This is the first good picture we took of the arch. This is the state house (I think that's what it's called) on the right. We are on foot at this point going to our first visit to the arch.
Isn't this the coolest picture??? Dan took it. He does really nice "artsy" pictures.
The dedication plaque for the arch. We learned all kinds of cool things about the architecture and design of the arch on our tour and in the museum.
Whoa...does that make you dizzy?!? It sure did make me dizzy! This is from the ground looking up at the arch.
The way up to the top of the arch was by way of elevator "pods." I am standing by the door to one of the pods which holds 5 people sitting down. Notice the size proportion. It was a tiny door.
The inside of the pod was even worse. It was a sphericalish shape with five chairs. I could sit straight up, but none of the men in the pods could. We were knee to knee in this tiny structure, and THEN...they close the door. Clautrophopia, hysteria, etc. set in at this point. (I thought I wasn't going to make it to the top...I didn't really cause a scene, but I've never been so scared in all my life.)
Awww...what a nice welcome! This is what you see as you climb the last few stairs into the viewing room.
Another one of Dan's pictures from the viewing room. He's pretty talented isn't he???
So this blog post is getting really long, but we also went to an authentic BBQ joint while we were there. We ate WAY too much food, but it was the best pulled pork I have ever eaten. J and Dan really like the ribs and brisket they had too. We also toured the Anhueser-Busch factory which was really neat. I like factories. It is amazing I think to see how something is made. It's such a shame that they spend all that time and money to make a nasty drink though. :)
The two hockey games were the reason for the trip, but we got a lot of sight-seeing in too which made the trip really busy but very fun. We also went to Grand Central Station which is now a mall, but in my humble opinion, it is a sorry excuse for a mall. It's more of a tourist trap with a food court and a couple good stores thrown in here and there.
I think Dan would appreciate it if I described the games a bit. The first was incredible. It was a no score game and the Blues won in a shoot-out. Wow, it was really crazy! I enjoyed it too. The second game was very high scoring, and the Blues were very close to winning. They were down by one point with 1 minute to go. So they pulled their goalie to have 6 men on the ice, but a member of the other team had a "fast break" (basketball term, I don't know the hockey term) and of course scored on an open net.
Dan, J, and I had a great time in St. Louis. We would highly recommend it if anyone is looking to take a trip!
Here are some of the girls at the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner was really fun. It was held at a local brewery with authentic, rustic decor. Caleb was a little scared to head up the dark stairs to the banquet room, but the older folk thought it was really cool!
The beautiful Bride!!! This is after her hair and make-up are done the day of the wedding. Isn't she gorgeous!?!
A close-up of her hair...looks pretty amazing if you ask me! I'm not patting myself on the back either. That's not my work that makes her hair beautiful and curly!!!
The lovely couple cutting the cake. It did get a little messy a few seconds after this photo was taken, but I didn't catch that mess on camera.
