In St. Louis, MO

On Saturday, July 24, 2010, we looked at all the interesting thing we could find in a day in St. Louis. We'd already visited the Cahokia Indian Mounds on another trip. We went the Arch, but the line to ride up to the top was over an hour long. We opted NOT. Went through the Jefferson National Museum about Lewis and Clark under the Arch. Then walked along the very swollen Mississippi River. Decided to have a cold beer, but the first place we went served their beer in plastic bottles. :-( So we went across the street. Of course, St. Louis is a Budweiser town, but for some strange reason nobody served Michelob Light. After our walk, and beer, we returned to the truck and drove north on the MS River, to a dam and locks. We love locks, and we watched a tugboat with 15 barges go through the lock; and then a privately owned (I surmised) houseboat, with the family all basking on the top deck. Someone who was standing beside us said many wealthy people own houseboats on the MS River. At this time we had crossed the river, and were in Illinois. Our 6th state! So when we left the locks we drove south along the Illinois River Road, and found a Lewis and Clark Memorial. It was actually the site of Camp River Du Bois, which was the first place they camped as they were all gathering together near St. Louis. They stayed there all winter of 1803-4, although Lewis stayed mainly in St. Louis and Cahokia, gathering more 'goods' for the journey, while Capt. Clark stayed in the 'fort' with the men. The picture is an exact replica of the description in Clark's journal of the fort, with its dimensions and design. And more men joined the party during that winter in Camp River Du Bois. Inside the museum they had an exact replica of their keel boat, which had one side cut away so you could look at how they stored their stuff in it, and where they sat, and rowed. It was fascinating. And a very large boat, with a sail on a hinged mast; and a fold away awning to cover the men in bad weather. We spent a good deal of time there. Then came home to poor Spot, who'd been alone all day long. Had a great home-made hamburger, and crashed in bed.