Downtown St. Louis: The Gateway Arch

You've seen it in a thousand pictures, and on the horizon as you drove anywhere within miles of downtown St. Louis.  But nothing quite compares to the experience of standing at the base, directly underneath, or just about anywhere near the Gateway Arch.  It is not just a structure, but also a work of art that defines the city of St. Louis, and leaves visitors amazed.

There are several pictures you simply must take during your visit to downtown St. Louis, and this is one of them: the Old Courthouse, perfectly framed by the Gateway Arch.  It's rather obvious where you'll need to stand to take this quintessential, albeit unoriginal, shot.

Walk across Memorial Drive and over Interstate 70 (which passes through a partially opened tunnel here), and you're on the grounds surrounding the Gateway Arch.

There's one more historic structure worth seeing, before you head on to the arch.  The Basilica of St. Louis, King was dedicated in 1834, making it the first Catholic cathedral west of the Mississippi River.  A log cabin church stood on the site before the present structure was built, and you can still see its original bell, in the church's museum.

Oh, it's also worth mentioning that taking a picture of the church (with the Arch in the background) is particularly dangerous.  It requires walking into the very busy Memorial Drive, and standing on a very narrow curb, as traffic whizzes by.  Even then, you don't get a very good picture, so consider buying a postcard instead.

Now it's time to walk up to, and underneath the Gateway Arch itself, which means taking pictures...

... from absolutely...

... every angle possible.  This is such a cool work of art.  Its appearance constantly changes as you walk around it.  Since it is triangular in shape, there are places where you can't see the arch's depth, making it look two-dimensional.  Even though it is, indeed, three-dimensional, it's hard to believe the arch doesn't simply tip over.

I swear I didn't ask that guy to pose.

As evening arrived, the sunlight glared off the arch in amazing ways, making it look entirely different, once again.

The grounds around the arch feel remarkably safe, despite the fact that you're in the middle of an urban setting, thanks to park police on patrol.  So, go ahead and wander around a bit.  When you walk north, you'll find a manmade pond...

... that provides a stunning reflection of the arch.  Unfortunately, when I was there, the pond could have used a good cleaning--garbage had collected on the water in some areas.

At the north end of the grounds (officially titled the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) a path winds through some trees, but the view of the arch is still great.

Drop down to the Mississippi waterfront, and you'll find a desolate road.  Cross it, and you can walk to the water's edge.  At the base of the Eads Bridge (the old steel structure just to the north of the Arch), and partially submerged in the Mississippi, is the Captains' Return statue, depicting Lewis and Clark, along with Lewis' dog Seaman, completing a river crossing.  You can't see it in this picture, because the river level was too high, but they're standing in a boat, not the river itself.  The sculpture is relatively new to the riverfront, dedicated in 2006.

The Eads Bridge itself is quite an attraction.  Completed in 1874, the Eads Bridge was the first St. Louis bridge over the Mississippi.  The Dr. Martin Luther King Bridge is just to the north.

The Eads Bridge is a double-decker bridge, with trains (St. Louis' light rail system) running on the lower platform, and cars on top.  The upper deck was in disrepair and closed for decades.  Restoration in the early 2000's allowed the upper deck to be re-opened to cars, and a pedestrian walkway was added, giving you the chance to walk back into Illinois...

... and enjoy a great view of downtown St. Louis...

... and that fabulous arch, now bathed in the soft glow of twilight.  The Arch is illuminated later at night, too, with huge spotlights.