October 10, 2013 - Sightseeing in Kansas City
The plan for today was to do some serious sightseeing.  We started with the National Frontier Trails Museum which was close to Lee's Summit in nearby Independence.   It's a nice museum, well worth your time if you are in the area.
   
Lynnette prefers to travel in the RV over the wagon.
   

Independence was a starting point for the Lewis & Clark expedition, Oregon and Santa Fe trails.  The museum covered all three.

Here are models of the boats used by Lewis & Clark.
   
A big freight wagon arriving at Santa Fe.
   
On the Oregon Trail, about to travel through Mitchell's Pass at Scott's Bluff, Nebraska.  I have been there and this is exactly what it looks like.
   
Lynnette and I both liked this quote.
   
I have wanted to go to the Truman Presidential Library for years.  Now, I am finally here.
   
What the heck?
   

The Wallace House -- also known as the Truman Home -- where the Trumans lived on-and-off from 1919 to 1967.   The house is a short distance from the Presidential Library.

Alas, it was also closed due to the Federal Government shut down.
   
This striking church was also located in Independence.
   
Next, we drove into Kansas City proper.  Our first stop was Union Station.   I had no idea of what it was and what to expect.  I wasn't prepared for the magnificent scene inside.
   
The Union Station opened in 1914.  At the time, it was the second-largest train station in the country.   The ceiling is 95 feet high with three chandeliers.   The station peaked in passenger traffic in 1945 but then steadily declined.  The building fell into disrepair and by the 1990's had deteriorated so badly that plaster was falling from the ceiling and there was standing water on the floor.   Pictures inside the station show how bad it was.
   

They started renovating the station in 1997 and finished in 1999.  They did it right, as you can see, restoring it back to its original splendor.

Although two Amtrak trains come through daily, most of Union Station is used for nice restaraurants, eateries and science museums.
   
That clock face is six feet in diameter.
 
They did a fabulous job of restoring this historic building which I think is great.  Prior to airplanes and cars, railroads were the primary transportation mode in this country.
   
Just south of Union Station is the World War One museum.
   
I hadn't realized this museum had been in existence so long.   It was a big deal when it was established in 1921.  All the big names were here for the
commemoration:  President Calvin Coolidge, General Pershing, and WWI war leaders from Britain and France.
   
Walking over a field of poppies entering the museum.  Each poppey represents 9,000 killed during the war.
   

The German Maxim machine gun.

The museum was outstanding.  They did an excellent job of addressing how the war started and the ground war.  There wasn't much on the air or naval war.  I think there just isn't enough room, but they will be expanding soon.  There were lots of friendly docents around to answer questions.
   
 
Looking down from the WWI museum to the north at Union Station and the Kansas City skyline.
   
We went up in the WWI Liberty Memorial tower.  I couldn't believe how many ultratall -- 1,500 foot + -- radio/TV antennas are around Kansas City.
   
We drove north through the business district to the Missouri River on the other side where they have a nice Riverfront Park.
   
Looking east at the new Paseo Bridge, which just opened in 2010.
   

We headed down to south Kansas City to the Country Club Plaza which is a very nice upscale shopping and restaurant district, established in 1922, and modeled after Seville, Spain.

We started off at the Irish Pub which was like being back in Dublin, then walked around to check out shops, restaurants and art work.
   
Winston Churchill and wife.
   
Looking very Seville-like in this shot.
   
 
   
Yes, the water is pink, for breast cancer awareness month.
   
King Neptune spearfishing.
   
Rubbing the razorback's nose for luck.   I'll need it the next few days.  We had a nice dinner at one of the restaurants, thus concluding a great day.
   
 
   
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