Lee and Karen Duquette,
The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
at The Gateway Arch in
St. Louis, Missouri
October 3, 2009

plus some photos and postcards are incorporated on this page from Lee and Karen Duquette's 1987 trip
And links at the bottom of this page to the 2017 and 2022 trip to the St. Louis Arch

Different views of the famous Gateway Arch - the museum - plus views of St. Louis from the windows of the Arch - and the Taste of St. Louis Festival
Below: The majestic Gateway Arch frames the magnificent Old Courthouse and ultra-modern architecture in the vibrant city skyline.


The Gateway Arch is a 630-foot monument in St. Louis, Missouri. Clad in stainless steel and built in the form of an inverted, weighted catenary arch, it is the world's tallest arch, the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere, and Missouri's tallest accessible building. Built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States, and officially dedicated to "the American people," it is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and has become an internationally recognized symbol of St. Louis, as well as a popular tourist destination. The Arch was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in 1947; construction began on February 12, 1963, and was completed on October 28, 1965, for $13 million (equivalent to $190 million in 2015). The monument opened to the public on June 10, 1967. It is located at the site of St. Louis' founding on the west bank of the Mississippi River. The Arch has served as the site for multiple incidents, accidents, and stunts, and following the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 and the September 11 attacks it has received a number of security related upgrades.


Below: Looking directly UP at the arch gave the two RV Gypsies the impression that the arch was swaying, but in reality, it was the swiftly moving clouds that created the illusion.






Below: Karen Duquette at the bottom of the Arch



Below: The two RV Gypsies looked upwards at the windows at the top of the Arch.

Below: Then the two RV Gypsies took the journey to the top of the Arch.



Below: 1987 Magazine clipping of the view from inside the Gateway Arch.

Below: Views of St. Louis and the Mississippi River TAKEN FROM THE WINDOWS INSIDE the Gateway Arch photos by Karen Duquette in 2009.

Below: 2009 - Actual views and photos by Karen Duquette



From high above, Lee Duquette noticed the white tents way down the street and decided that he wanted to walk there and see what it was all about, so after descending the Gateway Arch, that is where the two RV Gypsies went.

Below: Time to go back down to the ground. The stairway from the top of the Arch back down to the elevators. Each of the 8 elevators has 5 seats inside, really close together. The door to the elevator was only 4-feet high and the inside walls of the elevator were curved. There was not much head-room, and it was extremely crowded with 5 people seated inside.

Below: The two RV Gypsies explored Inside The Gateway Arch MUSEUM.


Below: Then the two RV Gypsies took the long walk to find those tents mentioned above. It turned out to be a food festival, much to Lee Duquette's delight. No photos of the food or booths were taken.

Below: Views of the Arch from the food festival.

This is not a linear site, so there are 3 choices for navigation below
PLUS all of the main navigational buttons are at the very bottom of this page.

IF you came here from the Gateway Arch in 2017, or have not seen that section, return there now. The photos and information It is very different from this page.

OR

If you came here from the Gateway Arch 2022 page, or have not seen that section, return there now. It is also very different from the 2009 and 2017 pages.

OR

Continue navigation in the order of occurrence in 2009 - Superman

OR Continue Navigation in the order of your choice via the alphabetical or category buttons below





OR Click here to see travels by the year (not the best way)

Below: The majestic Gateway Arch frames the magnificent Old Courthouse and ultra-modern architecture in the vibrant city skyline.

The Arch has served as the site for multiple incidents, accidents, and stunts, and following the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 and the September 11 attacks it has received a number of security related upgrades.

Below: Then the two RV Gypsies took the journey to the top of the Arch.

Below: 1987 Magazine clipping of the view from inside the Gateway Arch.

Below: 2009 - Actual views and photos by Karen Duquette

This is not a linear site, so there are 3 choices for navigation below PLUS all of the main navigational buttons are at the very bottom of this page.

IF you came here from the Gateway Arch in 2017, or have not seen that section, return there now. The photos and information It is very different from this page.

OR

If you came here from the Gateway Arch 2022 page, or have not seen that section, return there now. It is also very different from the 2009 and 2017 pages.

OR

Continue navigation in the order of occurrence in 2009 - Superman

OR

Continue Navigation in the order of your choice via the alphabetical or category buttons below

OR Click here to see travels by the year (not the best way)

Below:
The majestic Gateway Arch frames
the magnificent Old Courthouse
and ultra-modern architecture
in the vibrant city skyline.

This is not a linear site, so there are 3 choices for navigation below
PLUS all of the main navigational buttons are at the very bottom of this page.

Continue Navigation in the order of your choice
via the alphabetical or category buttons below