Missouri Mania

Where is your ideal Labor Day destination? Is it Manhattan, Kansas? Perhaps you've booked your hotel room and used up all of the gas at a roadside Conoco! If so, you win! You beat us. That's right, our attempts at another hotel room with a bedside jacuzzi (or any hotel room) were dashed because of Labor Day travelers. Likewise, we attempted to pump gas at a station completely devoid of the oh-so-necessary fuel! Good thing we had enough gas and Kate just remembered she knows someone in Lawrence, KS!

So, after Kate thinking we were in Kansas during most of our drive through Missouri, we arrived in Kansas City (Missouri). It was pretty, especially the lightning in the backdrop. Big ole raindrops were not so welcoming however. Afraid my car would stall out or I would hydroplane in standing water, we pulled over 10 minutes away from meeting our college friend at our destination: Eden Valley. Finally the rain subsided and we met our friend and my juggling grandfather (the person who taught the person who taught me how to juggle!), Greg! I hadn't seen him in at least 5 years!

Sadly we will miss the Kansas City site that my Grandpa suggested: Subtropolis. It was closed for Labor Day weekend, which makes sense because, although it's completely underground, it is an industrial hub! Next time I pass through this area I also want to visit the Insect Zoo in Manhattan, KS. Perhaps I'll even splurge on a guided tour!


Only one more state to go!

Kentucky Kindness

Day three began with a futile attempt at finding the Purple People Bridge crossing the Ohio River from Cincinnati, OH into Kentucky. After driving in circles for 45 minutes throughout Cincinnati, we drove across a different bridge. It was neat, though sadly, the bridge was not purple.

Once on the open highway, I immediately decided that I liked Kentucky more than Ohio. It had many more trees, was less flat, and it had a 70 MPH speed limit that people did not abuse to an extreme! In fact, it felt like traffic went slower than on highways with a 65 MPH limit. Speaking of highways and driving... I found another trucker friend! We traveled for an hour, maybe more, passing each other out when the need arose. He honked. I waved. It was a special relationship. In fact, he was driving a Kenworth and it might just have been the "Kenworth of my dreams..."

Without needing to drive for too many hours on end today, Kate and I were willing to do a bit of exploring. You can imagine how pleased we were when we saw the sign for the "Kentucky Bourbon Trail" The "spirits" led us to the Jim Beam distillery, right off the highway! Pulling in, Kate commented that the establishment looked like the mining operation in Zorro. The visitor's center and outbuildings were lovely, however. We didn't have time for a tour (Nashville traffic at rush hour? I don't think so...), but an employee personally introduced us to two bourbons: Booker's and Red Stag.

Booker Noe, sixth generation distiller, eternally enjoying his bourbon

We hit Nashville well before rush hour and searched in vain for a nearby battlefield. Thus, the saga continues...