Happy Father's Day to all our Grand Western Tour dads! The students must have been super eager for a day of adventure since most were at the bus, ready to go ahead of schedule. Or maybe they were just anxious to see their first day of assigned seats on the bus?
Either way, we traveled through the southern hills of Indiana, stopping off in O'Fallon, Illinois to grab a quick bite and some Target shopping. The students enjoyed choosing from a variety of places including Noodle & Company, Qdoba, Chinese food and more. As the Holiday Tours bus approached St. Louis, the kids were enthusiastic about the day to come, especially as the Gateway Arch peeked out over trees and buildings.
Our first activity was a relaxing cruise to discover the best view of the St. Louis skyline aboard the replica nineteenth-century paddle-wheel riverboat, named the Tom Sawyer.
From there we experienced the highlight of the day, The Gateway Arch! This 630-foot monument is the world's tallest arch and the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere.
They learned all about how the arch was constructed by viewing an informative film. After this, the students formed groups of five and waited patiently for the tram cars to take them to the top. When the small, bubble like "cars" opened their doors, the students were able to see a panoramic view of the city.
We carefully, but quickly, walked a few blocks to the amazing Spaghetti Factory where kids devoured salad, bread, alfredo, spaghetti and spumoni, a special Italian ice cream, for dessert.
The meal was well earned as we put in a lot of steps today. Laughter and smiles have been seen from each and every one of the 52 students. New friendships are forming and the amazing memories have only just begun!
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