Day 18 : St Louis Good for Beer, Bad for RVs

So we started the morning off with a exploring the Abe Lincoln Museum in downtown Springfield IL.  It was a very informative and well done museum.  Since this was my first Presidential Museum/Library I have been too, I did not know what to expect.  I learned quite a bit of interesting facts about Lincoln and his presidency that I did not know before.  For instance, did anyone know that when Lincoln first made the Emancipation Proclamation it did not free any slaves.  The proclamation on freed the slaves in the States that succeeded from the Union and since they had succeeded were not under the Federal government rule.  So if the Union would have lost the proclamation would have been worthless.  The three Slave states that stayed with the Union were exempt from the proclamation because they threaten Lincoln if he freed their slaves they would join the confederacy.  Ok enough of a history lesson.  After the museum we boarded the RV to head to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky.  Since the trip took us very close to St. Louis I want to do a quick stop to take pictures of the St Louis Arch.  Part of the goal of the trip was National Parks and US Landmarks.  So we headed off to St Louis.  We got their in about an hour in a half and I headed to the Gateway Arch Park and Riverfront area.  That was the beginning of what almost became a catastrophe. We followed the signs not knowing the road construction led down a one way street to a bridge that was only 8'6" tall.  No where close to tall enough for the RV.  My only option was to pull into a pay parking lot that luckily had an exit on the other side that allowed me to exit this area.  Now the challenge was to pull a 32' RV into the very tight turn into the Parking lot without hitting a parked car or Concrete posts.  To be honest I did not think it was going to be possible without damaging the RV.  The good news is we Survived and only added a little bit a yellow paint to the RV.  No major damage to the RV which was the good news and we made it out of St. Louis.  So for our RVing friends if you are in the St Louis area avoid Arch Gateway Park and the Riverfront.  Home of Budweiser but Not RV friendly!!!!!  We left St Louis pretty quickly and headed off to Kentucky.  We did manage a few pictures out the window of the St Louis Arch.  So mission accomplished.

Abe Lincoln Presidential Museum Springfield IL

Lincoln Family

John Wilkes Booth

The St Louis Arch