My good friend Trish Gosche from high school in Kansas got married on November 3, 2007 to Chris Tavares in St. Louis, Missouri. Daniel and I flew down to the city famous for the Gateway Arch for this event and looked around the city in addition to my catching up with old friends. IMG_4257 IMG_4319 IMG_4328 The happy couple... IMG_4332 IMG_4337 Extended exposure during unity candle lighting IMG_4339 IMG_4343 IMG_4348 The parents IMG_4350 My friend Millie's son Charlie and her husband Chuck IMG_4352 IMG_4353 Charlie taking after his mom and playing with the organ IMG_4354 IMG_4355 IMG_4357 We stayed in a nice hotel in Creve Cour which is french for "Broken Heart" which is why I'm glad the ceremony wasn't held there! Here is a nice column along the highway exit ramp for Creve Cour sporting a broken heart. IMG_4423 Trish and Chris dancing away at the reception IMG_4425 IMG_4430 Trish and her dad IMG_4434 Chris and his mom IMG_4438 IMG_4441 Daniel and Trish IMG_4449 Now...what else is there to do in St. Louis...of course - the arch! IMG_4261 IMG_4264 The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial as the federal park is known, is near the starting point for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The park also commemorates the Louisiana Purchase, first civil government west of the Mississippi, and the debate over slavery raised by the Dred Scott case begun at the Old Courthouse nearby. The park has 4 million visitors each year. IMG_4265 IMG_4270 Chuck points something out to Charlie IMG_4273 The arch was designed by architect Eero Saarinen and structural engineer Haanskarl Bandel. IMG_4275 The arch is 630 feet (192 m) tall IMG_4279 IMG_4283 The arch is made out of a skin of stainless steel covering reinforced concrete for the first 300 feet (91 m). From there to the peak it is made of carbon steel and rebar. IMG_4284 IMG_4285 IMG_4290 IMG_4291 The general shape is one of a chain hanging upside down IMG_4297 IMG_4301 IMG_4302 Entrance to the visitor's center. We had to get tickets for later in the day since the line was rather long and security took a while to get through. IMG_4304 IMG_4307 In this color adjusted photo you can see some of the trees which lead up to the arch in two rows and are arranged quite well around the monument. However, the parking at $6 (which we had to pay twice as we were coming back later even the same day) was a bit much and frustrating that the structure said "Public Parking" even though it was $6 which wasn't stated until you got closer to the structure itself. IMG_4309 The Eads Bridge built around 1875 is a beautiful structure as well sitting just adjacent to the arch parking garage IMG_4310 There was a small barge with an even smaller helicopter offering tours nearby and it buzzed the park area of the arch several times IMG_4312 No Miller in sight...they don't know what they're missing (Milwaukee plug) IMG_4318 Return to Features