Day 7, travelling across the USA and guess what? You got it, another early start! However, this time it wasn’t a plane it was a 5 hour train from Chicago to St. Louis.
Morning
Our train was leaving from Union Station at 7:15am. There was no way I was getting away with using public transport. We had to order an Uber instead.
The Uber arrived on time, and off we went to Union Station. Apart from Nicola, the driver thought she was in the car and drove off! He only got a metre or two down the road before he realised his error. (Megan was gutted!)
Union Station is some place. I love main stations in the USA they are spectacular with their iconic grand halls and walkways.
Boarding was pretty straightforward, but for some reason, everyone queued to get on at the first door on what was a very long train. We walked on past and had our choice of seats at the opposite end of the train.
Trains in the USA are comfortable, clean, have food/drink for sale, and decent Wifi. I always enjoy a train journey in the States, watching the world go by and seeing wee towns and villages you wouldn’t even know existed.
The journey ran smoothly, apart from minor delays due to freight trains passing.
Afternoon
We arrived in a hot and humid St. Louis a bit late. This delay put a bit of pressure on time for our afternoon plans.
We rushed out to our hotel at the airport. After a quick check in, we grabbed a bite from Bandanas Bar-B-Q next door, which was beautiful and well needed.
Then we rushed back into the city to our next port of call, St. Louis Arch.
I am afraid of heights. However, I have always wanted to go up the Arch. We joined the queue and waited to get in the lift to go up to the top. I felt nervous and excited at the same time. Then the ******** behind me started talking to us. He went on to tell us the lift was forever breaking down. The last time it broke down for 2 hours. “All you have to do is tap the side. It will stop dead!” At this point, I apologised to Nicola and Megan and went and stood in the museum area until they came back down.
It was a huge regret, but I knew it was the right move at the time. Cheers to that guy for ruining a bucket list moment for me! Although the 1st thing Megan said was that I wouldn’t have enjoyed it. Which did ease my annoyance a bit.
Evening
Still a bit grumpy we headed to Busch Stadium for this evening’s entertainment.
Crowds and excitement were building around Busch Stadium as people made their way to the Cardinals – Cincinnati Reds game.
Megan and I were starting to struggle in the sun and were on the hunt for water and sun cream. That was the strange thing about St. Louis we couldn’t find a convenience store anywhere. We were used to 7Elevens and CVS’s being on every corner, but not here.
It got to the stage we had to try the Cardinals club shop for sun cream, which they did have, but was expensive. The minute we bought the cream and opened it, we spotted many sun cream machines dispensing free cream around the stadium – doh!
We made our way up to our seats in the top tier. Of course, we had the ones in the roaring sun. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for the sun to drop.
Tonight it was military night, so during the national anthem, there was a fly past by a fighter jet. Not something you would see at a football game in the UK!
We enjoyed the game, and after being told the atmosphere was going to be terrible, I was pleasantly surprised. As usual, we wandered around the stadium and took in different views as the evening went on.
After the game, our journey back to the hotel was pretty easy. We walked out of the stadium and onto the train to the airport.
Today I was starting to struggle with the heat. I hope it isn’t a sign of things to come!
Thanks for taking the time to read about us travelling across the USA.
The Lewis family.
