Look! A big McDonalds!! (MO)

The Gateway Arch is impressive. It commands a view in all directions although we chose not to take the time to go to the top. It is maybe a couple hundred unobstructed yards from the Mississippi, which still carries long barge trains of coal. Missouri and Illinois (or at least their Indians) compete from opposing sides with riverboat-style casinos.

The floating McDonalds seems to be gone.

Below the arch--actually underground--is a free museum emphasizing Lewis and Clark and western growth. The museum is good but it was a surprise to see the National Park Service using animatronics to portray historical characters. Marcia made some innocuous comment to William Clark, and she swears he winked back (I saw it, too). The Indian chief, of course, was rather solemn and told us the explorers were not to be trusted. Maybe so.