Missouri and Kansas

October 7-10, 2016 – Days 48-51

Missouri and Kansas

The Westward Travels continue: Leaving Cincinnati, onto St Louis, MO - crossing the Ohio River we started a multi-state trek of Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois. Quite a few miles and even more tense moments!  The afternoon was greeted with more TIRE TRAUMA!  Stopping for a fuel-up Mike discovered that the left fender of the tow-dolly was crunched up – shaving the tire to look like a racing slick. Why the tire had not gone flat is a mystery along with how did the fender take such a beating? We guess it may have happened earlier in the day when we had to ride several miles on a very rough rumble strip in a construction zone. Luckily with the help of a tire guy from Loves Truck Tires Shop, Mike was able to put the trailer spare on after beating the fender away from the tire. Down the road we continued hoping for better tire karma.

Ohio River

Saturday we made our way to Kansas City Missouri – good weather, good roads, good tires! We drove into Independence MO and visited the Harry Truman Library – interesting review of presidential history. We enjoyed a very good mid-western dinner of pork-loin (chicken fried), with mashed potatoes and green beans – accompanied by Harry’s Manhattan.

Harry Truman, Independence, MO

The next morning we took a very interesting and informative 90-minute tour of Kansas City that started and ended at KC’s Iconic Union Station (2^nd in size only to NYC).  The city is much bigger than we realized, filled with a variety of different architecture, museums, music/art areas, World War 1 Memorial, parks/fountains and green ways, shopping districts, variety of sports venues and lots of good looking eating establishments. We completed the day with an amazing BBQ meal at a famous Jack Stacks Restaurant. One always hears that Kansas City has good barbeque and this was some of the best!! Ate until we thought we might explode, enjoying every finger licking moment. Good manhattans also!

Union Station, Kansas City, MO

Royals Stadium

Crossed the Mighty Mo – Missouri River, the last time on this trip and heading into Kansas. Our 1^st stop for the day was in Overland Park – we made a quick stop at the Union Horse Distillery to purchase some of the Kansas Distilled Bourbon – mmmmm! The office staff was quite amused that we would come from Oregon for their booze – 5 of the workers brought us our bottles.  Next on the itinerary was a stop in Abilene, KS, where we got some more presidential history visiting the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library. Made a lot of sense seeing Truman and Ike in close order and re-learning about the politics and life of the time. Kansas has received the Wraight Award for the best highways on this North American Safari. Smooth 98% of the I-70, with very few construction zones. Way to go Kansas!  The scenery was quite prairie like – with some wind turbines and oil wells mixed in for good measure. Mike did have to battle some brisk winds – the last few hours of the day’s drive.

good Rye

Eisenhower Memorial, Abilene, Kansas

so true today! and from both parties!!