram itself is a cross between a Ferris wheel and escalator. They give you a numbered ticket, a brief overview of the history of the Arch and then pack you into these small round capsules, which seat 5 people and have no windows. (Imagine, The Jetsons, Star Trek, Star Wars, you get the picture.) The doors close, and you’re off, praying they’ve completed regularly scheduled maintenance and safety checks. While there are no windows, the small doors have glass panes and while you’re moving you can see the interior construction of the Arch, which was amazing. The trip up is 4 minutes, which could feel like a lifetime if you’re claustrophobic. Thankfully, neither of us are, nor were our capsule mates. Once at the top, you have about 10 minutes to look out over the city of St. Louis and the Mississippi, yup she looks muddy from up there. I think the pictures (click on the photos tab at the top of the page), will give you a sense of how it felt to be up that high. Back into the capsules, what goes up, must come down. A quick 3 minute rid and we were safe on solid ground.
If you are ever in the area, I would highly recommend a visit and a tram ride to the top. You won’t regret it!
We headed out of St. Louis and continued our westward journey. Our goal was Ft. Leonard Wood located just outside of Rolla (more on that later), but while traveling down the route, we couldn’t help but notice the numerous signs for a place called Meramec Caverns. When I say numerous, I mean numerous. If you’ve ever driven I-95 to Florida, these were as obnoxious as the signs for South of the Border. But unlike that tourist trap, this stop was worth it.
The caverns total about 4.6 miles and were originally discovered in 1722 by a French explorer. The caverns were also a hideout for Jesse and Frank James, which was confirmed by discoveries of numerous artifacts that could be traced back to them. If you are interested in more information about the caverns, visit this link. https://www.americascave.com/history
We took the guided tour which covers about 1.25 miles and was a little over an hour, ending with a sound and light show complete with Kate Smith’s rendition of God Bless America (which she performed inside the caves during the 1940’s), on wall of columns made by stalactites and stalagmites, called the Theater Room. You can’t help but feel a huge sense of patriotism when you see and hear this! 🇺🇸
Our day ended in Rolla, with a quick dinner and early night. This traveling can be exhausting!
See you down the road.
P.S. Having some internet issues, so I’ll load up pictures later.
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