St. Louis celebrates 'America's Biggest Birthday Party' as it unveils Museum of Westward Expansion at the Gateway Arch

On July 3, the Museum of the Westward Expansion at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis officially opens, offering interactive exhibits showcasing the city's history and the country's westward expansion. The museum includes full-scale models of traditional French colonial log cabins and a replica of the 1852 Mississippi levee, among others.

The museum grand opening and ribbon cutting begin at 10 a.m., followed by a grand opening celebration at the North Gateway.

Then, in celebration of the nation's birthday on Wednesday, there will be "America's Biggest Birthday Party" July 4, 6 and 7 with musical acts such as Martina McBride and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, a parade and nightly fireworks.

The landmark Arch has seen lots of new updates, including a greenway allowing better foot traffic from downtown St. Louis to the river's edge and six miles of trails. The cramped but exciting ride up the 630-foot Arch remains and is a must-see for any visitor to St. Louis.

Need a place to stay? The closest hotel to the Gateway Arch is the Hyatt Regency St. Louis, which also received a renovation.

Weird, Wacky and Wild South blog is written by travel and food writer Chere Dastugue Coen. Part of this blog post contained information obtained by a press release from Hyatt Regency St. Louis.

Checking in with Lewis and Clark

            The Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch in St. Louis wants to offer more than comfortable rooms and convention space. The modern hotel housed in an historic building once used as a fur auction, includes an indoor pool and hot tub on the top floor overlooking the famous Arch and all kinds of free amenities, from Wifi and long distance to full hot breakfasts and overindulgent snacks and cocktails at 5:30 p.m.

     The hotel also comes with a history lesson. In the lobby is a recreation of the Lewis and Clark Exposition, which departed May 1804 from St. Louis to explore a route to the Pacific coast. The group included Captain Meriwether Lewis, Second Lt. William Clark, a Shoshone Indian named Sacagawea and and her husband Toussaint Charbonneau. The dog depicted in the lobby exhibit is Lewis' dog, Seaman, who was once stolen by Indians while the group traveled along the route. Although we're not sure who the rabbit is.

            The Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch is centrally located in downtown St. Louis with Busch Stadium only two blocks away and the arch just around the corner. Other attractions are within a good walk or a short cab drive.

            Just so you know, St. Louis was not named for Meriwether Lewis (note the spelling differences) but for French King Louis XIV.