Make Time: Lawrence, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri

Imagine the most picturesque college town, complete with a main street with craft brewery, locally made ice cream, and amazing little book stores. Now name that town Lawrence, Kansas - home of KU (Kansas University). I had heard about this small town for many years because one of my best friend's from San Francisco, Russ, married a girl (Cee) who grew up there. Cee is a great woman and a very free spirit, and she's always said that I would LOVE Lawrence, so that was one of the reasons that I included this small town on my road trip. Also, one of my college friends, Owen, married a woman named Becca, who I was hanging out with in Iowa before coming to Lawrence, and she has always said she LOVED this town as well. I figured with all these positive reviews, it was worth the 6 hour car ride from Okoboji (my location for the 4th of July weekend).

So I leave Okoboji on a Tuesday and then drive three hours south to Des Moines, where Damon Dotson is working on his second studio album. I included information about Damon in my last post, but wow he's an amazing musician and just a great guy. It was cool to come check out the studio space - meet the engineers - and see some of the production process for his album (which sounds great btw). We shared a lot of laughs in the short time I was there, and then I took off heading south to Lawrence. Three more hours and I pull into this adorable little storybook college town. There are some pics in the previous post, but none will do it true justice. I walk up to the front of Cee's parent's house, and her dad is blaring an acid-jazz album from the 60's in the living room. A+mazing!! Daniel (Cee's dad) opens the door and he has a perfectly shorn handlebar mustache and a smile to match it. This guy is definitely my style. We talk for a bit in the living room and then walk out to get some dinner at the Free State Brewery. Great spot - local brewery with good food. We talk about Cee and my buddy Russ, and their adorable kids. We talk about living life to the fullest. We talk about family and good books and traveling, and the time goes by as quickly as it comes. One of Cee's friends from childhood, Kellyn, comes by to say hello as we finish dinner. I met Kellyn at Cee and Russ's wedding, so it was very nice of her to come over and welcome me to Lawrence. After dinner we get some fantastic locally made ice cream, and then Daniel and I walk up to Kansas University's campus to get a overlook of the city below. It's a small town but has tons of character. Daniel talks about his work as a plumber and how he's kept busy in this college town. I tell him about my dreams and goals. It's a great exchange and I value everything he has to say to me. After that we head home and I hit the hay. Daniel and his wife, Janice have a separate apartment above their garage, so I literally have my own space. Sooo nice when you're traveling!

I got a good night's sleep and then woke up the next morning and grabbed a nice breakfast in town at the Global Cafe (where I wrote my last big update). While at breakfast I was having my bicycle fixed because I had a flat tire, so when I got out of breakfast the bike was all set and I was up and on it - riding in the sunshine in this random college town in Kansas. I rode through town and then out across the main river in town, then out into the fields for a bit. On my way back I saw some great graffiti and took some pics, and then I rode up to the campus and checked that out for a bit. Unfortunately it was a almost 90 degrees out so I didn't last too long, but it didn't matter because luckily Lawrence isn't a huge town! After the bike ride I put my bike in the car and then drove 45 minutes to Kansas City. The air conditioning felt divine :)

I get into Kansas City (KC) at about 4pm and go directly to the World War 1 war memorial. This is definitely one of the highlights of KC, and it's the only WW1 museum in the country. Very cool. There are pics which I put up previously, but I've included more here below. Very moving. So many dead. So much gruesome death (trench warfare, toxic gases, etc). I walk out of the museum an hour or so later and head to Anton's BBQ's, which is downtown on Main Street. One of my closest and dearest friends from SF, Stephanie, grew up in Missouri, so she has a lot of friends in KC. One of her closest friends is Lauren Funk, who I've met before and really like. Funk is hilarious. We meet for a drink at Anton's and then head over to pick up another friend of hers, Amy, who also lives in KC. Amy is incredibly vibrant and full of life - a great person to add to the dinner group. Funk had planned to take me to a BBQ place that also had blues, but she had never been to it, so I asked her what her for her favorite place for BBQ. She tells me that it's a place called Oklahoma Joes, which is located in a gas station. Um…we are definitely going to this dive BBQ place. No questions asked. If this is the best place she knows of - this is what I want. Music can come later. So we wait in line for an hour at this gas station (pics in previous post) and then eat the most fantastic BBQ I've ever had. YES!!! So great. Such funny conversation and just a nice night. After dinner we go to another place called Jazz Kitchen for a drink and some music, and then end the night at a fantastic homemade ice cream spot called Glace. What a night!! Such a great feel for KC, which I now absolutely love. Artsy. Progressive. Comfortable. There are definitely dangerous parts, which I didn't see, but overall I think it's a fantastic smaller city. I'm excited to go back, and in fact the next day I did come back for lunch at an unreal mexican place called El Camino Real. It was nice to speak Spanish again - which I know I have to keep up.

OH! On the way back to KC on Thurs I heard from my friend Lani that the largest water slide in the US was opening, so of course I pulled off the road and tried to get on it. Yes, it was the exact day of the opening of this slide when I drove bye, so it was amazing luck. I changed into my suit in the parking lot and ran into the park like a ten year old who just ate ten pounds of candy, only to find out that you needed a reservation to ride the big slide today…and they had already sold out. DOH!! Oh well, at least I tried. So I backed out of the line I was in and then high tailed it back to the car and headed onto St Louis…