Kansas City, Here I Come...

Well, Independence, Missouri, actually.  We drove exactly 150 miles north from Carthage to a site in the Campus RV Park in downtown Independence.  The park is within walking distance of Independence Square, and Old Town Independence, as well as a short drive to President Harry S Truman's Library and Museum.  We're planning to visit the library tomorrow if the #%*&!% Federal Government will actually do something productive and pass a reasonable funding proposal without all the *^&$@@! politics.  Sorry, I got carried away for a minute, there.  What a bunch of morons!  So if the budget thing is not passed, the library will not be open due to a lack of funding for the National Park Service, which runs the various presidential libraries.

When we slipped into the rv park, we saw this spire in the distance:

Independence is the world headquarters of the Community of Christ, a restorationist segment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon).  The center is open to the public, and we might take the tour if the Presidential Library is closed tomorrow.  The entire area that we are staying in appears to be the grounds for the church, as there are large grass areas as well as buildings that seem to be the infrastructure for the church. There are huge parking lots scattered about also.  The entire complex covers some 3-4 large city blocks.

We had time this afternoon to take a short drive around the historical area of Independence.  There are a number of museums in old town, most having to do with the cowtown days of the late 1800's, and one museum that is dedicated to westward expansion, because Independence Square was the departure point for thousands of pioneers in the mid 1800's.  We visited the National Frontier Trails Museum late in the day, so we didn't complete seeing the exhibits.  We may go back tomorrow, because the emphasis here is on the Oregon Trail and the Santa Fe Trail, with information on the Donner Pass route to California as well. The Donner Pass route over the Sierras is very near to our home, and we have visited the historical sites several times, so that will be interesting.

We cruised the beautiful historical district and saw this perfect example of the restored homes in the area:

On the way back to the rv, we saw this street sign. Say that name three times real fast!

I must say that Donna and I have remarked several times on the excellent roads, both Interstate and secondary, that Missouri has.  As usual for most of the mid-west cities that we've been in, the street signs are very small or nonexistent, but here in Independence the signs almost seem to be oversize.  Great for us oldsters with shakey eyes!