Interesting Background on Missouri’s Gateway Arch

One of the most amazing tourist’s sights that has to be seen to fully appreciate is the Gateway Arch in St. Louis Missouri.  At 630 feet high it is the tallest monument in the United States.  The Washington Monument, though quite impressive is only 555 feet in height.  Equally a great sight to enjoy, the San Jacinto Monument in Texas doesn’t quite match it either at only 570 feet.

 

Gateway arch and reflecting pool in St. Louis,...

Image via Wikipedia

In 1947 St. Louis held a design competition to see whose design would be selected and built. 147 applicants entered the competition. The winner was Eero Saarinen an American/Finnish architect who had won some acclaim for his ability to successfully vary his style when the project demanded it.

Hannskarl Bandel was the structural engineer who took Saarinen’s design and made changes that were necessary so that the design could actually be built.  Bandel is recognized as the one who altered the inverted catenary shape so that it would work once actually built. Saarinen attempted to achieve a certain “soaring” effect that made the design appear slightly stretched. Bandel  took the chain Saarinen had been using, went away and returned several days later having constructed the exact curve to the arc the architect had been after.

The structure began on February 12, 1963 and took two years to complete, finishing in October of 1965.  The completed structure was as wide as it was tall at 630 feet becoming the tallest structure to hold people in Missouri.  Bandel had added weight to the first 300 feet of the structure placing over 25,000 tons of concrete into the arch’s foundation. This shifted the center of gravity down making the structure much more stable than it otherwise would have been.  But in the end he had brought into physical being the elegant and impressive design dreamed up by Saarinen, and creating one of the marvels in Western World.

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Go Where it’s Warm

Mirror Lake Autumn
Image by Lutz-R. Frank via Flickr

The autumn wind is beginning to blow a little bit colder. Just like with every season, the first few days are just like the previous season. But this is almost a tease, as if Mother Nature is just telling us, “Oh, it won’t be so bad this year.” Just remember how bitterly cold winter got last year, and you’ll know not to trust these cruel jokes. While you may be comfortable in shorts in November, you may also still be wearing more layers than you can count in May. Sometimes it snows on the Indy 500, after all. But what can you do, right? You can try some Caribbean holidays!

It’s interesting that the Earth is on an axis. When the summer is waning in the Northern Hemisphere, the spring is just peeling away the winter’s frost in the Southern Hemisphere. The great part is, the Caribbean is pretty much always warm. So you never have to worry about those annoying “seasons” getting in the way of having a good time. You can surf, swim and Sun yourself for as long as you want to stay. Or at least for as long as you get to stay, before reality finally drags you back to having to trudge around wearing five layers.

Nothing’s perfect, but the Sun and sand of the Caribbean are pretty close. And since the October and November months are off peak, you might be able to snag a pretty good deal on your vacation. If you have the chance to get something great at a great price, what’s stopping you? Caribbean holidays are the kind of thing you can enjoy at any time of the year, not just when you have to change clothes on the plane to keep from burning up or turning into a popsicle when you get off. Would it really hurt to pretend the summer isn’t gone yet?

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Istanbul Nightlife

Istanbul, the capital of Turkey, also offers a fabulous nightlife. Many of the clubs in the city are even accessible without money because there is no cover fee to enter. Dogzstar, for example, in Beyoklu, is a smooth club where you can feel homey and dance and drink comfortably. Then there is the Nu Club where you can get modern Turkish cuisine and beautiful panoramic views of the city. No cover charge here either. Then there’s the street in Sultanahmet, which is lined with places to eat, places to drink, and places to dance. The street is called Akbiyik Caddesi, and it’s also known as the “Avenue of the White Moustache.” Close by is the Square of the White Moustache, and other bizarrely-named streets, like “Street of the Bush Beard,” “Street of the Sweating Whiskers,” “Street of the Shame-Faced,” just to name a few. It seems unclear where these names come from, but the street offers plenty of nightlife opportunities for all.

Then there is the Erenler Cay Bahseci. This place offers a bit of an alternative for the nightlife. Many of the clubs in Istanbul are pretty expensive, so you can go to this place, which is located near Istanbul University. The place is a great place to go to smoke hookah. Plenty of people young and old come here to smoke. The hookah is a favorite thing to do in Turkey and in the Middle East and offers a truly authentic Turkish experience.

Another experience that is unique to Turkey is belly dancing shows, a popular art form in the Mediterranean area. You could go to Galata Tower to see the belly dancing show. And a bite to eat. Or there is theNevizade Sokak which is a an area popular because of its outdoor areas. There are plenty of small taverns and bars on this street with lots of places to sit outside and listen to music, eat, and drink. Istanbul’s nightlife is endless.

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Markets and Museums: Free in IstanbulMarkets and Museums: Free in Istanbul

Istanbul, Turkey (formerly Constantinople) is full of history and full of things to do. And not only are there things to do in Istanbul, but there are plenty of things to do for free. Two things that you can do for free are go to markets and go to museums.

First off, you can see museums in Istanbul for free. No charge! The Istanbul Modern art museum is formerly a warehouse, and it is free admission every Thursday. Or there is the Museum of Energy which educates you about the history of electricity. You can find this museum in the Santralistanbul culture complex. At this museum you can participate in many interactive educational activities that have to do with electricity. Fun for the whole family! Then there is the Museum of Painting and Culture. Famous Turkish artists’ works are housed here. The museum has free admission during the day from 10 am to 4:30 pm. That is the case except when it is closed, which is on Sundays and Mondays. Plan your trip accordingly.

Museums are not the only things to see for free in the city of Istanbul. There is in Istanbul a variety of flea markets and shops. You can go to the open-air market in the suburb of Ortakoy. Another market is the spice market called Spice Bazaar where you can find a variety of spices and other things as well like dried fruits or nuts. Then there is the Kapali Carsi, which is the largest covered market in the entire country. And remember, we’re talking about Turkey, so this is saying a lot. Here you can find lots of supposedly authentic Turkish goods, such as the famed Turkish rugs, handmade pottery, and more. There are also many antiques available for purchase here. But it doesn’t cost anything to just walk around. And before you go, practice bargaining’here and at other markets you will need to negotiate with the sellers about the prices and if you’re interested in paying less, be prepared to drive the bargain down the line unflinchingly.

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