Kansas City, Independence, St Joseph - Lewis and Clark Caravan - Part…

Sunday, 15 May - Day 5

Today was a designated travel day, meaning the caravan relocated from Eureka, MO to Platte City, MO, about 280 miles to the west. As we have done on other caravans, we arranged to play golf enroute.

We picked Railwood Golf Club in Holts Summit, MO (just east of Jefferson City) which was along the designated caravan route. We departed before 7am (well before anyone else on the caravan) and enjoyed light traffic on back roads to the golf course.

We arrived with enough time to warm up on the range. A check of the weather showed rain starting at 2pm, which we thought was enough time for 18 holes. We were paired up with a father-daughter (Carl and Heather) who had played the course before. Very nice to play with and very helpful on tips on the course.

A check of the weather after nine holes found we had 10 minutes before it started raining. We could hear thunder in the distance, so we packed it in. And the rain started about 10 minutes after we packed up. We continued on to Platte City, MO, arriving about 2 hours earlier than if we had finished our golf round.

The caravan is staying four nights at the Basswood Country Rv Resort. At 5:30, the staff provided hot dogs, etc for dinner, we celebrated May birthdays and anniversaries, and went over the itinerary for the next three days.

Monday, 16 May - Day 6 - Kansas City

The bus picked us up at 9am and we headed for Kansas City. We picked up a step-on guide from KC Fun Tours (kcfuntours.com), trolley tour company. Not just any guide, but Trolley Tom, the founder of KC Fun Tours.

Side story - last year when this caravan was in town, they tried to arrange the city trolley tour as before. However, COVID restrictions limited them to running their trolleys at half capacity. Our Wagonmaster, being creative, inquired about them providing a step-on guide, which went so well, we had Trolley Tom again this year.

The itinerary originally included a visit to the Hallmark Visitors Center, the Hallmark corporate museum. However, it was closed for renovations, and not due to open until next month. Based on Trolley Tom's description, a revisit to Kansas City to visit the Hallmark Visitor Center in on our must-do list for a future trip.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Kansas City has lots of murals. There are well over 200 murals in the Kansas City metro, so ubiquitous that Kansas City is as much The City of Murals as they are The City of Fountains.

Buck O'Neil Mural

Kansas City Skyline

Kansas City even has their own stainless steel tree sculpture.

The National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, MO, was opened in 1926 as the Liberty Memorial. In 2004, it was designated by the United States Congress as the country's official war memorial and museum dedicated to World War I. 

World War I Memorial 

Trolley Tom shared dozens of insights about Kansas City, past and present, that we quickly realized we had underestimated the city. And there was more to see and do than one could do in a week.

Some highlight tidbits he shared included:

• Union Station in Kansas City is the second largest train station in US. After WWII, it was the busiest train station in US
• Kansas City is the city of fountains, with over 200 fountains, second only to Rome, Italy
• Missouri River is the longest river in the United States, and the fastest flowing river in the United States (he did not say whether that was before or after the Army Corps of Engineer efforts to deepen the river for riverboats)
• Kansas City has more BBQ restaurants per capita in the world

Pro Tip: Trolley tours are a great way learn the history of a city, as well as the interesting points of interest. We would highly recommend anyone visiting Kansas City to start their visit with a KC Fun Tours.

After dropping Trolley Tom off at Union Station, we were dropped off at City Market for lunch on our own. The city market was established in 1857 as an integral site for commerce, political rallies, medicine shows, circuses, balloon ascensions, and other public entertainments.

We checked out our lunch options at City Market, then selected the Old City Diner located across the street because they served breakfast all day.

After lunch, we wandered down to the nearby Town of Kansas Observation Deck, a 650-foot long bridge, constructed in 2004, that provides a bicycle and pedestrian link between the north end of Main Street and the original birthplace of the city on the banks of the Missouri River. Spanning the Town of Kansas archaeological site, two railroads and the Missouri River floodwall, the bridge serves as a critical connection between the surrounding community and the many amenities along the river.

Several placards shared the history of Kansas City.

We reassembled at the Arabia Steamboat Museum located at City Market. Simply amazing story.

