Days 4-6 - Visiting KC and the Austin's

On Friday, we drove from St. Louis to Independence and saw Truman's home there (see previous post). Later in the afternoon we arrived at Shane's step-brother's home in Independence, where we are staying three nights. On Friday night they took us to Ophelia's Restaurant in Independence for a delicious meal. I had grilled salmon with risotto and roasted Brussel sprouts. Shane had a crazy thick pork chop.

Enjoying dinner at Ophelia's with the Austin's. I had a Truman old fashioned... yum!

After dinner, Trent and Laurie took us to downtown Kansas City to a couple of jazz clubs. It was a great evening!

 Upon our arrival at the Austin home, we found somebody had already taken up residence in our bed.






The next day, Trent had to work and Laurie took us out touring. We went to the Liberty Memorial Tower, which is part of the World War I Museum in Kansas City. The weather was not too cold and the sky was cloudless. 

The Liberty Memorial Tower rises 217 feet above the main courtyard and 268 feet above the North Lawn. The cylindrical tower is 36 feet in diameter at its base, tapering to 28 feet at the top. Guests can take an elevator followed by 45 stairs to the open-air observation deck for a breathtaking view of the Kansas City skyline. At night, a Flame of Inspiration, created by steam and lighting effects, is emitted from the top of the tower and can be seen from miles away. The monument received designation as a National Historic Landmark in 2006 and recognition from Congress as a national memorial in 2014.

Mark, Shane and Laurie at the base of the Liberty Tower with KC in the background.

Laurie points out a landmark to Shane on top of the tower.

View of Kansas City from atop the Liberty Memorial Tower

The Scout is a famous statue by Cyrus E. Dallin in Kansas City, Missouri. It is more than 10 feet tall, and depicts a Sioux Indian on horseback surveying the landscape. The Scout was conceived by Dallin in 1910, and exhibited at the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, where it won a gold medal. On its way back east, the statue was installed on a temporary basis in Penn Valley Park. The statue proved so popular that $15,000 in nickels and dimes was raised to purchase it through a campaign called "The Kids of Kansas City." The statue was dedicated in 1922 as a permanent memorial to local Indian tribes. It is currently located east of Southwest Trafficway in Penn Valley Park, which is south of downtown Kansas City.

Laugh-O-Gram Studio at 1127 E. 31st St. in Kansas City. 

We then did a drive-by of this building, which was home to The Walt Disney Co. founder Walt Disney from 1921 to 1923 and is widely considered to be the birthplace of Mickey Mouse.

 We also took a quick drive-by of another house where Walt Disney used to live. Here is an interesting article about what it is like living there.

Cuddling with Miles, one of Trent and Laurie's dogs.

Bix

In the afternoon, we did some antiquing in Kansas City and later went home for a bit of a snooze.

For dinner, we went out for Indian at a restaurant called Taj Mahal in KC, which was also delicious! Shane and I have not had Indian food in more than a year, since we moved out of NYC. It was a treat!

After dinner, we checked out The Piano Room, which was nearby... It was a fast no. You'd think a club called the Piano Room would have an actual piano, but no. What it did have was a keyboard and a very strong odor best described as a mix of smoke, mildew and mold. We did not stay. We moved on to another club, but the music was super loud and it was super crowded. We stayed for one drink, but then headed to a third club, which was very nice. The jazz was more mellow and Trent was friends with several of the musicians. Unfortunately, we got there only about 20 minutes before the end of the show. It was good while it lasted.

We went back to the house and sang around the piano a Laurie played. It was another great evening.

Sunday night, Trent will be performing with Michael Feinstein in Kansas City, which we get to attend. Trent plays the trumpet. We are taking it easy today and we're looking forward to the concert tonight. Tomorrow we will be traveling to Dodge City, Kansas