Search results for

On this episode of “View From AFAR,” Brad Dean, President and CEO of Explore St. Louis, discusses why he chose the Gateway City over offers from New York and Chicago and how America’s heartland is ready for a renaissance.

Just North of Moab, UT Arches National Park is a gem with over 2000 natural stone arches. The most popular hike is the three mile trail to Delicate Arch. It’s a fairly straight forward hike and it is uphill most of the way to the arch, but otherwise it’s an easy hike. The arch is amazing especially around sunset when the rock seems to glow a bright orange. There are also great views of the surrounding area from the Delicate Arch. There is a $10 entry fee for vehicles driving in, or $5 per person for walk-ins, bikes, etc. Both are good for 7 days. Campgrounds can book up during busy periods so plan in advance. Moab has plenty of shops to gear up, buy food and supplies, or join a guided trip mountain biking, rafting, climbing, off-roading, and a variety of other activities. Moab is also close enough, and has plenty of places to stay in case camping is not your cup of tea.

It’s really fun to visit a place that has such rich travel-related history. National Geographic magazine, who photographed the area using Kodachrome film for a 1949 photo-spread, hence its name. This is Grosvenor Arch, named after the former president of the National Geographic Society. You can camp in the little park and hike all around the arch and several rock formations...and see eagle’s nests, which are pretty cool!

Near the wharf along upper Bay Street, a distinctive, street-level arcade connects several historic stone buildings, which once functioned as arrowroot warehouses. For centuries, these rows of Georgian stone arches and second-floor overhangs have sheltered Kingstown’s workers, walkers, and vendors from the hot sun and occasional shower—hence Kingstown’s nickname, the “City of Arches.”

The unofficial symbol of St. Louis, the Gateway Arch is the tallest man-made monument in the United States, rising 630 feet into the air. It sits at the center of Gateway Arch National Park, which was established in 1935 to commemorate Thomas Jefferson’s vision of a transcontinental America. In 2018, the park emerged from a five-year, $380 million renovation, which added a grassy pedestrian walkway over the interstate as well as a revamped museum with new exhibits about the construction of the arch and how the expansion of the United States affected Native American communities. Tour the new sites, then take the four-minute, vertigo-inducing tram to the top of the arch, where you can see up to 30 miles east and west on a clear day.

Following the American Civil War, Falls Church has been home to the predominantly African-American Tinner Hill neighborhood. Named for Joseph and Mary Tinner, who owned a portion of the land as well as the granite quarry, they went on to become prominent civil rights activists fighting against segregation. In 1999, the Arch was erected memorializing the site where in 1915, Tinner established the first rural branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (N.C.A.A.P.) in the United States.

This former railroad bridge, built across the Mississippi River in the 1880s, is now a pedestrian and bike path perfect for strolling between parks. With panoramic views of the downtown skyline, river, and St. Anthony Falls, Stone Arch Bridge is a favorite trail for locals.

It’s a sad fact that many swaths of Johannesburg aren’t exactly walkable, but that’s not the case at Melrose Arch, a trendy complex filled with some of the city’s hottest restaurants, galleries, and shops. Guests are in the heart of the action if they book a stay at the African Pride Melrose Arch Hotel, a slick property with 118 stylish, contemporary rooms adorned with modern African art. And now that the hotel falls under the Marriott family umbrella, guests can expect all sorts of perks and upgrades associated with the brand.

The best-known of the gates along the walls that ring Zadar is the Land Gate, once the main entrance to the city. If you only have time to see one of the gates—the Sea Gate, the Bridge Gate, and St. Rocco’s Gate are also popular—this is the one. Located by the Foša harbor with views of the water, it was built by the Venetian architect Michele Sanmicheli in 1543 and features a huge triumphal arch and two side arches, all decorated with images of Zadar’s patron saint, Chrysogonus. The winged lion of St. Mark hovering over the central arch is a reminder of Venice’s long rule over Zadar.

In 2010, the striking 1,640-foot-long Im Viadukt opened beneath century-old stone railway arches with 50 vendors. Its namesake Restaurant Viadukt, located a few arches over from the Markthalle, combines a youth job training program with a modern menu with dishes like veal meatloaf with morel jus. On warm evenings, there’s outdoor seating that overlooks the Josefwiese park. Photo © Toshimi Ogasawara, Zürich.

Travel through a short tunnel, and across the dam wall of the Hartebeespoort Dam to get to the main town of Hartebeespoort. As you get through the tunnel, pull off on the side in the designated parking area and take a walk around the dam wall and see some of the old architecture of arches adorning the wall. Keep a look out for the lightposts emblazoned with lion heads on the side.

Architecture fiends should make a lunch date at Café Grosch. Located on historic site Bankplassen, the building dates from 1828 and was originally used as – you guessed it – a bank. The café’s namesake was architect Christian Grosch, and even the tables and chairs in the café are designed by architects and designers. The arched ceilings and antique red brick floor gives this place a distinctive Scandinavian feel, and the menu complements the ambience nicely.

While most of the shops located under the arcades of Via XX Settembre are chains (like Zara, H&M, etc), you can find a few local boutique gems as well - and the covered area makes a perfect afternoon for shopping out of the rain! (You can also find quite a few coffee shops and focaccerias under these arches too, so it’s easy to make a full afternoon here.)

Strolling down the Limmatquai is an obvious choice for most visitors to Zurich. But just across the Limmat, on its left bank, lies an even more charming path lined with cobblestones and a covered passageway with arches that overlook the river. Artisan workshops and quaint stores can be found, including Lederladen for beautiful, hand-cut and sewn leather bags and Susanna Rüttimann Kiepenheuer for whimsical sculptures.

Although the new Guthrie Theater was only completed in 2006, it has a rich history in the resident-theater movement of the 1960s. Architect Jean Nouvel created this stunning masterpiece that is worth visiting even if not attending a show, although attending one would be ideal. The space has three, differently sized theaters, and the “Endless Bridge” lobby extension leads to panoramic views of the Mississippi River, Stone Arch Bridge, and St. Anthony Falls.