Up and leaving Louisville around 6:45 a.m. after breakfast at the hotel. We soon crossed the Ohio River into Indiana. Started with gently rolling hills that turned into farmland as far as the eye could see. More of the same in Illinois. This is serious farming country. Finally, we crossed the Mississippi River into Missouri and made our way to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Park. We walked down by the river for a bit then headed into the Gateway Arch to pick up tickets for our tram ride. We were able to change my 2:00 tickets to 11:25, crowds were very low. Quite a view from the top! I'm glad I did it and I'm even more glad that it's a relatively quick trip (4 minutes up, 3 minutes down) in the very small tram car.
Afterwards, we walked through some exhibits then decided to have a picnic lunch on the grounds. We found a bench overlooking the river and relaxed while we ate our sandwiches. Lots of people walking the grounds, looks to be a popular spot for downtown workers and runners.
Next, we walked over to the courthouse and looked around a bit. I got 3 new stamps in my national parks passport. Since we had moved the tram ride up, we were finished at the park earlier than expected and decided to drive towards Columbia, our stopping point for the evening.
Along the way, we decided to drop off the interstate and take the Lewis and Clark scenic drive along 94 near the Missouri River. Couldn't see the river from the road but did find a place to stop and look. It was a beautiful ride, at times looking like we were heading into mountains then at times more extremely large farms. As we reached Jefferson City, we spotted the state capital building, then turned back towards Columbia. Checked into our hotel and asked for dinner recommendations. We went to the Flat Branch Pub and Brewing, a local micro-brewery started in 1994. Had dinner on the patio - the comfortable weather and low humidity made it a nice way to spend the evening. If you're ever in Columbia, I recommend it!
A few pics from the day:
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Indiana farmland
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Arch with flag
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| Mississippi River from top of arch |
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Flag hanging inside courthouse
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| Missouri River |
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| Dinner at Flat Branch Pub and Brewing |
You're only on Day 2, and the scenery continues to be amazing, and your photos awesome. (Also, if others aren't aware of this, clicking on a pic brings up a larger photo.)
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to what tomorrow brings. :)
Cathy
ReplyDeleteWe are jealous, but very inspired. We would love for you to watch the girls for our two week road trip! Love the blog!
We miss the Cathy and Bryant Show, but staying in touch virtually - Your Neighbors