It's time to see the GRANDS, and -oh yes, the adult children too! Departing from Otsego on Wednesday, May 30; we hit St. Louis shortly after noon, just in time to have a bite at the well-reviewed "Twisted Ranch"--over 30 types of ranch dressing, served with every item on the menu! FUN! (Except for Bill not loving driving in city traffic, and slightly messing with his back vent due to a low hanging branch!😞)
Stopped at a very disappointing campground when we "hit the wall"--so won't even mention the name! Suffice it to say that Missouri does have some less than stellar campground owners. Onward to Independence on Thursday, and very impressed with both the Harry Truman Library and Home!
5 STARS! I didn't remember that Truman was a Baptist democrat (so interesting!)--and I loved learning about the issues he was passionate about: wanting Healthcare for all Americans (pre-courser to Medicare), and feeling strongly that the USA could not continue to be isolationists like they became after WWI, so he bit the bullet and gave aid to Europe to re-build after WWII --knowing we needed to keep those Allies. The Oak Grove KOA just outside Kansas City was FANTASTIC with a salt water pool, slightly pricey for our budget---but after 2 sweltering days, we produced the cash so we could use the air conditioner!
Friday found us traveling through Kansas....how many grain bins and solar windmills can we exclaim over???? Looks like lots of farmers also selling mineral rights to oil companies ---lots of drilling. We read about a City Park in Ellis, Kansas that offered electric hook-up and showers for $20 a nite. All's we needed to do was put our check in the box! We biked the city, ate at the one local diner, stopped at two churches to look at the old curved pews, and the stained glass. Fun ride. Up early the next morning, we found a local diner in a neighboring town. Enjoyed great conversations with the locals as we ate the BEST pancakes and biscuits--OUTSTANDING. On to NICODEMUS, KS--on Route 24. This was an all black community founded in 1877 by freed slaves after the Civil War who were looking for better opportunities than the Southern reconstructionists were "selling". Interesting and enlightening to again hear about the hard times that our country went through. Praying for racial understanding and healing still. Best campground so far was Shady Grove in Siebert, CO. Small but immaculately kept up by a young couple transplanted from CA! SWEET! A walk around the "ghost" town made us very sad for these small communities that are dying -- locals say that the kids who graduate move out, as there are not enough jobs to keep them. A slice of Americana that we saw firsthand.
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