|
The Amtrak Texas Eagle stops in Springfield, Illinois. "Home of Abraham Lincoln".
The Saint Louis Skyline was impressive to see at
night, from the Illinois side of the river, just before we crossed the
bridge over the Mississippi. We arrived at the Amtrak
Station. I stepped off the train and I was immediately haled by a
nice lady cab driver. I was thinking of catching the Metro and
walking, but being 9:45 PM at night, I guess the cab ride was the best
option. No sidewalk egress around the Amtrak Station either.
The cab driver was friendly and quite talkative. I checked into
the Econo Lodge without a hitch or glitch. The internet booking is
so convenient and has never caused me any reservation problems. The next day, I saw this "Edward
Jones Dome" where the St Louis Rams play football, across the
street from my
motel. Website
Inside my motel room. The
remote would not turn this TV off, had to pull the cord nightly. Inside my motel room. Nice enough
accommodations
for a frugal tourist. Walking to the "Gateway Arch"
from my motel. The Econo Lodge was affordable and in a
very convenient location for my tourist exploration purposes. Looking north from in front of the
Econo Lodge. This lot gets used for parking during
the football games. "Edward Jones Dome" where
the St Louis Rams play football, across from my motel. Website A view of the skyline as I am walking
south, paralleling the Mississippi River to the Gateway Arch. "Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge" Looking south past Laclede's Landing at the
"Gateway Arch". The "Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge". "Laclede’s Landing" is St.
Louis’s original settlement started in this area. It is very
close to the Gateway Arch and the wharf area. It is a multi-block
collection of cobblestone streets and vintage brick-and-cast-iron
warehouses dating from 1850 through 1900, now converted into shops,
restaurants, and bars Website
. I walked this area everyday to get to Metro station. Lacledes Landing certainly is a historic
part of St. Louis. Under the Gateway Arch as the sun reflects
off of it. I remember seeing the video of the St. Louis Fire
Department hosing down the south leg, cooling it off, so the last piece
at the top of arch would match both sides, so it could be installed on October 28,
1965. This day was a big event for the people of St Louis.
Construction survey work was done at night before the invention of
lasers, computers and GPS survey tools. The margin of error for failure was 1/64th of an inch.
This was quite an architecture achievement at the time.
Under the Gateway Arch as the sun reflects off of it. Construction began February 12, 1963 and the last section of the Arch was put into place on October 28, 1965. Its structure is known as a catenary curve, the shape a free-hanging chain takes when held at both ends, and considered the most structurally-sound arch shape. The span of the Arch legs at ground level is 630 feet, the same as its height. weighs 17,246 tons. It was built at a cost of $13 million. The usual sway is 1/2". In the wind it can sway a maximum of 18" (9" each way) in a 150 mph wind. Gateway Arch Website
"Old Courthouse" or "County Hall" has been a St. Louis landmark served house of justice from 1845 until 1930. It also was a public gathering place for pioneers planning their westward trek across the plains. It is famous for the Missouri's Dred Scott Case, 1846-1857. In 1857 the decision shocked many in the nation. The United States Supreme Court upheld slavery in United States territories, denied the legality of black citizenship in America, and declared the Missouri Compromise to be unconstitutional.
Jefferson Expansion Memorial Park area. This park is a tribute to our third president. Jefferson purchased this land along with 828,000 square miles or 530,000,000 acres from the French on April 30, 1803. Paying $23,213,568, or less than 3 cents an acre. It doubled the size of US territories and we didn't have to worry about the French blocking American traders access to the port of New Orleans anymore. Jefferson then convinced congress to spend $2,500 to Lewis and Clark and company to explore the land he had purchased, wanting people to expand this country to the west. Was this a good land investment? Back To Texas Eagle 3 Back To Texas Eagle Itinerary Menu Next To Texas Eagle 5
|