From their website (www.1856.com/arabia-story):

"The Steamboat Arabia was built in West Brownsville, Pennsylvania, at the boatyard of John S. Pringle in 1853. At 171 feet long, the Arabia traveled the Missouri river and transported passengers as well as carried up to 222 tons of cargo, including tools for the frontier, merchandise for general stores and federal mail. But navigating the Mighty Missouri was a difficult and dangerous business. A variety of perils awaited the steamboat pilot as he carefully guided his craft along the river's uncertain course.

 

The most treacherous of the many hazards were fallen trees lying hidden from sight just under the river's surface. These "snags" crippled and sank hundreds of steamboats from the 1820s to the 1870s.On September 5, 1856, just outside of Kansas City, the Arabia hit one of these snags and sank in a matter of minutes. Thankfully, the 150 passengers and crew made it off the boat safely. But the 200 tons of cargo were lost to the muddy river, not to be seen again for over 130 years.

 

In the winter of 1988, local A/C and furnace repair company owner Bob Hawley, along with his sons David and Greg, learned of the Arabia's story and discovered the boat's location.Years of erosion and shifting sand left the sunken paddleboat 45 feet underground and a half-mile away from the present channel of the Missouri River. They partnered with long-time friend and customer Jerry Mackey, who operated a local fast food chain. Shortly after, the fifth and final member of the team, construction business owner David Luttrell, came on board—and, together, these five men set out to recover the Arabia's long lost cargo.

 

The four-and-a-half-month excavation resulted in the discovery of the largest collection of pre-Civil War artifacts in the world. Beautiful glass bottles illustrate the care taken in producingcontainers for ordinary contents such as liquor or ketchup. Small-mouthed bottles contain preserved fruits for pies, as well as bright green sweet pickles. (They were still edible!). These, along with buttons, beads, clothing, tools, weaponry ... all this and more was found aboard the sunken ship.

 

The treasures are housed at the Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City's River Market—a collection that reveals details of frontier life seen nowhere else. A visit to the museumis a glimpse into the past. The contents of the Arabia's cargo can fascinate a visitor for hours. Case after case, window after window, the world during 1856 comes to life in the everyday items recovered."

Tuesday, 17 May - Day 7 - Independence

The bus picked us up at 9am and we headed for Independence, MO. Independence, MO is most known as the home of President Harry Truman. The original caravan itinerary was to start the day at the Truman Presidential Library and Museum, something we were really looking forward to as last year, the Truman Library was closed for renovations. While the renovations are complete, they are not allowing visits by groups, only individuals.

So the staff arranged for a tour of the Vaile Mansion (www.vailemansion.org) instead. The mansion is normally closed on Tuesdays, but they opened up for our group.

Built by Colonel and Mrs. Harvey Vaile in 1881, it was "the most princely house and the most comfortable home in the entire west," the Kansas City Times reported in 1882. Situated on North Liberty Street, a mile north of the historic Independence Square, the three-story Gothic-like structure today sits in solitary splendor, an architectural anomaly among the surrounding Midwestern homes.

 

The 31 room mansion includes 9 marble fireplaces, spectacular painted ceilings, flushing toilets, a built-in 6,000 gallon water tank, and a 48,000 gallon wine cellar. This mansion is one of the best examples of Second Empire style architecture in the United States.

After lunch at the Black Bear Diner (pro tip - split a meal - the meal is enough to satisfy three people), we went to the National Frontier Trails Center (www.nps.gov/places/000/national-frontier-trails-museum.htm).

The National Frontier Trails Museum is the only museum in the nation devoted to the three great western routes: the Santa Fe, Oregon and California Trails. Located in Independence, MO, the principal "jumping off" point for all three trails, the museum highlights the unique features of each trail and their dramatic impact on American History. Additional exhibits focus on the explorations of Lewis and Clark, the early fur trappers and traders, and the reasons why people heeded the call to "Go West!"

Visitors can enjoy an award winning film, authentic covered wagons, trail artifacts, original diaries and letters, and an interactive exhibit allowing children to pack their wagon for the long journey west. Exhibit text includes many diary passages written by trail travelers, describing their hopes and fears, hardships and tragedies, despair and perseverance.

