Coming over the hill on I-70, it was quite a site ...

Coming over the hill on I-70, it was quite a site to behold. It seemed larger in the distance than we imagined, but we kept getting closer and closer and it kept getting higher and higher in the sky.
Such a unique monument, it was impressive to see along the river. Unfortunately there was a lot of construction going on so we didn't get the experience we hoped. We couldn't walk all around it, and it opens surprisingly late in the morning, we didn't get a chance to go up as we were just passing through and had to be going by 10:00 am on Saturday. We hope to visit again after the construction is all finished up.
It was still worth stopping to see, walking under it makes you feel pretty insignificant under this towering beauty. The location along the river adds to the aura that you feel standing beside it. A fun place to just sit and watch the river go by, the boats as they pass beside along, and the people like myself, necks arched to look up at this shining testament to westward expansion.
We arrived at roughly 8:00 am on a Saturday morning with a pickup and small trailer. We managed to find parking less than a block away and there were several small shops open in the area for breakfast, but the gift shops were not open.
If going on the weekend, getting there early seems like a good idea to find parking, but plan to stay a little longer and enjoy more as I hope to do next time.