This is one monument that you don’t need a map or GPS to find! It is pretty much visible from all areas of the city.
We got here early and were about the only car on our floor of the parking structure and except for a group doing Yoga under the arch we nearly had the park grounds to ourselves while we waited for things to open.
This has got to be a pretty cool prospective, it made me a little dizzy just looking at them.
The park grounds are very nice, great walk ways, trees, shade and ponds. Everything was well groomed and clean and seemed to be popular with morning joggers and other fitness folks.
Even the squirrels were having a good time jumping up the trees.
After we had explored all of the area it was time to wait for the gates to open.
We quickly grew bored during the long wait but at least we could take several hundred “artistic arch” shots to pass the time.
I thought it was neat that you could still see the suction cup marks on almost all of the panels leftover from the arch’s construction phase.
WET PAINT!!
As we were one of the first groups up the elevator I got wet paint all down my pants and back and side from the inside of the lift! I complained to one of the rangers who let maintenance know that several passengers were getting paint on their clothes and they shut down one of the lifts. I did not bring many clothes and now these were ruined!
The head maintenance guy found me downstairs and called over the guy who did the paint. He said that he was finished with the paint an hour before opening and it should have been dry by then like they had always done. They offered to get me a new shirt from the gift shop but before that to try washing it off as it was just water soluble paint. I came out of the bathroom soaking wet but thank god the stuff came off! Even if I lost my chance to get a free t-shirt I was so relieved I didn’t have to buy new pants!
Views from up top
I’m so glad we came here. It was very fun!