Going to Kansas City

On a cold and windy April morning my wife, Kathy, and I left home for our first extended road trip in four years. Way back in 2018 we had taken a trip to Detroit, but since then we have been homebound due to family issues and, of course, the pandemic. But all of that was behind us and we planned to leave the 30-degree weather behind us too.

The day was typical of the type of spring we had experienced Wisconsin. The normal temperature for late April is around sixty, but it was a rare day that was that warm. As we drove toward Madison, I kept an eye on the car's outside temperature gauge to note any improvement.

There had been none when we stopped for a morning snack at a place called Icki Sticki. It is right on US Highway 151 in Verona, a little town southwest of Madison. There were only a few mid-morning customers, and we were able to quickly order a breakfast sandwich for Kathy and oatmeal for me along with two coffees. It was a perfect first stop to get our road trip started. 

A good breakfast stop in Verona

Our destination was Des Moines, IA, but when my wife, the navigato,r noticed that we would be passing within a few miles of Galena, IL, we took a detour. Galena is an old mining town just across the Illinois border from both Iowa and Wisconsin. It is picturesque and the main street has been turned into a haven for little shops and restaurants. For history buffs, the town boasts of being the birthplace of Civil War general and United States President Ulysses S. Grant.

We did not have any plans to see the sights in Des Moines, but we did take a ride through the excellent Iowa State Fairgrounds. I had been there for the BMW National Motorcycle Rally in 2018 and was so impressed I wanted Kathy to see it. Our Wisconsin State Fair site in Milwaukee does not compare well to Iowa's. 

Our first stop the next morning was St. Joseph, Missouri, home of the Pony Express Museum. The city is very proud of its Pony Express connection, with restaurants and motels trading on the name. The history of the Pony Express is short but fascinating. The men who negotiated the contracts with the government and then built the infrastructure to support the Pony Express are interesting characters in and of themselves. Lasting only 18 months, from April, 1860 to October, 1861, the stories of the riders are well-documented in the museum. Ranging in age from 11 to 45, they experienced all types of weather and even attacks by Indians. The implementation of the telegraph system spelled the end of the Pony Express. This museum is not all that well-known, but is a good stop for people interested in the settlement of the American West. 

Looks easy for this rider

We got back on the road and went across the Missouri River to Kansas in order to reach our next stop. In 1995 I was at Fort Leavenworth for a couple of weeks, attending an Army officer school. The post has a rich history and I have always wanted to go back and soak it in. It was late afternoon when we arrived, and there was a lot of traffic as workers were heading off post and home. The building we were housed in is now a hotel managed by IHG. The front desk had a helpful map of the more interesting sites on the post and an audio component to support it. As we drove and walked around, a lot of memories came back. We took and few pictures, stopped at the Post Exchange, and then continued south to Kansas City. 

A great day to be a soldier

I was a little apprehensive about driving into Kansas City in the late afternoon, but there was not much traffic. As usual, I made one wrong turn when I got into town, but it was an easy fix. Our hotel was downtown, and after a few nervous moments we found that we were in a great location. The young lady at the front desk had some good restaurant recommendations, and after a little rest we went out for dinner. 

We ate at a place called the Yard House and enjoyed some good burgers. The best part of the evening was discovering the electric trolley running up and down Main Street. It is a free service and stops at all of the main attractions. We used it a few times during our visit. 

The next morning, we visited the National World War I Museum and Memorial. Built in 1926, Congress did not designate it as an official United States facility until 2004. We spent several hours there and learned a lot about the war and our country's role in it. The Memorial Tower was closed due to rain when we arrived but had opened by the time we were ready to leave. This museum is not to be missed by those interested in our country's history. In light of recent events, it is an even more interesting stop.

Atop the WWI Memorial Tower

Any visitor to Kansas City knows that the city is known for two things: barbecue and jazz music. We had worked up an appetite at the museum and after retrieving our Camry we were on our way to the iconic Arthur Bryant's Barbecue. This is one of those places with pictures on the walls marking visits from presidents and celebrities. Food is served cafeteria style and portions are generous. Kathy chose a pulled pork sandwich, and I went with the classic brisket version. Both were delicious. 

Kansas City's Iconic Barbecue Restaurant

As a longtime baseball fan, our next stop was the Negro Baseball League Museum. While a lot of the focus regarding Black baseball players is on Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, and the other players who integrated the Major Leagues, the history of the Negro Leagues is quite interesting. This museum highlights the players and people behind the scenes who made these leagues popular. The games were often as well attended as the games played by White players and the brand of baseball was at least as good if not better. The museum contains many items of memorabilia and videos that bring the stories to life. 

Negro Baseball League and American Jazz Museum

The American Jazz Museum is in the same building as the Negro League Museum, and we went there next. Kansas City has a rich jazz history and the museum plays that up well. Eighteenth Street and Vine was the center of the jazz scene in the twentieth century, and that is right where the museum is located. There are a lot of hands-on activities and samples of the music produced by all of the jazz greats. The Blue Room is also part of the museum and hosts jazz music. It is a quiet little bar and we stayed around for the Friday evening show. The musicians and vocalist were excellent and it topped off a wonderful day of museum hopping.

Harry Truman Presidential Library and Museum

We had one more day in Kansas City area and we spent it east of the city in Independence. Most of you can guess what brought us to Independence, the home of our 33rd President, Harry S. Truman. The Truman Library and Museum was dedicated in 1957 and was the first presidential library opened under the 1955 Presidential Libraries Act. The library itself is undergoing a renovation, but the museum was open. It is, as you would imagine, an extremely detailed and footnoted examination of the life of Truman. For me the most interesting part was that describing his first months as president and his actions at the end of the Second World War. Following Franklin Roosevelt in any circumstances would have been challenging, but to follow him as a wartime president was intimidating. How well Truman handled his responsibilities can be argued, but the facts are laid out for all to see in his museum. 

The next day we began our journey home. We took the long way, which included a stop in Northfield, MN, to visit family. From there we drove into Red Wing, as I wanted to get some Red Wing shoes. The sales lady was very helpful and I walked out with some new chukka boots. 

Red Wing Factory Store

The big boot inside the store is a photo op that cannot be passed up. 

The weather had not changed much since we left a few days earlier, so we did not stop much as we rode through Wisconsin's Driftless Region. We saw a lot of well kept small farms, neat little towns and villages, and lots of Amish people. Kathy has always wanted to take the Merrimac Ferry across the Wisconsin River, so we took that opportunity before going home.

Wisconsin River Ferry

After a four-year travel hiatus, this was an excellent vacation and entry back into the travel life. Driving home on the four-lane home, we reveled in the freedom we felt over the past few days and began to make tentative plans for our next adventure.