I took today Niharika to the Arch early in the morning to beat the heat.
It is quite impressive to be close... of course only from a distance will the entire Arch fit into the picture :-)
From above thru tinny windows just a little larger than an airplane's windows one can see the city of Saint Louis, on one side, and the plains and Mississippi river on the other side.
The famous Busch Stadium - rebuilt brand new last year - can be seen as well.
The little cabins are like small space capsules with five little chairs, the system is on chains and cable. Pretty impressive and beautiful construction!
Here some facts (from the official web site):The Arch is the tallest national monument in the United States at 630 feet; it is the city's best known landmark and a popular tourist attraction.
Construction began February 12, 1963 and the last section of the Arch was put into place on October 28, 1965.
The Arch is a structure known as a catenary curve, the shape a free-hanging chain takes when held at both ends, and considered the most structurally-sound arch shape. The span of the Arch legs at ground level is 630 feet, the same as its height.
The Arch weighs 17,246 tons. Nine hundred tons of stainless steel was used to build the Arch, more than any other project in history.
The Arch was built at a cost of $13 million. The transportation system was built at a cost of $3,500,000.
The Arch sways a maximum of 18" (9" each way) in a 150 mph wind. The usual sway is 1/2".