We had one free weekend before Sarah's wedding on June 20th. Eric decided that we should take a family trip.... So, we headed northeast for a few days.
Thursday, June 4th
Our first stop was in Topeka. We walked around the state capitol lawn and went inside for a self-guided tour. We arrived too late in the day (after 3:30 pm) to get a guided tour or a dome tour.
Next, we headed for Kansas City. We really had no plan whatsoever, just some ideas of what we all might like to do over the next few days... I drove us to downtown KC first. We located Union Station, Crown Center, and the FIFA Fan Fest areas. We had no hotel/motel reservations and were just winging it, hoping to find something in the area.... This is so frustrating and memorable when we do this.... Yes, we have done it before in other cities, and it has always worked out, but with a little arguing and huffing. While making a U-Turn in a parking lot in downtown KC while looking for a hotel, I managed to run up on a big curb. The kids thought it was funny and took a picture of the curb. Eric did not think it was funny and decided immediately that we needed to switch drivers. There was no damage to my car, thank goodness. About an hour and a half later, we did find a hotel to stay in for the next three nights. It was located just next to the Royals and Chiefs stadiums and was nice, and decently priced (the Lotus). (Silas had actually suggested this hotel the first time we drove past it about a half hour into our search, but I had been like, "NO LOTUS!", to Silas at that point in the search...then about an hour later Eric said just go into the LOTUS and see what it is like/priced. Who would've thought that the HOTEL LOTUS would be the one? I guess Silas did!) Later night after checking into our hotel, we found a nearby Taco Bell and picked up some dinner to eat back in our hotel room.
**Link to the Hotel Lotus website - https://www.lotuskcmo.com/
Friday, June 5th
After breakfast at our hotel, we started our day at the Harry Truman Library in Independence, MO. (I have to pause here to tell you, that while growing up, every summer my siblings and I got to spend a few days to a week with our Aunt Judy and Uncle Ernie who lived in KC and Independence. They had a giant antique store in an old lumber yard building in Independence, MO called Adventure Antiques. They traveled overseas to England and Europe to buy these beautiful antiques, had them shipped back to the USA, and sold them in their big store. Aunt Judy always had lots of places lined up to take us. Lots of adventures, lots of learning, and lots of fun. I have told Eric and our kids many stories of these adventures and I was excited to see some of the places again and share some of the places with them too.)
**Link to the Truman Library website - https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/
Eric - "The truth is all I want for history."
Stacee - "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
Sarah - "You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog."
Phoebe - "Not all readers become leaders. But all leaders must be readers."
Silas - "Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day."
We ate lunch that day at the Courthouse Exchange in Independence Square.
**Link to the Courthouse Exchange website - THE COURTHOUSE EXCHANGE - https://www.courthouseexchange.com/
After lunch we wandered around Independence Square for a little while. We saw this old church, the Trinity Episcopal Church, and we went into a little thrift store. (Phoebe loves thrift stores!)
Then, we made our way to Ernie and Judy's last home that they lived in, in Independence, MO. We pulled in the driveway so we could briefly take a look.
Next, we drove to where their antique store was located in Independence. The building looked very run-down, and a little sketchy. There was a sign outside saying it was now a thrift store. Eric asked if we wanted to go in.... I was hesitant because I really wanted to remember it the way it was and I was nervous of what we were going to find inside.... the kids all wanted to go in.... so we went in. It was packed full of JUNK. Mostly complete JUNK. I got super sad because I remembered how great it had been and all the fun memories I had of that place with my family. Some tears slipped out of my eyes as I tried to picture it the way it had been as I stood among the chaos of what I was surrounded with now. I walked a little way in and turned a corner, as I heard Sarah exclaim from behind me, "You walked right past this!" I turned to look as her as she held up a piece of Torquay Pottery, a rosy sunset sugar pot. WHAT in the world???!!!??? Torquay Pottery was one of Aunt Judy's favorite things! She collected and owned thousands of pieces of Torquay and had gotten me started collecting as well. Then I really couldn't control my eyes and they went a little crazy watering for about 10 seconds. What a tremendous, little sign to me that day... Then Sarah found two more pieces of Torquay in that building. Unbelievable! I found one pot, but I was unsure if it was actually Torquay or not. The bottom of the pot was unmarked, so I bought it anyway.
