Kansas City: Art, Friends and Waterfront Parks

We left Arkansas for Kansas City on the border of both Missouri and Kansas. It felt weird at first to be in such a large city again, but we adjusted quickly and took advantage of all the choices and services to get an oil change for the truck and shop at a supermarket that has more vegetarian food choices. Our RV Park is in Merriam, Kansas and has a nice laundry, so I got the clothes cleaned up again. We stopped for lunch in Joplin, Missouri on the way north and had a big meal at Logan's Roadhouse. It was a nice break from driving and good food.

Russ gets ready for his meatloaf. Catfish for me.

We started our time here off right at Urban Prairie Coffee. They were connected to a board game store, which made for a nice combination. It was nice to sit it their coffee shop and enjoy a leisurely breakfast. The rest of the day was all about getting the chores done, but we did get an early dinner at the Green Room Burgers and Beer. They were playing Ghostbusters and then The Craft on their bar TV. I had forgotten how fun (and cheesy) the first Ghostbusters movie was. It was a blast to see it again, especially since we watched the ending.

Urban Prairie Coffee.

My choice was dessert for breakfast.

Russ and I split the breakfast burrito.

They were ready for Halloween.

Another place that is ready for the holiday. Note the rain.

The Green Room was a cozy neighborhood hangout.

It had great energy and a good beer selection.

Those are fried cheese curds. Better than french fries!

It was still raining the next morning, and it had been raining since we got here, but we went to the Nelson-Atkins Museum. An indoor activity is a good choice on a rainy day. They had a special exhibit of illusion photography, plus we looked at the African art, and saw a chunk of their permanent collection. I really liked the French paintings they had in the collection. We spent some time staring at the huge canvas of Monet's Waterlilies. The rain stopped after we had lunch at the museum, so we also walked outside to the sculpture garden. The Nelson-Atkins is probably most famous for their shuttlecock sculptures.

It was excellent.

Beauty on the walls and in the architecture.

The museum restaurant. Peaceful.

Our food. It was good.

The sculpture called the Walking Wall that goes all over the museum campus.

Too big to hit.

More art on the lawn.

I liked the formal gardens.

We ate breakfast at a local chain restaurant called Pegah's. I think they have four locations in the city. I love eating out for breakfast, but then, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day wherever we eat it.

Two of Russ' friends from college settled here in Kansas City, and we met them and their younger, grown son at their house for dinner. It was so great to reconnect with old friends. I am coming to believe that we need to make more connections like this when we are traveling. I loved seeing my cousins in Artesia and Russ' friends made us a delicious South Indian meal and we talked for hours.

The Merriam location.

Solid. I also enjoyed the grits. We don't see them at home.

The tree Russ' friend planted when he first bought the house. Tall now.

Palak Paneer, my favorite.

For our last full day in the city, we drove out to Platte Landing and English Landing parks on the shores of the Missouri River. The river was running full and muddy, with a good current. The day was colder and bright. We probably walked about four miles, but it seemed shorter. I learned about the 1856 wreck of the Riverboat Arabia (no casualties), that was then buried when the river changed course. Apparently, the 1988 dig recovered some of the best pre-civil war artifacts of life in the country at that time. There is a museum displaying what they found, but we didn't go to it. After our walk Russ ate some Kansas City BBQ at Q-39. We then fell into a food coma back at the R-Pod. We got up before the sun was fully down, and I managed to give Russ a haircut. We also took showers and cleaned up one last time in the nice bathhouse here at Walnut Grove RV Park.

Well marked for distance.

The Missouri River.

The park was next to the train tracks. And the trees were looking like fall.

Sunlight and water.

Russ walks the trail.

Late lunch. Russ got the brisket.

They used digital menus.

Time for a trim!

We leave tomorrow morning for Dodge City. I've enjoyed my time in the big metropolis, but I'm ready for a smaller city with fewer choices.

Pecans and the Devil's Den

We stayed one night at a Harvest Host called Paw Paw's Pecans. We bought two boxes of their fudge, one for us and one to bring back to Russ' parents house for Thanksgiving. I also got shelled pecans and some pecan oil. The orchard was lovely; they had about 6,000 trees all perfectly laid out in rows. We were there during the harvest, and Billy let me help him on the pecan sorter.

Just park between the trees.

The house is a Bed and Breakfast, too.

Sorting the harvested pecans.

The sorted product is bagged up and ready.

Delightful fudge, boxed and ready to eat.

She also sells quilts. Her sewing space looks like a store.

The guinea fowl serve as guards. They make noise at strangers.

Dinner in the R-Pod, red beans and rice in the pressure cooker.

We then drove north and east to Devil's Den State Park in the Southern Ozark range called the Boston Mountains. It was stunningly beautiful, and down in a hole surrounded by limestone hills. The forest was mature oak and hickory, with some pine. There was no cell signal in that deep hole, so we were without connection for three days. I managed to get my Spanish lesson done by using the limited WIFI at the visitors center, and we drove out of the hole on the first day, so I took care of it then. Mostly, it was nice to not worry about the outside world and just enjoy the hikes.

We did the Lee Creek Trail, the Devil's Den Trail, and the Yellow Rock Trail. All of them were great, but I think I liked the Yellow Rock Trail the best. The top section was over the wooded hilltop was magical.

Chalk Art left at our campsite.

Snoopy (again).

Primitive Campground Loop A, Site 2.

The CCC built dam and lake.

Russ and Lee Creek.

The Lee Creek Trail loop return was through the creek.

Devil's Den Trail crevice. Bats use these caves.

More Devil's Den Trail sights.

I love how the trail just goes right along the rock face.

Twin Falls. Just a trickle now, but mossy.

The start of a great hike.

We got a cell signal on top! Russ updates his social media.

The view at Yellow Rock. Trees for miles.

Trail magic.

Limestone at its exposed best.

Through the woods.

Rocks and trees in the sunlight.

We left this morning and are now in Kansas City, or Merriam, Kansas, to be more precise. It has rained all day, so hopefully the R-Pod has been cleaned up a bit. It was getting a good bug coating in the front. We stopped for one final overlook on our way out the Devil's Den. The stone building was the first thing completed by the CCC at this site.

The Yellow Rock Overlook.

The R-Pod just barely fit in the parking spaces.

I plan to make tomorrow a chores and restocking day, and I will do laundry and get some food shopping done. We have been dry camping for four nights now and could use a resupply. We are out of a lot of basics. Russ and I decided to get breakfast at a coffee shop tomorrow.