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The year was 2003. The destination was America's heartland. The only sure bets were Branson and Kansas City. A short visit to Carl Junction,Missouri (where Mom's niece lives) gave us an excuse to go out there. We tossed around several different options and itineraries before the trip. Mugg was non-committal about going and I was beside myself. Mugg wanted to be frugal and I wanted to splurge.
The first day was strictly a travel day. We traversed over 600 miles in my new deep purple Saturn sedan. We somehow managed to avoid rain and road construction. We drove in shifts that first day, and after Mugg got us past St. Louis it was my turn to drive. I had consumed many beverages that day, and by the time we stopped to trade places my bladder was about to explode. I wobbled into a McDonald's and managed not to soil myself. When we finally arrived at Kathy's house that night, it was dark and we were over an hour late. Mugg and Kathy stayed up until the wee hours talking about family and the good ole days. Mugg tossed and turned during that first night.
The next day we drove all the way up the western edge of Missouri into Iowa. About seventy miles north of Kansas City, we stopped in the historic town of St. Joseph, Mo. We visited the Pony Express Museum and the house where outlaw Jesse James was shot to death. The temperature that day was a sweltering ninety-nine degrees. A young employee chastised us for getting lost at the Pony Express Museum. After our visit, we drove up I-29 to Council Bluffs,Iowa. (just across the river from Omaha, Nebraska) The long drive was probably the most tedious part of the trip. We passed countless cornfields along the way. By the time we checked into our hotel, we were dead tired and ate dinner at a busy truck stop while taking in the local flavor.
On Monday morning we drove across the Missouri River and went to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha. We saw many animals that we had never seen before. We were face to face with the polar bears and gorillas. Most of the lions and tigers were asleep at the "Big Cats" exhibit. The rainforest canopy featured the two-toed tree sloth. Mugg's feet were sore because there was a lot of walking and she was wearing uncomfortable shoes. After the zoo, we headed down the highway towards Kansas City. Early that evening we checked into Courtyard By Marriott. Mom complained because our room had a balcony, and the hotel charged two dollars for a bottle of water
That evening we visited an upscale part of town known as Country Club Plaza. This area consists of fancy shops, trendy boutiques and fine dining establishments. We ate at an Italian restaurant and shared a big pizza. Afterwards, as I tried to find the interstate to return to the hotel, I became confused and disoriented. However, I refused to stop and ask for directions and eventually we made it back to the hotel. We were treated to a brilliant lightning display in the sky on the way.
We spent the first half of the following day in Kansas- the Sunflower state. We went to the famous prison town of Leavenworth. The town also boasts the oldest continually active fort west of the Mississippi River. After Mugg managed to get through a security checkpoint with an expired drivers license, we toured the fort museum. A display on the evolution from horse-drawn wagons to covered wagons was featured. We also saw exhibits on military customs, uniforms, weaponry and daily life on the fort. I took a photo of Mugg with the Buffalo Soldier.
Later that afternoon, we went to the City Market area of Kansas City. We visited the Treasure of the Steamboat Arabia Museum. The steamship Arabia sank in the Missouri River in the 1850s after colliding with a submerged tree. All the passengers survived. However, over 200 tons of European dishware, jewelry, guns, tools, food products and clothing items were lost in the wreckage. In the late 1980s the Arabia was discovered buried deep beneath a cornfield. Much of the riverboat's cargo was salvaged and is now on display in this awe-inspiring museum.
That evening we visited Crown Center in downtown Kansas City. Crown Center consists of over 70 specialty and apparel shops, fine restaurants, live theater and an outdoor ice skating rink. It also houses the international headquarters of Hallmark Cards. After shopping, we drove to Country Club Plaza where we ate dinner at K.C. Masterpiece. Mugg was incensed when we received the check and stormed out of the restaurant in a violent rage. After she calmed down, we took pictures of some of the distinctive fountains which dot the city.
The following morning after a light breakfast we made our way to the nearby town of Independence. We received a very informative guided tour inside the Harry Truman Presidential Library and Museum. We saw an exact replica of the Oval Office circa 1949. displays and bipartisan analysis on Truman's presidency from the end of World War ll to the Korean War. After our visit, we headed back downtown.