**Link to the North American Torquay Pottery Society (NATS) website - Torquay Pottery – The North American Torquay Society
**Link to Torquay Pottery Collectors Society (TPCS) website - https://torquaypottery.info/
Later that day we went to a couple antique shops, a waterfall walk around a large pond, the Bass Pro Shop, Mardel's, Hobby Lobby, a very large Ross store
We ate dinner at Smokehouse BBQ that night. Eric liked it, but the rest of us wouldn't pick it again.
**Link to Smokehouse BBQ website - https://www.smokehousebbq.com/
Saturday, June 6th
After breakfast Saturday morning, we headed over to the Strawberry Festival at the Vaile Mansion in Independence, MO. We weren't sure what to expect, but there wasn't much to do with strawberries. There were venders selling crafts and other miscellaneous things, a long line for paid tours of the mansion, some dance performances by some little girls, an old fire engine, an extra-long line to buy some strawberry themed food items, and an EXTRA-LARGE CROWD of people growing by the minute. We walked around the mansion grounds one time and then walked several blocks back to our car to head to our next destination...downtown KC.
**Link to the Vaile Mansion website - https://www.vailemansion.org/
We made a quick stop to fill up with gas. Eric always tries to make us laugh by dancing and doing funny things while he cleans the windows on the vehicle.
Downtown KC was all abuzz getting ready for FIFA and FIFA Fan Fest. We parked in a parking garage across from Crown Center and began walking and looking all around.
At the Hallmark Visitors Center we took the self-guided tour, made bows on the bow-making machine, decorated pennants, and posed for pictures next to some fun displays. We skipped Kaleidoscope at the Hallmark Visitors Center because it is really for younger children, but I would say "DO IT" if you are there with your younger children. It was something that Aunt Judy had taken Matt, Lindsee, and I to as little kids and we all have good memories of it.
**Link to the Hallmark Visitors Center's website - Hallmark Visitors Center | Hallmark Corporate Information
**Link to Hallmark Kaleidoscope's website - https://hallmarkkaleidoscope.com/
**Link to Crown Center's website - Things to Do in KC | Kansas City Attractions and Shopping | Crown Center
We ate lunch at the famous Fritz's. Everyone should eat here once. The food wasn't anything to write home about, but it was fun to order food over a phone and then have it delivered by an overhead train.
**Link to Fritz's website - Fritz's Railroad Restaurant – Established 1954
Outside we saw lots of FIFA things.
We walked to Union Station and looked around there for a while.
**Link to Union Station Kansas City website - Kansas City's Visual Voice | Union Station Kansas City
After walking around Union Station, we rode the KC Streetcar (the streetcar is free to ride) to the City Market. At the City Market we toured the Steamboat Arabia exbibit. This was another fascinating place that Aunt Judy had taken my siblings and I to many years ago. Phoebe entertained some of us there by posing next to various pictures and displays. (She is so funny!)
**Link to the KC Streetcar website - https://kcstreetcar.org/route/
**Link to the Steamboat Arabia website - A Historic Kansas City Attraction | The Arabia Steamboat Museum
We ate dinner that night at another place that Aunt Judy had taken us when we were little... WINSTEAD"S! The food here was good, but the best thing was the SKYSCRAPER for dessert! We shared the Skyscraper Shake. It was delicious!
**Link to Winstead's website - https://winsteadssteakburger.com/
After dinner we went back to our hotel and watched a new family movie together that none of us had seen yet, Disney's Hoppers. It was a funny movie.
Sunday, June 7th
Sunday morning after breakfast we stopped by the International House of Prayer to check it out. It was a place that Eric had heard about over twenty years ago from a volunteer while in Lansing. This IHOP is open 24/7 for people to come into to pray, worship, and hear sermons throughout the day.
**Link to the International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOP) website - https://www.ihopkc.org/
We stopped for lunch and a quick visit with EP, Lindsee, and Will. We ate at a family favorite restaurant, for what might be the last time. The House of Ma is rumored to be closing its doors for good this year. The House of Ma was of my mom's all-time favorite restaurants, so Lindsee and I wanted to eat there together a final time. It was just as good as it always was.
