BEAUTIFUL DAY TO VISIT DOWNTOWN ST LOUIS, MO

We spent last night in a Lowes/Walmart parking lot located about 25 minutes to downtown St. Louis.  We couldn't find any campgrounds around the area and this was the best option.  Actually, it was extremely quiet and we both had a good night's sleep.

This morning we locked up all the storage bays and double bolted the coach door before heading out.  We followed the GPS directions to the Old Courthouse/Gateway Arch and located a metered parking space just a short walk to the Courthouse.

The Old Courthouse and Gateway Arch are part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and we added another stamp to our National Park book.  The Courthouse is an important structure of both historical and architectural significance.  The building was finished in 1862 when the cast- and wrought-iron dome was completed. The courtroom dates from 1844 and was last used in 1930.  We climbed the winding cast iron staircase to the third floor.  The stairway has no middle vertical support and is embedded in the walls, rather interesting.

The Old Courthouse - View from the top of the Gateway Arch

Where the St. Louis Cardinals play - View from the top

One of the most important cases tried in the Courthouse in 1846 was the Dred Scott Case.  This case reached the US Supreme Court where the Dred Scott Decision of 1857 pushed the nation into the bloody Civil War.

We purchased our Journey to the Top tickets at the Courthouse and walked a short distance to take the tram to the top of the Arch.  We've seen the Arch from a distance but this was our first time getting up close and personal.  It's an awe-inspiring 630 foot tall monument with incredible views of St. Louis and the Mississippi River.  It is the tallest man-made monument in the US.  Our ticket also allowed us to watch the award winning documentary, Monument to the Dream at the Tucker Theater.  I purchased an Arch charm for my places-we've-traveled-to charm bracelet.

The Gateway Arch 

We squeezed in a quick lunch at Angelo's Taverna, burger for me and chicken wrap for Denis, before taking a short drive to the St. Louis Zoo.

We paid the $15 for parking even though we had less than 2-hours before it closed and paid another $16 for the train ride around the park, entrance to the park is free.  Knowing we had limited time and a lot to see, I was glad we got the train tickets which took us from one section of the zoo to another.  The zoo surprised us with how much it had to offer.  They had reptiles, primates, bears (the grizzly bears were awesome), big cats of all kinds, hoofed mammals, not to mention elephants, rhinos and hippopotamus.  It was fun and I'm glad we squeezed it in before heading back for another night at Walmart.

The Grizzly Bears were awesome

These guys are just plain adorable

Huge Hippos

Thanks for stopping in to say hi.  God bless.