Today we woke in East Moline and said fare well to the Pregreckes, loaded up the truck, and headed south on our run to St. Louis.
Me, Keeke, and Gary
As we drove we slowly watched the snow amounts change from half a foot to a dusting then finally to nothing at all. Every time we crossed a bridge we looked down studying how much ice was on the water below. It really wasn’t until we reached the outskirts of St Louis that we found the completely open water we came for.
Of course what is a visit to St. Louis without a ride to the top of the famous Gateway Arch. So we ran directly to the Westward Expansion Museum and caught a bumpy elevator/tram ride to the top of the arch. I had been here once before seven years ago when I was moving to California. Then I took in the view of the surrounding city in broad daylight. This time we were running late, and because we had to wait for the maintenance crew to fix a problem with the elevator system, we ended up in the observation area well after dark. After seeing the view at both times I definitely recommend going up after sunset. The view with the city lights was incredible. After grabbing a couple pictures we rode back down and headed out to what should be my last motel room for quite a while.
Me and my parents in one of the arch elevator cars
At the top of the arch
The view from the top
My water bags are filled, gear is packed, and I’m ready to get some rest before waking early to head up to Grafton IL where the Illinois River meets the Mississippi. There I will finally get back on the water to resume this trip.
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