Springfield IL to St Louis

Published on 1 August 2024 at 05:48

Based on the fact we have over planned, I forced the family team to be up early for a 0830 launch to hit Target and get supplies. Ella decided now was a good opportunity to start clothes shopping so as you would expect relations were slightly fractious! We eventually got on the road and headed to the Abraham Lincoln historic sites in town - you may have seen Clarkson and his trio venture into the Lincoln home - we didn't but we did but the America The Beautiful Pass and a fridge magnet!

Springfield Illinois is all about how great Abraham Lincoln is/was and how great America is... and am happy to admit that my impression they have no history is almost incorrect. I mean, we are not talking Henry VIII or the Reformation, or maybe the Battle of the Roses, but America loves its history and I quite admire that.

On the road again, we headed on to see our first Giant - a staple image of Route 66. At the Sugar Creek Covered Bridge we got talking to a family that live nearby - a beautiful peaceful part of the world that any of us would be happy to live in.

Having just been through another General Election at home, I am interested how Americans see the forthcoming election here - this family were defiant anti Trump! There seems to be no middle ground about the people we talked to about it so far. They are either pro-Harris or Trump ... pretty sure in the UK there were many who were undecided right up to making the ballot paper (I know I was). It seems from the short poll we have undertaken that Harris will prevail and we are saved from another Trump era - we shall see though.

A quick stop at Soulsby Service Station for the obligatory photo and then Henry's Rabbit Ranch was next - a bit disappointing to say the least and maybe because I had not done enough research on this stop! However, The Pink Elephant Mall was rather cool - am pretty sure the Trump effigy is a bit of a piss take!

Then, as we had bitten off too much again, we legged it to St Louis as we had tickets booked not only for the Arch but for the big Baseball game that night. A quick stop at the Illinois side of the Chain of Rocks Bridge (as it is a bit sketchy on the Missouri side allegedly) before we arrived at the Dury Plaza at the Arch. Now this baseball game tonight is similar in status to a Liverpool v Man Utd football match - so our hotel being only 5 mins from the baseball park was prime accommodation, The queues were horrendous but my tickets for the Arch took primacy so we snarled up downtown St Louis until we were able to check in! A quick change and we were at the Arch, 30 minutes late - but I can do patter when I need to - flashing the RN ID Card and giving some spiel about being late because duty, seems to work - we were ushered through and joined the queue for the North Tram, with some people being held back! Not ashamed - no sir!

Now, the Arch is high. The Tram is highly packed and people are only allowed ten minutes at the top to grab some photos. And it sways. And it is definitely claustrophobic. Lynn hated it but the staff were amazing - I fear we may have gone backwards in the therapy! However the views are spectacular! Well worth it.

Lastly tonight was the baseball - an event only America can put on! By chance it was a military appreciation night so free gifts for all those with Military ID Cards - obviously I managed to obtain these for us - namely a traditional St Louis Cardinals Baseball Jersey - quite cool I think. The game goes on for hours though - interspersed with adverts and crazy side shows - but at one point America's Allies were remembered so we did get a significant cheer! No idea who won - the rules and scoring are slightly odd - and sadly we never caught a ball nor did we appear on the kiss cam!

Dury Plaza at the Arch is a firm 8.3/10 - mainly because the staff recognised us as British and went above and beyond for us, despite the pandemonium going on in reception.

Oh, and despite being military, the cost for food & drink at the baseball is highly extortionate - a hotdog each, some nachos, some fries, chicken strips and a few beers came to well over $100!!! Worth it though!