Greetings from Blue Springs, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City and close to Independence, Missouri where we will be visiting with one of our most interesting presidents, Harry S. Truman. Today on the way from Fort Smith, Arkansas we stopped in the town of Lamar where President Truman was born. We didn't drive the 2 miles down the road to see the home where he lived for the first year of his life. Instead we stopped at the Dairy Queen for a bite of lunch. We walked into one side of the DQ and encountered a bus load of teenagers who came in the other door. It was a high school choir on their way somewhere for a competition. Cute bunch of kids but let me tell you the DQ in Lamar was hopping!!!!
The Ozark Mountains are low and rolling and covered with a dense growth of trees. They are turning colors and occasionally you see flashes of bright red but mostly it appears as a fluffy Impressionist painting. We are struck with the dense growth and even where patches are cleared for farming the trees grow right up to the fence lines. It is totally different looking than the mountains in the west. When we left the Ozarks we were back in flat farmland and straight roads. It was an easy ride and very scenic and enjoyable. We left the Interstate about 45 miles from Kansas City to get to Blue Springs where we are staying. Great little 2 lane road and very little traffic.
Checked into the motel and Judi and Lee went to do the laundry, and I stayed here to do the blog and pay some bills. Went to a pub next door for dinner where the Missouri Univerity football game was on and they were giving Colorado a shellacking. The volume was really high in the pub but it is Saturday night and football fans were out in force. Tomorrow the Kansas City Chiefs play so we will try to skirt around them on the way to the Harry Truman Library. We had a bit of trouble finding a place to stay. Seems not only is there a home football game but it is the opening of deer (I believe) season. Actually encountered some hunters in the camo outfits in the DQ. As you can see it has been a full day! (smiles)
I went out and took some pictures around the motel. The trees and shrubs are just ablaze. And the bark around the plants is cedar. We have seen it many places. We are staying at a Hampton Inn which is one of our favorites. The beds are really comfortable and the rooms are generally big enough. Fortunately for the budgets we are away from the high rent districts we encountered along the East coast. In fact we have two rooms Monday and Tuesday night in Belleville, Kansas. Each room with a king sized bed is $49. Considering this is the only motel in Belleville, Kansas we could find and due to the hunting season we got the last accomodations for sleeping 3. Stay tuned for a report.
The other two pictures are the types of breakfast rooms where we have eaten almost everyday since we left. Now here is something I am looking forward to at home. Real silverware! I'm pretty sick of plastic forks, knives, and spoons. On the other hand I am going to miss the cinnamon rolls from Holiday Inn Express. Weight Watchers here I come!!!
Good night from the GGG's
1 comment:
Hi Gerry, Lee and Judi,
I have received your e-mail. I did reply it. However it has failed again so I cut and paste it here.
Your friend,
Ben
Sorry to hear that the gods of weather gave you water in Monticello. They gave me about 85 degrees and sunshine …. It is beautiful there. I was glad to hear that the foundation could buy a piece of land which otherwise would be in the hands of a developer …… In the afternoon I went to Staunton, a hilly town.
During my drive on the Skyline drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway the fall colors were not that good, I was here too early. The weather has been there too hot and too dry. My pictures of Mabry Mill turned out so good that I will have one enlarged to 25 * 37 inch. I met at Peaks of Otter two couples. The couples are long time friends. They live in Roanoke and Myrtle Beach. I told them my route and gave me some hints. I had also lunch with them.
Must go back some day to see the Biltmore Estate. I loved Savannah. I did a bus tour, walk on the riverrfront, relaxed on the many squares. The food was also very good. I ate near market street. On the last day here I suddenly had parts of the “door” of the battery holder in my hand. I fixed it with tape from the reception.
Charleston is really beautiful. I did a carriage tour and walked a lot took pictures etc …
It was good to see the friends in Virginia Beach after such a long time. From there house I visited Kill Devils Head.
My last city was Annapolis. The weather wasn’t so good, cloudy and a drizzle and drove back to Philadelphia airport.
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