Since St. Louis is a river town, it is befitting to explore the city from the waters of the Mississippi River. Thankfully, there is a company affiliated with the national park service and Gateway Arch National Park that offers riverboat cruises so that guests can get a unique view of the city. The company provides a variety of cruises, such as dinner cruises and specialty cruises, though we chose to take the standard riverfront cruise. We sat at the top of the steamboat-esque boat (these days the boat uses an engine rather than paddles) right in front of the Gateway Arch. After a couple of ear-splitting whistles, we cruised slowly up the Mississippi River. A narrator provided facts about different elements of the river, city, and other sites. We sailed under several of the picturesque bridges spanning the river and saw some of the old and new industrial buildings along the river. After moving against the current for awhile, we turned around and descended the river, getting a picture perfect view of the Gateway Arch from the center of the Mississippi and the St. Louis skyline behind it. We descended the river further before turning back around and coming back to our starting point.

A riverboat cruise is an incredibly interesting way to discover St. Louis and see it from a new perspective. The cruise itself was enjoyable and fun, with the city skyline and buildings making the entire ride a great experience for all the senses. While exploring St. Louis on land is fun, we also highly recommend venturing to the river for a lovely riverboat cruise.