Platte City, MOMay 27, 2011
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Lewis and Clark boat
The Arch
| 5-27-11 Platte City, MO We have been involved in a whirlwind of activities! We also have endured two tornado possibilities. The first was in St. Charles, MO, on Sunday where we dutifully went to the laundry room of the RV park until receiving the all clear. The second was in Kansas City on Wed. We were scheduled to visit the Hallmark Card Company and we were promptly taken to a safe place where we joined about 60 second graders and numerous adults who had already spent about an hour in the safe place. They were a bit restless, and it accelerated in the hour and a half we were there. After getting the “all clear”, and finding out that the rigs were safe, we continued the tour! We have had enough of the “tornado stuff” and the amazing thunder, lightning and accompnying downpours!! Saturday, we spent the day in St. Charles touring the first state capitol and enjoying the local Heritage Days celebration. It consisted of a parade with folks dressed in 1700’s costumes, including various military groups. There were fifes, drums, and bagpipes. The encampments were in the park next to the Missouri River with various demnstrations and crafts to view. We also went to the Boathouse to see the replicas of the Lewis and Clark water crafts. We walked back to the RV park along a former railroad line. Sunday, we went to the Arch in St. Louis. We entered our five person “capsule” for a ride to the top of this 630 foot structure (the tallest monument in the U.S. The view is spectacular!! After lunch in Union Station, we went into Illinois to visit Camp River Dubois, where Clark and several men spent the winter preceding the journey. From there, we returned to MO and went to the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers (the mosquitoes had staked their claim!!). We arrived back at the RV park just in time for the tornado sirens!! Monday, we had a driving tour of Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the U.S.--and the site of the early-1900’s World Fair. We then did a walking tour of the Botanical Gardens. After another impressive rain storm and lunch, we toured the Anheuser-Busch Brewery--probably best known for Budweiser Beer. It is amazingly efficient and produces an impressive amount of brew! Tuesday, we had about a 300 mile drive to the western part of the state. Frank and we followed the Missouri River for quite a ways, and then headed for the freeway to finish up the route! Wednesday, our first visit was to the Harley-Davidson Assembly Plant. It, too, is a remarkably efficient production, with many robots and real people doing the finishing and inspections. We then did a bus tour of places in Kansas City and had our long visit at the Hallmark Card Center! After that and lunch, we went to the Steamship Arabia Museum. It was a steamship that sank in the Missouri and was dug up in a farmer’s field in the 1980’s, after the river had changed course. The amount of things recovered was absolutely amazing! The cargo weighed about 200,00 pounds, and most of it was in excellent condition. Thursday, we went to Independence and visited the Harry Truman Library. We had a brief tour of Independence and drove by the Truman home. We also visited the Community of Christ Temple, which was very impressive. It is related, but separate branch of the original Morman religion. We also got to go to the Subtropolis in Kansas City. These are like tunnels in the limestone in which they rent space for numerous businesses. Today, we went to St. Joseph, from which the original Pony Express started. We went to their museum and then toured the fascinating Patee House Museum. This was originally a large hotel where the Pony Express Offices were. It now contains an amazing assortment of histrical “stuff”. They also have a carousel with figures made by a St. Joseph fellow. Nearby is the home in which Jesse James was killed. From there we stopped at the Wyeth-Tootle Museum. This is a huge 3-storey mansion which they are trying to refurbish. After lunch, we stopped at a Stetson Hat Factory Outlet and actually got back to the RV park about 3. These have been long, but interesting days. Tomorrow we head north to Gretna, NE. Hopefully, we will be able to hide from the storms! |
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