Monday, May 18, 2009

Gateway To The West (138/365)

2009 05 18 IMG_5303 
“The purpose of architecture is to shelter and enhance man's life on earth and to fulfill his belief in the nobility of his existence"

Eero Saarinen (Finnish-American Architect and product designer, 1910-1961)

TIME:  12:50 PM
PLACE:  Riverfront - St. Louis
SUBJECT: Looking up the North Leg of the Gateway Arch

Today was the school parade and picnic for our school district.  I really don't like going to the picnic, ride tickets were $1.75 each and I didn't feel like spending $35 on tickets to be divided among the three kids.  So I made a proposal to them, they could be excused from the parade and not go to the picnic, but instead, I would take them over to St. Louis and we'd do something there.  They were agreeable to this.  Our first stop was the Anheuser-Busch complex.  My kids love "How It's Made" so we decided that the complimentary tour of the brewery would be a neat thing to do.  On the tour, we saw some of the Clydesdale horses, their stable, the beechwood aging cellars that each hold 3,600 barrels of beer, the brew house and finally, the bottling and packaging facility.  After the tour was over, we each got a bag of pretzels and I was able to sample a complimentary adult beverage (score!), while the kids received soda and water.  Alas, I was not carded. Darn. 

Then we headed to the riverfront and the Gateway Arch.  I haven't been up in the Arch since December 1990 when Iben Browning predicted a 50% chance of an earthquake along the New Madrid fault.  HandsomeHusband and I had gone up the Arch, the Sunday before it was suppose to happen.  We wanted to be in the group that was at the top of the Arch if it did occur. It didn't.  (We did have an earthquake occur in our area last year around this time!)  DramaQueen and MonkeyBoy had been up in the Arch before with HH, but this was StellaDella's first time.  She loved it.  "I can't believe I was in the tippy top of the Arch Mom!"   I just wish it there was more wind.  I love feeling it sway when you are at the top.

Finally, we went to my hairdressers where everyone received a haircut, myself included!  A long, but fun day.

4 comments:

Dana said...

I so want to go up in the arch! Might have to take my full-blown teen on a trip south one weekend this summer!

SaraG said...

Very cool photo. I went up in the arch several years ago and before my love of photography kicked in. I so want to go back!!

bentonflocke said...

wow that´s a really stunning picture!

Sujomi said...

Monica - Let me know if you head into town...we could meet up!

Sara G - Hopefully you will make it back with your camera!

bentonflocke - I had a hard time picking today's photo...the Arch makes such a great subject.