July 27: I Am Unimpressed by a National Landmark

Thursday, July 27, 2006

I got up at 5:00, ate breakfast, broke camp, and was on the road by 7:45. I drove out of Kentucky, through Illinois, and into Missouri. 

I’m staying at Graham Cave State Park, Site 27. I got here at 5:00, but there was no time to find the cave or explore the park.

At one gas stop, I paid $3.08 per gallon! I’ve never paid that much for gas!

I spent about two hours at the Arch in St. Louis. I felt so uncomfortable driving into and parking in a city. I was scared I parked my car in a bad spot and it would get stolen, but as far as I could tell, that was the lot to park in to visit the Arch. It was $6 for parking. Is paying for parking normal? That’s so much money! 

The Arch was expensive, too - $10. 

It seems appropriate to visit the Gateway to the West when you’re traveling west. 

The tram to the top was cramped and jerky, which made it scary. I did not like it. At the top, the windows were dirty and the view was nothing special. St. Louis is an ugly city.

I’ve blown my budget for the day, but I figure if I’m driving all this way, I might as well see some sights. I’ll have to watch my pennies for the rest of the week.

It’s really raining now. Thankfully, I got the tent up before the drizzle started. Thankfully, it was dry enough that I could make supper and eat. Now I’m stuck under the picnic table. At least it has a cover over it so I can sit here instead of in the tent or in the car.

The campground attendant makes me nervous. I’ll be sleeping with my knife near my hand.