Who was Samuel Langhorne Clemens? It has been noted that he was one of the greatest American humorists. Of course, there are many who upon hearing that name, are left with a puzzled gaze. When the name Mark Twain is mentioned, then they immediately picture the white suit and gray haired author. Still others, who […]
A Man Of Many Names – Who Was Mark Twain? Read More »
Our style of travel can certainly make a body weary. Since many of our trips are designed to gather as much research as possible, we can find ourselves worn out by the end of each day. Fortunately, there is always a place nearby to lay our heads. In Marysville, Kansas we had planned an action-packed
Feeling At Home In Marysville – Trailhead Suites Read More »
Smoke hung heavy around the Oliver Anderson home. Bullet holes pockmarked the brick walls of the house. This early battle of the Civil War had been sparked by the seizure of money by Federal troops. Now they found themselves outnumbered and in short supply of a most important resource. The battle was entering its third
Hemp Bales And Bluffs – Battle Of Lexington, Missouri Read More »
With a trail of dust in their wake, Pony Express riders sped across the prairie on their journey toward California. After leaving St. Joseph, they would find a fresh horse waiting for them about every ten miles. A quick stop allowed them to trade mounts and in a flash, they were back on the route.
Pony Express Barn Museum – Rest For The Weary Read More »
To be successful in the restaurant business requires a high level of commitment. It helps when you have your priorities clearly determined. Franco Cupini is a man who is dedicated to friends, family, and food. His love for the restaurant business shines through when you see him working at his Westport eatery, Cupini’s. Franco was
Cupini’s – Friends, Family, and Food Read More »
Imagine life 100 years after the United States had won its independence. The year is 1876 and things are changing rapidly in America. Alexander Graham Bell has just invented the telephone. Heinz Ketchup and Budweiser beer make their debut. Here in Kansas, Wyatt Earp is hired to work in Dodge City. The Pony Express had
Koester House Museum – Capturing A Moment In Time Read More »
What draws you to a new restaurant? Over the past three years we have written articles for around 50 restaurants in the Kansas City metro. When you add in all of the other cities that number jumps to nearly 200 articles. Prior to starting this website, I hosted a restaurant blog that featured many more.
Funny Names And Flavorful Food – The Shack Read More »
One of our favorite parts of exploring new destinations is sampling the local cuisine options. When we roll into a new city, we like to keep our eyes open to dining choices that are loved by the locals. Marysville, Kansas has plenty of those, but with just over 24 hours to explore, we realized we
Marysville Dining – Fuel For Exploring Read More »
Located in the heart of the state of Missouri, you will find the city of Boonville. While many pass by the exit along I-70, we went day-tripping in Boonville to learn more of the city’s historical significance. Transportation has seemed to have played a huge role in this Midwest destination, even before it was founded.
Day-tripping In Boonville, Missouri Read More »
Exploring new destinations is always an eye-opening experience. One of our first stops is usually the local history museum. This helps us learn the background stories that are found in every community. That is how we landed at the Marshall County Museum in Marysville, Kansas. Pulling up in front of the 1891 courthouse had our
Background Stories – Marshall County Museum Read More »
Looking for an escape from the city without having to leave the city? Some of our friends have been giving us suggestions on places to visit. When a few told us details about the Parkville Nature Sanctuary, it seemed like the perfect place to take a walk on the wild side. These days long distance
Parkville Nature Sanctuary – A Walk On The Wild Side Read More »
Have you ever seen a black squirrel? When we started planning our visit to Marysville, we discovered that this Kansas town has an unexpected mascot. It seems that sometime in the past, black squirrels were introduced to this environment. Now they have proliferated throughout the community and have achieved somewhat of celebrity status. While our
Black Squirrel Sightings In Marysville, Kansas Read More »
It seems that people are coming up with new ways to re-purpose familiar items all of the time. Finding alternative uses for shipping containers seemed to be a logical next step. A visit to North Kansas City, Missouri showed us how one group of ingenious people had built a space that combines function and frugality
Iron District – Taking It Outside Read More »
When we think about travel at the turn of the 19th Century, everything seemed so black and white. Much of that is because color photography had not yet been invented. Of course, from visiting museums, we also realize that many of the automobiles of the day were produced in one color. Until our visit to
Mitchell Car Museum – Coloring The Past Read More »
How many times have you overlooked a small town, because you didn’t think it had much to see? If we are being honest, this happens too often, because we have been programmed to believe this. Creating our travel blog has opened our eyes and minds to the wonderful collection of artifacts found in villages and
History Lessons In Arrow Rock, Missouri Read More »
Boonville, Missouri rests along the Missouri River, just about 100 miles east of Kansas City. For thousands of years, Native Indians were the sole inhabitants of the region. It was not until the 1600s that the first European explorers would travel to the heart of the continent. A pair of Daniel Boone’s sons would uncover
River, Rails, and Trails Museum – Travel Around Boonville Read More »
Kansas City can be described in many ways, but we like to think of it as the “Melting Pot of the Midwest”. Within the boundaries of the metro, you can find nearly every ethnicity. This provides an amazing array of cultures, and they each bring their unique cuisine to the table. Diners can choose from
