Good Ol' KC

(June 22)

Friday evening we left for Effingham, Illinois for a hotel stop. The next morning we headed the rest of the way into Kansas City. We decided to make this trip the weekend before we were scheduled to be in Gravette, Arkansas for a camp meeting at which we were singing. Valerie had never been to KC, and I hadn't been back for 6 years, and having lived there for 12 years I felt it important to show her my "roots." We rolled into the city around supper time and stopped at Arthur Bryant's BBQ in downtown KC. The best BBQ in the world, methinks. It's a dingy little place tucked into a typical downtown building. The staff are almost rude, the tables are somewhat sticky, and the food is awesome! I enjoyed my open-faced burnt ends sandwich while Val had an open-face pulled pork sandiwch and we shared coleslaw and baked beans. Awesome meal! If you are ever going through the KC area, you've got to stop there.

After leaving Bryant's, we headed for Overland Park, the suburb where I grew up. I showed Val the apartments and two houses we lived in while in KC, and other various things, such as the hospital in which I was born, the school parking lot where I first learned how to ride a bike without training wheels, etc. Fun times. That evening we headed for our hotel - the Doubletree in Corporate Woods. It was extremely nice, but what I don't like about really really nice hotels is that you don't get that good ol' continental breakfast. Low-class motels don't give you breakfast. Super-upper-class hotels don't give you (free) breakfast. So I think I will stick with the nicer middle-class hotels from now on. It was a really nice hotel, though, and a relaxing night's sleep.

The next morning, we arose and went to church. We went with our good friend who has known me longer than I have known anything, Jean Shannon. My cousin and her family also attend College Church of the Nazarene located on the campus of Mid-America Nazarene University. It was good to see them again, and for Val to meet them.

We spent Sunday through Tuesday morning with Jean at her house in Overland Park. We had an awesome time with her, going around KC, talking, laughing, and eating. She is truly one of the dearest friends we have.

Tuesday morning we met Rowen, Janet, Beth, Jason and Emily Albertson (my Uncle and Aunt and 3 of their 6 kids) at Bob Evan's for a late breakfast. They were on their way home to Colorado from Joplin, Missouri. It was good to see them, and for Val to meet them.

And thus ended our brief trip to Kansas City. A good time.