Sunday, June 5, 2022
After dallying over a leisurely Sunday breakfast, we left the Topeka KOA around 11:00. Today was another six-hour driving day. Negotiating through Kansas City (metro area pop. ~ 2.4 million) was tricky especially with a detour around I-70 construction. Somewhere in that metro mess, we entered another state, Missouri.
About a half-hour beyond the city traffic, we pulled off the interstate to refuel and then found a nearby gravel frontage road that we parked alongside to enjoy a secluded lunch in our motorhome with I-70 in view across a pasture.
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| Our Secluded Lunch Spot just off I-70 |
We arrived at the Saint Louis West KOA around 5 pm, set up quickly and headed downtown to the Gateway Arch area. We parked in a public lot across from Busch Stadium (the Cards were in Chicago beating the Cubs) and walked a few blocks to the Arch. After finding the subterranean entrance, we purchased tickets to watch a documentary movie that was starting shortly at 7 pm, as well as for a riverboat ride and tram ride up the Arch tomorrow. The movie was excellent detailing the design and construction process of the 630 ft. Arch. Afterwards, we wandered around the museum but the staff started closing exhibits and shooing visitors out around 7:30, a half-hour before closing time and before we could take it all in.
While were were leaving the museum, Jane got a text message from Suzanne, a long-time friend of John’s since childhood, who now lives in Cleveland, GA. She and her traveling friend from Florida, Vicki, were coincidentally also in St. Louis and were waiting to meet us above ground under the Arch. Sure enough, we eyed them immediately as we emerged. We spent some time catching up on each others’ travels and taking pictures before departing. Both pairs of us will be back sightseeing in this area tomorrow.
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| At the Gateway |
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| Vicki & Suzanne under the Arch |
We hadn’t eaten dinner but decided to head back to the RV. There, we enjoyed a bottle of wine (Four Is, 2017 Sangiovese from Inman Vineyards) with cheese and crackers while watching cable tv before retiring.
