The trip ended wonderfully.  The very last sight of the entire summer was a fabulous one!  The National Park Service runs the Gateway Arch, which is officially called the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.  It was a wonderful way to sum up my trip.  Remember that I started out the summer by going into downtown D.C. and seeing the monuments.  It really gave me purpose in looking forward to seeing the rest of the United States.  Well, the Gateway Arch is a memorial to the westward expansion of the United States.  It truly summed up the entire trip for me ... and gave me lots to think about on the rest of the way home, too.  The National Park Service really is a class act.  The Arch itself is wonderful, and you can see it for miles.  At the bottom of the Arch is an underground complex with a gift shop, a country store, a museum, and two movie theaters.  I chose to watch one of the movies that was about the Westward expansion of the country, and was fascinating.  I highly recommend making this a stop (allow several hours) on your way west (or back east, as the case may be).

By the way, you'll see that I had a very difficult time fitting the whole arch in the picture except when I was in my car!  :-)
 

The next two pictures are of the Old Courthouse in St. Louis.  This is where Dred Scott had his first two trials.
	(Taken from the top of the Arch.)
(Taken from the top of the Arch.)	(Taken from the top of the Arch.  This is the Mississippi River.)
	And, finally, the Arch, of course, is located along the Mississippi River ... where you can find lovely dixie land music and steamboat rides.