20 Days Traveling WEST – Day 1
And we’re off! This is Day 1 of our 20-day adventure to the Western United States. Our first day began a bit cloudy, but the clear blue sky came out by the time we traveled up the Gateway Arch of St. Louis.
The Itinerary Traveling WEST
We did not create a detailed daily itinerary, but we did reserve lodging months in advance. Here’s the line up:
| City | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Saint James, MO | 466 ft. |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 1,198 ft. |
| Albuquerque, NM | 5,312 ft. |
| Rimrock, Lake Montezuma, AZ | 3,592, ft. |
| Bonsall, CA | 180 ft. |
| Parachute, CO | 5,089 ft. |
| Keystone, SD | 4,331 ft. |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 1,463 ft. |
Our highest elevation on the road was West of Denver, Colorado in Georgetown at 11,158 ft. We also reached another high point in Ghost Rock, Utah at 7,270 ft. and the Pines to Palms Hwy in California at 4,518 ft.
Our Visit to St. Louis, MO
St. Louis Zoo and the Gateway Arch were destination points for our first day of travel.
St. Louis Zoo
The zoo was free admission with a fantastic insect collection; particularly tarantulas. Our favorite exhibit was the tiger family; three tiger cubs and their momma. They were quite playful, and the mother tiger was a bit annoyed.
My daughter captured many close-ups of the animals of the zoo. She loves to take pictures. Here are some treasures from her collection!
I should also note, that we visited the beloved penguins of St. Louis Zoo. Since the summer of 2020 when Covid hit, the St. Louis Zoo began publicizing their webcams on Facebook. The kids and I would often check in with the penguins. They were adorable every time! Visiting them in person was a special treat!
Check out the Penguin’s LIVE Webcam here: https://www.youtube.com/stlzootube/live
St. Louis Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch had both a free museum and tickets for purchase to ride inside the monument to the very top. The ride is part elevator, part automated stairway, and part Ferris wheel. The monument itself is the second largest in the world, with the Eiffel Tower in Paris as first.
The National park that holds the monument is the smallest national park in the United States. We purchased our America The Beautiful Annual Park Pass here at the park. With the amount of parks we would visit, it made sense to purchase this pass!
The Gateway Arch also claims first place as the tallest arch, and this artwork uses the most stainless steel for one object in the world.
We enjoyed our experience in St. Louis, and we hope to travel there again sometime soon!
Here are a few more special captures from my daughter. She really enjoys creating beautiful photography with her camera and her cell phone!
More to come….
Please stay tuned to the blog for more posts about our family trip to the Western United States.
We had an amazing time together, and I’d encourage all to go on a road trip like this one!
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Keep walking friend,
Christina
Motherhood, Marriage, Homeschooling;
It’s a journey.
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