German Smorgasbord At Affäre Read More »
It is vital that we examine our history, to let us not forget the lessons that we wish not to repeat. During our visit to Arrow Rock, we had a chance to examine a more sinister side of Missouri history. Growing up in Kansas City, we were taught about the Border War between Kansas and
Let Us Not Forget – African-American Experience Museum Read More »
Travel is an opportunity to escape the city we live in and to see new destinations with fresh eyes. 2020 has certainly presented an array of challenges to traveling, but not complete barriers. We are learning ways to enjoy the adventures we have grown to love while keeping ourselves and others safe. This is important
Escape The City To Weston, Missouri Read More »
Who else looks forward to sampling the flavors of a new destination? For us, one of the best parts of travel is the new tastes we encounter. As foodies, each dish holds unique possibilities no matter how many versions we have savored. A day trip to Arrow Rock, Missouri offered a chance to enjoy a
Sandwiches, Shakes, And Shade – Catalpa Restaurant Read More »
It appears that the key phrase for 2020 will be “social distancing”. While it certainly poses some new hurdles for travel bloggers, it also challenges us to find some new ways to explore our world. This travel season will be filled with some places that allow us to get back to nature. On a recent
Back To Nature – Weston Bend State Park Read More »
It has been said that history tends to repeat itself. During a visit to Arrow Rock, Missouri, we stumbled upon a small museum dedicated to the life of Dr. John Sappington. His name was unfamiliar to us, but as we explored the space, we soon realized the important role he played in history. This little
Stopping The Spread – Sappington Museum Read More »
With the lockdown restrictions beginning to ease, we decided to experience our first dine-in lunch at Avalon Cafe. As we explored Weston’s downtown, we spotted the huge outdoor deck floating above the landscape. With our lunchtime hunger tugging at us, it was decided to dine at a place where we could take it outside. This
Take It Outside – Avalon Cafe Read More »
Traveling the interstate between Kansas City and St. Louis takes you through Boone’s Lick Country. If you are like us, you were completely unaware of this. On a sunny Saturday, we decided to make a day trip to Arrow Rock, Missouri to learn more about this area with an unusual name. While this small village
Life In The Boone’s Lick – Arrow Rock Visitors Center Read More »
Living in the landlocked Midwest has its pros and cons. While one of the biggest pluses is the amazing people in every city and town, there are things we miss at times. Traveling around North America has allowed us to sample a variety of cuisines and flavors from all corners of the continent. The tastes
Tastes Of New Orleans – KC Daiquiri Shop Read More »
Visiting Weston offers a mix of new and old. This somewhat sleepy little river town holds its secrets close to the vest. Those who take the initiative to explore will be rewarded with unexpected finds. A good example is the National Silk Art Museum. This local treasure is situated squarely on the main drag and
A Stitch In Time – National Silk Art Museum Read More »
With the Stay at Home orders in place, you may have noticed an increased number of Asian restaurants in our blog lately. This has happened for two main reasons. First, we have recently discovered this amazing cuisine, so we are catching up on all of the great options around our hometown. The second reason is
Creative Cantonese – ABC Cafe Read More »
The sun shone brightly, casting its warmth on the cool May morning. Early shoppers arrived in downtown Kansas City to bring some normalcy back into their lives. With the Stay At Home orders being slowly rescinded, some of the public are venturing out to places that seem strangely familiar. We visited City Market to see
Loosening The Lockdown – The New Normal? Read More »
Have you ever made an assumption about a business based on partial information? This has actually happened to us a few times. It often occurs because we have failed to thoroughly research. Let’s look at an example of such an oversight. We first noticed Lulu’s Noodles during our day trips to downtown Lawrence, Kansas. During
Thai Inspired Dishes – Lulu’s Noodles Read More »
Living in the landlocked Midwest can limit our access to fresh seafood. Few places have the dedication to do the legwork required to keep this type of pipeline running. Fortunately, we have a delectable option right in our hometown. Jarocho Authentic Mexican Seafood is bringing the sea to KC. We have been advised of the
Bringing The Sea to KC – Jarocho Authentic Mexican Seafood Read More »
We all have our home town favorites that seem to draw us back over and over. For some, it may be the atmosphere or the feeling of nostalgia. One thing that is usually required is the ability to deliver a consistent meal that we can count on time after time. Living in a larger metropolitan
Hole In The Wall Dining – Grandstand Burgers Read More »
As we approach the one month mark, since our hometown implemented the “Stay At Home” rule, we find ourselves adapting to this new reality. While we all hope it is temporary, we know that there is the possibility that it will remain around, in some form, for many months. In the meantime, we are working
Creative Carryout At Woodyard Bar-B-Que Read More »
When we first decided to visit Quebec City, we were excited to see what the “most European city in North America” would look like. Since we have never visited Europe, we were unsure of what to expect, but we hoped that it would be a pleasant experience. Little did we realize that it would become
15 Reasons To Explore Lower Town In Quebec City Read More »
There is a lot of uncertainty floating around Kansas City right now. We find ourselves in the middle of the Covid-19 shutdown. Businesses are learning how to adapt to this new paradigm. While many have reduced hours and even scaled back their menus, others have temporarily closed. That is the case for Green Room Burgers
