So, my nephew is getting married next weekend in Seattle. When the date and location were announced last year, a little thought bubbled in my head. We did want to get back to Montana and see Glacier National Park…I wonder if Mom would want to drive to the PacNW with me instead of fly? Surprise, surprise, she was all for it. So, here we are at the end of Day 1 on our 4th official roadtrip.

5 years ago when we started these adventures I wasn’t blogging about them, but I was posting regularly on my personal FB page. Today was a bit of a walk down memory lane, but we created a few new ones, too. GPS routed us to US Route 36 rather than I-70 this time. (No wonder I couldn’t find the spot where the very kind MO State Trooper pulled me and 5 or 6 other cars over for exceeding the speed limit! For those unfamiliar with the story, I got a warning only after he’d ticketed every other car. Today I was barely over the speed limit and on the lookout!) We enjoyed a beautiful drive through northern Missouri farmland and watched the flat prairie become rolling hills. Across the mighty Mississippi, a different view of Hannibal, across the Missouri, and on to Independence, MO where we finally got to visit the Truman House and Museum. When we came through in 2013, the museum was closed for the day. We promised to come back and see it some day. An incredible place to visit if you have any interest in politics, history, or small town America. We didn’t go to his official Presidential library, but the visitor center and “Summer White House” provided an insight into a President I didn’t know much about.

What would he think about 5,000 miles in three weeks?!

I believe I may have said similar things to my father over the years!

We departed Independence and hit Kansas City just in time for rush hour. Rush hour in KC is like driving I-285 in Atlanta on a Sunday morning. Traffic moved along smoothly, until we found ourselves on the Kansas Tollway. The speed limit was 75 MPH (normally not a problem for me), but cars zipping in and out of lanes at that speed or greater is not my idea of a relaxing drive. Tomorrow we will set the GPS to avoid toll roads and highways!

We were checked into our hotel by 5:30 or so, rested a bit (by rested I mean got the road buzz to stop), and headed to dinner. I was in the mood for a burger, and I have learned the best burgers are found near good beer. We opted for Lawrence Beer Co. near the University of Kansas campus. A fun place, although very loud if you want to sit inside. We opted for outside seating, despite the near 100 degree heat and heat advisory in effect. Live music on the patio, lots of cute kids running around, good food and a few really good beers. The sun was behind the trees soon after we sat down, and there was a beautiful breeze blowing.

Tomorrow morning we get to visit with a former shipmate of my Dad’s from Hawaii days and his wife, and then we continue west. Perhaps we will find our way to Oz somewhere along the way!