Day 11 -- KC Pit Stop

Today has been a very relaxing day, because we haven’t done any traveling, just hung out in KC. We actually exercised this morning in the hotel’s exercise roon, and I learned how out of shape I am from a week on the road.

We then went to the “Museums at 18th & Vine.” That is the former hub of the African-American community of Kansas City, and the home of the American Museum of Jazz and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, both fascinating. Apparently, Kansas City is important in the history of jazz, and this museun highlights the jazz greats who either grew up in the city (Charlie Parker), or ones who came through on their way to fame & fortune (Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald.). There were exhibits on the different facets of jazz (melody, harmony, rhythm), none of which I understood, or had fully appreciated. We had to share the museum with a 4th grade field trip. I guess summer’s really over!
Kansas City is famous for its barbecue, and we went to lunch at a KC institution, Arthur Bryants. We feasted on ribs, BBQ beef, and the best baked beans we’ve ever tasted. Although there seemed to be a lot of tourists, there were many locals also, and it seemed really genuine. This road-trip is really proving to be not so healthy!

We then went to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. This documents the period before blacks were welcome in the major leagues, so were forced to form their own teams & leagues. The leagues died in about 1950, a casualty of (at last), integration in the majors, thanks to Jackie Robinson. Many major stars, such as Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Ernie Banks got their starts in these leagues, and the major team was the Kansas City Monarchs. The tragedy was the GREAT players who never got to play in the majors such as Josh Gibson, who hit 800 home runs,, and died at 35. As a baseball fan, and a lover of history, it was very interesting for me.

One of the things on our life to-do lists is to visit every major league ball park. Tonight took a step towards that goal by going to Kauffman stadium to see the Royals play the Tigers. We rooted for the Royals, and they won! It is a beautiful ballpark, recently renovated and very cozy. The Royals aren’t a very good team, so this late in the season is was easy to get great seats at very little cost. We ate ballpark food (hot dogs). This is a disaster for diets!


Tomorrow, we are going to the Truman Library, and then off to Springfield, Ill. Chicago and Lucy are getting closer!

• Out of State License Plates Yet to be Seen (easier): 8 -- Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Vermont - None seen today
• Days till we see Lucy: 2
• Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 9
• Days till we see Paige and our amazing English son-in-law* : 25

*[ed note -- let's just say this addition was not my idea... however there was a strong suggestion that if this edit were not made, Paige may not get on the plane to Boston in 25 days...]