Group Tour

Spring 2013 • GroupTour.com
22
GREAT lAkEs
The Gateway Arch, built in the 1960s, overlooks
the Mississippi River at the St. Louis skyline.
Go west, young man.
Nearly 150 years after author Horace
Greeley dispatched his sage advice, it still
holds merit.
There’s an undeniable allure about
hitching up the coach (or motorcoach)
and heading west of the Mississippi River.
Long before the fi rst bolt was tightened
on Gateway Arch, St. Louis became
the Gateway to the West.
As the only major settlement on the
Mississippi River outside of New Orleans
in the mid-18th century, the town started
as a French fur trading post in 1764.
From its beginnings, the city’s population
comprised a mix of people —
French, Spanish, Creole, Native American,
free African descendants and slaves
— all of whom contributed to the growth
of the area.
In 1804, St. Louis was the starting
By Amanda Black
Photo: Gateway Arch Riverfront
Dred Scott and his wife Harriett brought their case
for freedom to St. Louis’ courthouse.
The Museum of Westward Expansion
includes a sculpture of
President Thomas Jefferson.
Gateway to the West
Arching about St. Louis
point for the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Sent out by President Thomas Jefferson,
the duo and their team were charged
with exploring the lands of the Louisiana
Purchase. The crew, dubbed the Corps
of Discovery, took two years to explore
the vast territory between the Mississippi
River and the Pacifi c Ocean.
Two centuries later, St. Louis remains
a starting point for adventures. Many of
the city’s top attractions are clustered
near the Mississippi River in a district
called the Gateway Arch Riverfront.
The district refl ects a partnership
between the National Park Service, Jefferson
National Parks Association and
Metro Transit. It is home to the Jefferson
National Expansion Memorial, which
encompasses the Gateway Arch and other
interesting places to explore on and off
the Mississippi River.
“The Jefferson National Expansion
Photos: Gateway
Arch Riverfront