Beyond Excited!

I have always loved to drive. I learned when I was about 12 and couldn’t wait to get my license. I loved just getting ‘out’ there and would regularly walk 10 to 20 miles just to see a place I hadn’t been to yet. If I could get a car imagine how much further I could go!

Well, now I have a minivan and intend to do about 6000 miles on this trip. My first big trip living in my minivan. This trip will be so much better than my last solo trip to Seattle, I have my own bed with me! (If you’ve read my previous posts you know how much that means to me.)

Me looking forward to driving off into the sunset in my minivan!

I shall be driving from Grand Blanc, Michigan to Seattle, Washington, and back. I shall be going not only the long way around but also avoiding Freeways, Toll roads, and Ferries. This means all back roads.

While I don’t mind driving the freeway, I did it all the way to the quilt show in Lebanon, Tennessee, and back, I feel you see so much more taking the back roads. It’s far less stressful, easy to suddenly pull over if you see something interesting and the cost of gas seems to be cheaper. Those on the freeway know they don’t want to go in search of gas when there’s an easy truck stop right off the freeway, hence they get away with charging 50 cents or more per gallon sometimes. Yes, I’m as tight as a duck’s arse as they say back home in England. A duck’s arse must be tight or it would fill with water and drown right?

I started by going to my friend Candy’s house in Wisconsin, I will be going on a quilting retreat with her and more friends in July on my way back. So I dropped off all my sewing stuff for the retreat and left from there for St Louis, Missouri 2 days later.

My First Night In St Louis

I really shouldn’t really be surprised at all the rain as it is early May. I know April showers bring May flowers but it appears it also brings torrential downpours. Before going to the RV park I thought I would go to the Cohokia Mounds which is not far from St Louis, but….it started pouring so I gave up. It had stopped raining by the time I got DraftKings at Casino Queen RV Park which is on the Illinois side of St Louis. I just managed to get my TailVeil set up when the rain started again.

Here’s my first evening in St Louis.

I do love this minivan though, it is so comfortable, and I have everything I need within easy reach.

I Got To The Gateway Arch!

I have wanted to go up the arch forever! The last time I was there the weather closed in and you couldn’t even see the top of the arch, this time the weather cooperated. I stayed in a campground across the river called DraftKings at Casino Queen RV park. Nice place, shady, nice showers, they even have a bench in the shower and shower area to put stuff on, very rare! Nice laundry, and a rec room with vending machines.

I walked across the bridge over the Mississippi River from East St Louis, Illinois to West St Louis, Missouri. It was a grey day but turned into a beautiful day, not too hot so I was able to walk all around the National Park grounds and back over the bridge to the RV park after visiting the top of the Arch.

The Gateway Arch is an amazing piece of engineering and the grounds around it are wonderful. Trees, lawns, ponds, and walkways, very beautiful and serene.

Although the day started very grey and dreary looking at least I could see the top of the Arch.  Last time I was here it was shrouded in clouds and there was no point in going up as you wouldn’t be able to see anything! This is my first picture of the Arch taken from the Illinois side, very grey LOL.

The Gateway Arch, this picture was taken from East St Louis, Illinois. The river is the Mississippi.

Me and The Gateway Arch Sign

It’s a mile and a half from the campground to the entrance to the Arch. As you can see from this picture the sun has come out and the skies have cleared. It made for a nice walk. I really needed it after sitting in the car all day yesterday getting here.

Entrance to the Gateway Arch

This is my impression of the Arch as I walk to the entrance for the first time.

Look How tiny those windows are. Once I get to the top of the arch I will get to see out of them, I hope!

The Gateway Arch Curve with Windows

Going up inside the Arch entails being in a very small elevator car with a small door. They have glass in them letting you see the inside of the Arch as you go up and down.

Going up inside the Arch

Here’s What the elevator looks like, small, seats 5 and very noisy!

I’m At the TOP! There’s not much room up here and you only have 10 minutes before you have to go back down! However, you do get quite a view out of those tiny windows in the previous picture. The windows are very narrow so it was impossible to get a widescreen shot showing each side of the Mississippi. Hopefully, though these pictures will give you an idea of the difference between the two States.

I’m At The Top of the Arch!

This is the view from the top of the Gateway Arch looking west towards Missouri.

This is from the top of the Gateway Arch looking into Illinois across the muddy Mississippi.

Here I am with the requisite photo they take before you go up to the top of the Arch. Cheesy grin or what?

After going up the Arch I walked around the National Park, huge and very cool: The Grounds of the Gateway Arch