Days 3-6 (Katie)

with the Puffins at the St. Louis Zoo

on top of the Arch

The last day of Branson we shopped for souvenirs and rode roller coasters for the last time. We checked out of our hotel and we were about ready to leave when I got a call from the hotel saying that the maid had found something in our room. Something plaid. Now, I don’t own anything plaid so I already knew it was Brandon’s. We drove all the way back to the hotel and picked up his shorts and then headed to my Grandma’s house. It was a fun 3 hour drive since I had something to make fun of him for. We decided to eat at a Subway so we took out our fantastic GPS and let it take us to the middle of hickville nowhere where it said there was a Subway but instead stood a very old Shell gas station with no Subway. Not only was there no Subway in the Shell gas station, there was no Subway in the entire town. Brandon and I took a deep breath and turned to the fantastic GPS again and let it take us to farmtown USA to find different one. This time, there was one. Did you know that you can get your sandwich on flatbread? It was amazing! We got to my Grandma’s house and after a she cooked us a good meal, I played volleyball with my 2 older sisters and one of my cousins. It was a lot of fun getting back out on a volleyball court to play instead of coach. To celebrate the win, Brandon and I got Fritz frozen custard, which is the best frozen custard in Missouri. Brandon has asked to go back every night since we went. The next day we slept in and chilled out at my Grandma’s house for the day. I learned how to cook fried rice so now I can definitely eat well once Caitlin and I move into our apartment.

Friday, Brandon and I went to the zoo and absolutely loved it. If it hadn’t been so hot we probably would have stayed longer. It was 99 degrees and about 95% humidity. I think the word for that is hell. However, the zoo here is free and we parked on the street so we didn’t have to pay the $11 to park. The only thing we spent money on was a 3D simulator that was really fun. They had a baby camel, which was about the cutest thing I’ve seen. The hippos were very lively and we got to see them swim around and watch fish clean their teeth. The fish were funny because all the little kids swore the hippos were eating them. They had 2 lions and one was in a tree! I think our favorite exhibit was the penguins and puffins. They have an outdoor part and an indoor part. They do a feeding show outdoors where we saw penguins sneaking into the fish bucket behind the zookeeper’s back. Then we went inside where it’s about 35 degrees. It felt awesome after walking around in the Missouri heat. The penguins are so close to you that they swim by the glass and splash you. There is a lot of history in and around the zoo. There is a bird building that was built originally for the World’s Fair. There is also a pavilion outside the zoo not to far away that was also built for the World’s Fair and, oh yeah, my sister got married there! We spent a total of 3 and a half hours at the zoo until we left and went to my sister’s house. Big news by the way…I’m going to be an aunt!

We had a big family game night, stayed up late, and told funny stories. Then Brandon and I woke up the next day and went to the Gateway Arch. It took us a while to even find a parking garage near the Arch because our fantastic GPS wanted us to drive on a road that is now covered in water because the river levels are so high. We finally made it after a very long, repetitive drive around the same 5 blocks. After a very long wait, a picture with Glenn Beck, and a shaky cart ride, we made it to the top. It was a clear day and we could see really far. A couple facts about the Arch I learned: The Arch is the tallest national monument in the US at 630 feet. It took a little over 2 years to build, weighs 17,246 tons, and cost $13 million. The transportation system cost $3.5 million. The maximum sway is 18 inches (9 inches each way) in a 150 mph wind. The usual sway is about ½ an inch. There are 142 sections that make up the Arch and each one is an equilateral triangle.

Our suggestions: For the zoo, get there early (8 am) and park on the street so you don’t have to pay for parking and bring water. Also, check the weather. It’s free so if it looks like the heat might kill you, go another day.

For the Arch, buy tickets ahead of time. There is an Internet fee but it’s worth it. We spent a half our in line to buy tickets and another 2 hours waiting for our tram time. Granted, we got to see Glenn Beck, but I would have much rather not sat around for 2 hours. Also, see if there’s a ball game that day. The Cardinals’ stadium is only a couple blocks away and you can get tickets for a decent price.

We only have Grant’s Farm and Six Flags left but we’re having a blast! We’re excited to get back to mountains and dry air, but we’re having a lot of fun. However, if our GPS screws up another drive we’re going to throw it in the Missouri River.

-Katie and Brandon