United States > The Arch of St. Louis

We leave the Trace Hollow Resort. Conny had told us yesterday that we could just leave the key on the table and leave the door unlocked. We drive out of Dogwood Canyon National Park toward Branson. Branson is sometimes called the Las Vegas of Missouri. Around the city there are several amusement parks, and in the city itself there are numerous theaters where mostly washed-up artists perform. As we drive into the town, the streets are quiet. The city must mainly thrive on its nightlife. I actually expected more eccentric buildings, like in Las Vegas. The center certainly looks touristy, but the craziness has been left out. At The Farmhouse Restaurant we order breakfast—an omelet with coffee. Each time the waitress makes her round, she pours another splash of coffee into my mug. Refill. We continue eastward on backroads toward Cabool. This area is home to the Amish. The Amish are people who, for religious reasons, do not use electricity or cars. They travel only by horse and carriage. Around the town of Mansfield lives the largest community. Perhaps we’ll see someone driving a horse and buggy on the road or around the village square. The Amish live separated from modern society, so it’s not surprising that we don’t encounter anyone.

United States - The Arch connects south with north and west with east in St Louis

This region is definitely typical American countryside. A few villages further on, we stop to eat at a local café. It seems as though everyone here knows each other. The flat American dialect is hardly understandable. We choose a piece of apple pie with cola. Perfect for lunch. Then we head toward St. Louis via the highway. By late afternoon we arrive in St. Louis. To book a hotel, we look for a café with internet. The Wi-Fi isn’t great. Just as we try to book a hotel, the connection drops. Did we book or not? We decide to drive to the hotel anyway. The hotel is within walking distance of the center. It’s rush hour by now and the traffic is crawling along the roads. At the hotel, they can’t find our booking, and they also don’t have any rooms available. They’re full. Apparently, rooms reserved for booking websites can’t be booked directly at the counter. How strange! Across from the hotel is a motel. Although the elevator and gallery look a bit shabby, the room itself is fine. It’s exactly the kind of motel you see in CSI series on television. From the motel, we walk into St. Louis. We want to visit the Arch. The 192-meter-tall Arch symbolizes the connection between the West and the East. Inside the Arch is a sort of gondola lift that takes you to the top. Tickets are sold in the stately Courthouse building. We then walk to the Arch. The closer we get, the more its enormous height becomes clear. The Arch was built in 1965. The cable car system also dates from that time. It’s no wonder that, when buying tickets, they asked whether we were claustrophobic. There are eight egg-shaped enclosed cabins. Their diameter is less than two meters. Five people fit in each cabin, which makes it very cramped. Luckily, the two of us can ride together in one cabin. In four minutes, the cabins are pulled up to the top. From the top I have a beautiful view of St. Louis. The sun is just setting on the horizon—perfect timing. We take the same cable car back down. St. Louis is known for its good Italian restaurants. In one of them, I order lasagna.