The historic trails passed through this area in the field that is directly across from the National Frontier Trails Museum. Evidence of the Trail can still be seen in the field in the form of swales, which marks the exact route used by emigrants as they traveled westward. A quarter mile paved path leads to these swales. Along the way, interpretive signs tell the story of what is was like to begin the long trail journey.

Our visit to the National Frontier Trails Museum gave us an idea to create a RV adventure following one of the major western routes. Last summer, we kept bumping into the Oregon Trail and Mormon Trail as we traveled through Nebraska, Wyoming and Idaho.

We had a step-on guide join us for a driving tour of Independence. Independence is also significant to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (a.k.a. Mormons) and Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We passed by the Community Of Christ Temple, headquarters of the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).

Community Of Christ Temple

We passed by the Truman home which was not open for visitors, especially groups.

Truman home

We drove by the Truman Presidential Library and Museum. As we passed, we scoped out parking options for our future visit.

Our final stop of the day was the First Presbyterian Church - the building was built in 1888. Our step-on guide was a retired associate pastor for the church.

Harry Truman attended Sunday school and met Bess Wallace here.

"About this time my parents decided that we should start attending, Sunday School. My mother took us to the nearest Protestant church, which happened to be the First Presbyterian at Lexington and Pleasant Streets, and we attended regularly every Sunday for as long, as we lived in Independence

We made a number of new acquaintances, and I became interested in one in particular. She had golden curls and has, to this day, the most beautiful blue eyes. We went to Sunday School, publie school from the fifth grade through high school, graduated in the same class, and marched down life's road topether. For me she still has the blue eyes and golden hair of yesteryear.”

 Harry S Truman

Year of Decisions, 1955

Wednesday, 18 May - Day 8 - St Joseph

Earlier start this morning loading the bus at 7:30am and headed north to St Joseph. First stop was the Pony Express Museum partially housed in the 1858 stable where the first Pony Express rider started the journey to Sacramento, CA, at 7:15pm on April, 3, 1860.

The trail was nearly 2,000 miles long and consisted of about 160 stations spaced about 9 to 15 miles apart.  For $5 you could mail a letter, up to 1/2 ounce, from St Joseph to Sacramento in about 10 days. Alternatives at the time, took a year or more. In about 18 months, the service was shuttered as the telegraph replaced it.

According to our guide, the service was never intended to be profitable - it was conceived as a means to get cargo hauling contracts.

Our next stop was the Patee House Museum. Being only three blocks away, some of us elected to walk and were rewarded with seeing this mural on the side of a nearby building.

The Hotel Patee House was constructed in 1856 and was equipped with the latest technology, including hot and cold running water and a lavish interior. 

During the Civil War, it was commandeered by the Union Army. Courts martial were held in the Grand Ballroom. 

The Patee House is an extensive museum on St Joseph - from restored hotel rooms to one of the original steam engines used in St Joseph to car and an operating carousel. So much, you could only skim the exhibits in the hour and a half we were there. For the kids, there was a treasure hunt game where many of the exhibits has one artifact that was out of place - it was fun to try and spot it. Like the plastic toy Walmart shopping cart high up on a shelf in a room full,of period artifacts.

Behind the Patee House was the home Jesse James lived in when he was murdered.

We next visited the St Joseph Wyeth-Tootle Museum housed in a mansion constructed by the Wyeths. The Wythes and the Tootles were in the mercantile business and made their fortune selling good to the weather ward bound settlers as they came through St Joseph on their way west. Like many mansions of the period, ostentatious even in its own time, and a maintenance nightmare in the present day to maintain it and restore it.

After lunch at Bandannas, a chain of BBQ restaurants (great food!), our guide did a skit about women in St Joseph. Well done, and her jokes were hilarious.

Our final stop was the Stetson Hat Factory Outlet. Most of our group trudged in to see what the fuss was about. Only Jodee bought a new hat. Her husband Jack bartered that she had to get rid of an existing hat (they full-time in a truck camper) which she agreed to before telling him to open his wallet over at the counter. Maybe some of the skit jokes rubbed off?