We made a brief detour at Arrowhead Stadium, (home of the K.C. Chiefs) and Kauffman Stadium, the Royals' baseball home. After the sports segway, we returned to Crown Center and ate more barbeque. After lunch, we walked across The Link (a skyway pedestrian bridge) from Crown Center to Science City at historic Union Station. Many of the interactive exhibits at Science City were either out of order or too difficult to understand. Mugg's frustration grew with each passing minute. We totally flunked out on the forensic science and weather/storm center exhibits. She wrote some unflattering remarks on a comment card before leaving.
That evening we drove all the way down to Springfield, in the southwestern part of the state. Mom had a coupon for a hotel but the desk clerk would not accept it. We ended up checking into Motel Six just before midnight. We woke up early on Thursday and decided to go to a very unique attraction that Mugg had discovered. Exotic Animal Paradise is about ten miles outside Springfield. This vast nature preserve consists of a paved road that winds through hundreds of acres. We received a large bag of food at the entrance, and we fed the animals by hand as they walked up to the car window. The mules were very ornery and pushy. Our food supply ran out before we reached the end of the trail, and the deer and antelope at the trail's end were dejected to see that we were empty-handed. After passing through the final gate, we knew it was Branson or Bust!
I got back on Interstate 44 and headed west. It was a beautiful morning. About a quarter mile before the Branson exit, I noticed a tractor trailer merging onto the highway right in front of us. My first thought was to pass the big truck so that we would not miss our exit. I quickly darted into the passing lane, unaware of another truck approaching right behind us. The driver sat on his horn, and I pressed my foot hard against the accelerator. I don't know how we did it, but we made the exit without causing a major crash on the highway. We sat in stunned silence for about fifteen minutes. Finally, Mugg broke the silence when she chastised me for wreckless driving.
We arrived in Branson just before noon. Our first stop was the Hollywood Wax Museum. Famous scenes and actors from Oscar-nominated movies and popular television shows were on display. We saw everyone from John Wayne, Laurel & Hardy, James Cagney and Marilyn Monroe to Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, Sylvester Stallone, The Fonz from Happy Days and the Baywatch Babes.
Our first show was Legends In Concert. The Buddy Holly impersonator was a dead ringer. Michael Jackson did his famous moonwalk and Elvis brought down the house. After a spirited round of miniature golf, we decided to go our separate ways that evening. Mugg went to a 1950s rock n' roll tribute show and I saw the Jim Stafford Variety Show. The theater was packed and the comedian knocked 'em dead with his off-the-wall humor and silly stage props. At the '50s musical show, Mugg won a drawing for an autographed CD and a few small trinkets.
The next day we took in three live shows and an IMAX film. The morning show was titled Comedy Pet Theatre:Amazing Performing Pets. The star of the show was Russian entertainer Gregory Popovich. In between his juggling acts and slapstick routines, he would have cats and dogs dressed in little outfits perform tricks and stunts on his command. Some of the animals featured had previously performed on late night television with Johnny Carson and Jay Leno.
After eating lunch at yet another barbeque joint, we split up to see different matinee shows. Mugg put on her platform shoes and took a trip back in time at a show titled Stuck on the Seventies. She found the cast member who impersonated John Travolta to be revolting. Meanwhile, I drove across town to witness the Amazing Acrobats of China. These tiny Asian women displayed incredible body control and focus while performing death defying and breathtaking aerial stunts. One lady contorted her body to fit inside a small box. Others would balance tall stacks of dishes and plates.
Before our evening show, we watched an IMAX film about the International Space Station on a giant forty foot screen. In my opinion, the best show of the trip was The Kirby Van Burch Magic Show. The magician changed his wife Bambi into a Bengal tiger. He also sawed a woman in half and walked through a mirror. The next day was our last day so we hit the ground running and squeezed in as much as possible. We took a tour of the town and surrounding countryside aboard a DUCK. (an amphibious land-sea vehicle which was utilized during World War II) We took in the scenic Ozarks and Table Rock Lake. We splashed down in Lake Taneyco. We used our quackers to quack at other ducks we saw along the way.
After our sightseeing tour, we witnessed the Waltzing Waters accompanied by live organ music as if attending a symphony. It was a surreal and emotional experience. Finally, we took in our last show. Spirit of the Dance is a spectacular high energy, heart-pounding Irish production. It has won global awards for best choreography and best international show. We departed Branson just before five o'clock that Saturday, and it took us over 11 hours to drive home. We pulled into the driveway at 741 Halltown at 4:01 a.m. on Sunday morning. In summary, we traversed over 2,350 miles in eight days and nights. We drove through seven states. It was our longest trip ever. As usual, the trip ended too soon and the return to reality was bittersweet.
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