Good early morning outside Limon, Colorado! I love how each squiggle has a near identical shape; light is such a wonder. The first day of our trip had the longest drive, so we arose at 4:00 in hopes of arriving in Kansas City by the early afternoon.

Sunrise over the clouds!

Breakfast in Hays, Kansas, carefully observed by the neighborhood Mississippi Kite. A first sighting for us!

West Plaza, our Kansas City neighborhood, had a robot mural and Donutology, who had goodness of every stripe and a treat for our favorite four-legger! Walk up and enjoy. There was also Nature’s Own, a fab grocery, where I spied someone who looked an awful lot like one of our favorite produce guys at New Seasons in Portland. And whaddya know, it WAS him. We shared a laugh and an it’s a small world moment before learning he left Portland the same year we did. Good to see you, David!

Kansas City, as you well know, is shared by two states, and West Plaza lies just over the very fluid border. Here I am, taking full advantage on State Line Road, feet firmly planted in Kansas AND Missouri! Just up the road lies the launching point for both the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails. How cool is that?!

Kansas City has a wealth of fabulous murals!

Country Club Plaza is a dazzle of Spanish Inspired architecture, with many a great shop, including Made in KC, where we bought t-shirts, hats, Reunion Rye Whiskey, BBQ sauce, even honey. Such fun!

My faithful companions and I enjoyed a crotch-pot cooking hot stroll about the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park. Westerners accustomed to the high desert, we expected some mid-west discomfort in Missouri, but there was a heat wave, and 97 degrees with 65% humidity was, even for locals, a LOT. This gives you a hint at my anxiety about traveling in a tornado prone place. August is traditionally the quietest month for them. Thank the maker for air conditioning, yessir.

The Art Course, high class putt-putt in and amongst the sculptures! We did not partake (no pups allowed), but it sure looked fun.

Judith Shea, Storage

World War I Memorial – it is a stunner.

Tall, very tall.

Downtown Kansas City is quite good looking.

Our get up and go before the dog dies of heat stroke walk along Brush Creek was quite pretty. Actually, the whole city is lovely. We didn’t expect it to be so much so, to be honest – tree and flower filled and oh so hilly. Dang America, you really are ALL THAT.

Greg gets up close and personal at the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures. I just about lost my marbles when I learned such an institution exists. I mean seriously, the two together!! Oh, and speaking of marbles, they have their own exhibit there. Of course they do.

Just one of the fabulous rooms and my personal favorite because architecture, peeps, architecture. The artistry is simply amazing. Every manner of miniature was on display, including animals, Native American Arts, paintings, dolls, fully electrified chandeliers, and chests of drawers as big as my thumb. Truly awe inspiring!

And now, for more adult pursuits. Our time in fabulous Kansas City over, we headed east, with a stop in Hermann, Missouri. There are scads of wineries, but we chose Hermannhof to visit before enjoying a very German lunch at the Wurst House. Fun people, yummy wine, delicious food.

Goodbye Hermann! Off to St. Louis….