Day 3: The Gateway Arch & Anheuser-Busch — The Oregon Trail Journal

A big sightseeing day in St. Louis. We started with a trip on the metro — blue line — to Gateway Arch National Park. The helpful security guard told us to get off at the first stop so we could walk through the park. A great mix of old and new.

Walking through the park toward the Arch

The Gateway Arch

The Arch sits at the edge of the Mississippi River and commemorates Lewis and Clark’s expedition and all the discoveries they made. We watched a film about how it was built — not a single man was lost in the construction.

Lewis and Clark statue at the Gateway Arch

Val and Keith with the Gateway Arch behind them

The Museum

Inside the museum we found decades of St. Louis and migration history — including a wagon and the supplies settlers would bring on their journeys. A sign pointed out that supplies were more plentiful and more affordable in St. Louis compared to Independence, which was the main provisioning point for most wagon trains.

Pioneer wagon and supply display at the Arch museum

Settler supply list at the Gateway Arch museum

These lists don't even include food, clothes, or wagon repair supplies. Our Airstream was 120 lbs over weight, so Keith has been moving things to the truck bed.

The Old Courthouse: Dred Scott

There was a lot of history in the Old Courthouse. Enslaved people were auctioned on the courthouse steps. A full room is dedicated to the story of Dred Scott and his wife Harriet — their long fight to purchase their freedom and the obstacles they faced at every turn.

Freedom Denied — the Dred Scott exhibit at the Old Courthouse

Anheuser-Busch Tour

After wandering the Arch site, we Ubered to Anheuser-Busch for a tipple and a tour.

The Clydesdale Stables

We started in the stables — but what stables. The Clydesdales here are retired and kept so visitors can see them up close. Their stalls have stained glass windows. Each horse has a custom-fitted bridle that weighs about 40 pounds.

Budweiser Clydesdale in its stained glass stall

And yes — they have a chandelier in the stable. It weighs 650 pounds.

650-pound chandelier hanging in the Clydesdale stables

The Brewery

From the stables we learned about the brewing process and the beechwood that’s added to Budweiser and Bud Light. So many beautiful historic buildings, and much of the interior is original.

Original interior of the historic brewery

More Anheuser-Busch historic architecture

With all the automation, it takes only 2–4 workers to manage the entire bottling process.

At the end of the tour, everyone got a bottle of Michelob Ultra — one of Keith’s favorites — and a taste of one of the six flavors on tap.

Cheers — Michelob Ultra at the end of the Anheuser-Busch tour

Cheers to a good day!