ST. LOUIS --It's hard to miss the Gateway Arch. The 630-foot tall monument to westward expansion of the United States can been seen practically from anywhere in St. Louis.
So even if I was a bit hesitant to go to the top, it seemed as if the Arch was constantly looking over my shoulder the past few days, calling me to check it out.
One of the most recognizable landmarks in the world has been hosting visitors since June 10, 1967. I figured the people there know what they are doing as far as safety, so I decided to put my fear of heights on the backburner and head to the top.
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The four-minute ride in a tiny car that seats five takes you up the inside of the Arch, where all I could see was stairs, nothing but stairs. When I asked NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen what he would do if he had to walk all the way down the stairs from the top, he said, "I'd live up there."
Once at the top, it didn't sound like a bad idea. The views were spectacular. Looking east through the tiny rectangular windows gave us a glimpse of the now overflowing Mississippi River and western Illinois. On the other side we got a perfect look at downtown St. Louis with Busch Stadium, the home to the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball, jumping right out.
Though it was very cool experience, the 10 minutes up there were enough, and we squeezed into the car for the three-minute ride down the arch.
