Gateway Arch National Park

Exploring the Arch was well worth the stop. This is the smallest of all of the National Parks and can easily be done in just one day. Although we loved the adventure, if you’re claustrophobic don’t plan on taking the tram to the top. The orbs that take you up are tiny, with a 3 foot tall narrow entry and 5 passengers sitting knee to knee in a ~5’ diameter pod be prepared to get up close and personal with the strangers sharing a ride up to the top. Narrow slits ensure you can still get a small amount of fresh air while in the tram, but a couple of weeks after our visit we read about the tram breakdown that had people waiting hours to be rescued and having to walk the beams to reach the stairs back down.

We also took the riverboat cruise which is located just below the Arch on the Mississippi River. It was interesting and we are glad we added it on to our trip.