Wichita, KS to Saint Joseph, MO

Well, we were supposed to stop in Kansas City, and we did. But, it wasn't in the cards that we spend the night there as planned. Let's back track a little to Wichita. 

We stopped at the Green Acres Market to buy a few things. Everyone was extremely helpful: I was asked no less than 10 times if I needed any assistance. After that, we headed over to the Frank Lloyd Wright Allen House for our scheduled tour. And I snapped a few shots of the exterior before the tour began. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed inside. Also unfortunately, I forgot to use my polarizer on my exterior shots. (Rookie mistake, I know.) 

Rear view of the courtyard through the fence

Mom and I outside of the Allen House taken by a really nice lady from western Kansas

After touring the Allen House, we hit the road for Kansas City in hopes we'd make it to the Nelson - Atkins Museum of Art. Along the way, we passed what seemed like millions of hay bales and took quick detour to Clements Stone Arch Bridge built in 1886. The tin-sided bygone store was on the gravel road to the bridge and I couldn't help but admire its lonely stature. 

We did make it to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Bonus: they don't close until 9pm on Friday evenings and admission fees are not expected (but always appreciated)! So we meandered through many of the exhibits - where photography is allowed (shocking, I know). The pieces date from BC periods to within the past decade. Jackson Pollock to Ming Dynasty to American Indian to Renoir to Dorothea Lange. Its impeccable how the museum does such an amazing job displaying such diverse pieces. (They have a beautiful sculpture garden also.) The quilt looking piece below is called Dusasa I by El Anatsui and is made of liquor bottle tops and copper wire. The way the evening light reflected off of the piece was amazing. The piece demonstrates the importance liquor played in historic economies, particularly the slave trade. (Awkward conversations with my mother followed at dinner.) The photography exhibit, Dignity vs. Despair, featured photographs by Dorothea Lange, Graciela Iturbide, Will Connell, and Mark Klett. I was surprised at how many of the poignant photographs were donated by the Hall Family or the Hallmark Company. 

You see this squiggly line? Well its not so much a squiggly line, but a scale model of the Missouri River (1 foot = 75 miles). Maya Lin's Silver Missouri is made of recycled silver and your can check out her ethos on www.whatismissing.net.

After indulging in some culture, we checked into our hotel near the Plaza (a Posh area of KC). Deciding to walk to dinner we took an accidental detour (courtesy of the hotel staff directions). Alas, we arrived a Seasons 52 for a nice dinner (since we'd been eating car snacks since dinner the day before). After a great dinner, we walked back to the hotel... that was without power and had been for at least 45 minutes. After another 45 minutes and no power, flashlights, air conditioning, or other conveniences we come to expect when we pay for lodging, we decided to hit the road and get a little further. We called it a night in Saint Joseph, Missouri.  (No... Missouri didn't have a Welcome to Missouri sign for us to stop at while entering Missouri... Not that I would have stopped on I-35 in Friday rush hour traffic.)

• Today's Stats: 274 miles, 1 state, 0 NPS stop.
• Running Stats: 647 miles, 4 states, 1 NPS stop.