About a week ago, we set off on our spring break road trip with one of our key stops being Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, Missouri. Not only has visiting Gateway Arch National Park been on my travel bucket list for a while, but I also ordered an annual park pass this year to visit as many national parks as possible.
To date, I have been to the Grand Canyon, Mammoth Cave National Park, and the Smoky Mountains. Visiting Gateway Arch National Park now makes four National Parks. Whoohoo! I have linked the other National Park visits in the post, so feel free to stay awhile and check them out.
Gateway Arch National Park
If you are unfamiliar with Gateway Arch National Park, it is located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. It’s certainly not your typical national park and is the smallest of all. According to the National Park Service, “The Gateway Arch reflects St. Louis’ role in the Westward Expansion of the United States during the nineteenth century. The park is a memorial to Thomas Jefferson’s role in opening the West, to the pioneers who helped shape its history, and to Dred Scott who sued for his freedom in the Old Courthouse”.
My hope was that the weather would be beautiful and that we would be able to spend a few hours in and around the arch. I had envisioned us taking the tram up, visiting the museum, taking a river cruise, and maybe even flying some kites in the park. Only that didn’t happen.
Photos at the Arch
Once we entered downtown St.Louis, we found some nearby parking for $4 which was fantastic because it was inexpensive compared to other parking garages and it was a very short distance to the park. After we parked, we headed right toward the park. We immediately took a handful of selfies under the arch and again by the national park sign. We were pretty rough looking after the traveling so I won’t bore you with those lackluster photos. Ha!
After enjoying the view for a moment, we headed into the Visitor’s Center of the park to purchase our tram tickets. The tickets were sold out for the day, so we decided that we would visit the museum, and then head out.
However, once we started toward the museum, we noticed that there was a security checkpoint, very similar to TSA airport checkpoints. Since I had my camera bag, my daughter in her stroller, and pepper spray on my keychain, I knew it was going to be a challenge, so we opted to leave and perhaps try again another day.
Stormy Conditions
Believe it or not, the decision to leave when we did ended up being a very wise decision. As we exited the building, it started to rain quickly and heavily. By the time we made it to the car, it was pouring and the sky grew darker by the second. As we headed toward the campground where we were staying, it turned into a full-blown storm with hail. Thankfully, we made it to our destination safely.
Final Thoughts
Although our visit was not the most ideal and was a very short visit, I am still grateful for the opportunity to see the site in person and share the moment and memory with my family. Who knows, one beautiful summer day, we may just make it a day trip?! And, then I’ll have a little something more exciting to share.
