Never got around to posting about the last few days of the trip. A combination of busyness and laziness, methinks.

A few highlights:

Finally going up into the Arch. Though I wasn’t too excited at first, it was pretty damn neat. As Allan commented on a recent entry, the mode of transport was like something out of a Stanley Kubrick film. Five people are jammed into this little egg-shaped pod. Your knees are pressed against some stranger’s, and the metal pod is ungodly hot as it traverses the Arch. You get out at the top and step into a narrow walkway lined with window slits and crowded with a hundred or so people. There you can stare down at the mortals below and take pictures. Then you reenter the pods and travel back down. If you ever find yourself in St. Louis, I recommend visiting the Arch. It’s worth it.

Visiting the Meremac Caverns. This was nothing like I was expecting, and not in the good way either. I assumed you’d go to the caverns and explore some carefully selected areas on your own, with the occasional guide interspersed throughout. This assumption was incorrect, thus reinforcing the whole “when you assume. . .” axiom. Instead you gather into a hundred-plus group and are led by two guides on a merry hour-and-a-half journey into the dark depths of outer-St. Louis. Old people, people in wheelchairs, people with small children are nothing but a hindrance on the tour. If it was, say, ten people per group, the tour would only be thirty, maybe forty minutes long. All of the people I just mentioned should be lumped into their own group — called the Deadites, ’cause I wished several times that the ones in my tour group were dead. The Caverns themselves were fairly interesting, but between my mom getting antsy and my annoyance with my fellow man, their impact was lessened.

“Standing on the Shores of Hell” or “Going to Six Flags.” I like roller coasters, I like the heat — I do not like the two together. ‘Nuff said.

We took pictures while we were gone, a rarity for my family. Once I go get the camera from Lindsey I’ll be sure to post some of the more interesting ones (like the pods) in a future entry.

Finally, I’d just like to add that I’m glad to be home. This vacation wasn’t very long, but it was just right. I’ve got lots to keep me busy — like visiting COSI and getting hammered — till I go back to work on Monday.

I’m going to go get something to eat now, as I have eaten anything since around 12:30. I’ve been meaning to, but stuff just kept coming up. You know how it is.

JAB