Green Room Burgers & Beers – The Sun Will Shine Again Read More »
By now, you probably realize that we truly enjoy visiting museums. There are so many varieties, but each offers the unique opportunity to learn. Having a chance to expand our horizons is intriguing, and we find that each destination adds to our overall understanding of the world around us. Quebec City had tempted us with
Capturing History – Museum of Civilization Read More »
How many of you are ready to get back to some sort of normal life? Crystal and I love to visit new restaurant destinations, but this “curbside only” situation is putting a damper on our exploration. Fortunately, we have a good backlog of places we had already visited, so we can keep supplying some new
Dressing Up Brunch – Summit Grill Read More »
As I sit and write this article, we are currently under self-imposed isolation called “social distancing”. While the subject is near and dear to everyone at this stage, I have to wonder what readers will think when they return to this particular article in two or three years. How will our daily interactions change, once
Sunshine and Social Distancing – Ha Ha Tonka State Park Read More »
Living in Kansas City, Kansas means that we are blessed to have the best Mexican cuisine options in the Midwest. Our hometown is known far and wide for being the home to numerous taquerias (taco stores), carnicerias (meat stores), and cantinas (bar & grills). When you add in the panaderias (bakeries), you expand the list
Taste The Colors Of Mexico – El Toro Loco Read More »
Visiting Quebec City offers some unique opportunities not found anywhere else in North America. Canada’s oldest city is a tale of two cities, where the old meets the new. Much of our visit was spent in Old Quebec City, which had its earliest beginnings in 1608. Split into Upper Town and Lower Town, each of
Upper Town In Quebec City – The View From Above Read More »
Living in a city filled with amazing food and drink destinations means that the options always outweigh the opportunities. With the winter weather releasing its grip on Kansas City, it’s time for us to spend more time exploring. Over the colder months, we make note of places we pass and add them to our “future
Tapping Into Taste – Burg & Barrel Read More »
Friendship and food just seem to go together. Whenever we work with a tourism bureau, we try to share a meal with our hosts at least once. During our first visit to Canada, we met up with Paule Bergeron from Quebec Cite Tourism. She had assisted us during our planning phase and suggested meeting up
Friendship And Food – Ristorante Il Matto Read More »
Picture yourself cruising down the highway. A warm breeze blowing in the window as the miles of pavement roll by under your tires. Each new town and city brings another chance to explore the wonders of America. This is just the kind of experience you get when traveling along the path of the old Route
24 Hours in Weatherford, Oklahoma Read More »
Water is the essence of life, which is why humans find it intriguing. Whenever we visit a city with a river walk or other watery features, we find ourselves drawn to it. There is something calming about the quiet force of this life-sustaining liquid. Discovering that there are tours along the St. Lawrence River, meant
Sailing Through History With AML Cruises Read More »
For centuries people dreamed of taking flight. Watching the birds soaring through the air seemed to offer the freedom to explore life from a new perspective. While the invention of hot air balloons and gliders allowed glimpses into this new world, it was powered flight that would forever change the way that humans travel. During
6 Reasons To Visit The Stafford Air & Space Museum Read More »
High above the river’s edge visitors can stroll the Terrasse Dufferin. This wooden boardwalk runs for nearly 500 feet along a bluff overlooking the St. Lawrence River. From this vantage point, you can see for miles in almost every direction. What many fail to focus on is what lies at the foot of this fascinating
Life Below The Boardwalk – Rue du Petit Champlain Read More »
Cruising along Route 66 will lead you to some unique destinations. While the names on the map roll by like tumbleweeds, the people found in the cities along the way will plant themselves in your memory for years to come. A prime example was our visit with Nedra, who was happy to share a slice
History In The Heartland of America Museum Read More »
When we heard that Snooze A.M. Eatery was planning a Kansas city location, it brought a smile to our faces. We enjoy a standard breakfast as much as the next couple, but the chance to start your morning with a twist makes it extra special. This funky and friendly Denver-based chain has a reputation for
Start Your Morning With A Twist – Snooze A.M. Eatery Read More »
The history of Quebec City is longer than many destinations in North America. When we planned our visit to Canada’s first city, we knew that we would be immersing ourselves in all of this past. One of the most memorable, and decisive events, was the famous battle for control of Quebec. Nearly two decades before
Changing Of The Guard – Plains of Abraham Museum Read More »
The Central United States is filled with a mixture of amazing destinations, although there can often be miles between stops. For decades, travelers have cruised the back roads and highways that crisscross the country. One of the most iconic American highways was Route 66, which carried travelers from Chicago to Santa Monica. We love exploring
Calling All Route 66 Lovers – Lucille’s Roadhouse Read More »
What happens when you gather six chefs all under one roof? You end up with an upscale food court, like the one at Strang Hall, in downtown Overland Park. The idea for this chef collective came from a desire to add a new twist to the dining scene. This collection of restaurants allows the locals
Skipping The Chains – Strang Hall Read More »