The Federal Reserve Money Museum

I had to work one Saturday, so my boss told me to take a day off  to make up for it.  Done and done.  It wasn't hard to decide what to do with the free day.  We went to KCMO to visit the Money Museum, since it is only open on weekdays.  We parked in the visitor parking lot, then went inside.  Nice security guards ask if you have knives, guns, bombs, or any thing of that nature.  We told them no, except for my pocket knife.  They let me keep it, but sent us all through the metal detectors anyway.  They said I looked like an honest guy, so I guess I can trust them.  Trust but verify.  So, after they verified by running my drivers license, they let us all in to the museum.  They really know how to roll out the red carpet and make ordinary folks feel welcome.

Once inside, we saw lots of information about the Federal Reserve.  But really there are four exhibits that are what the money museum is all about.  The first is the Truman Coin Collection.  It shows coins minted during the reign of each president of the USA.  The older coins were definitely the coolest.  They don't use gold or silver anymore, like they used to.  In fact, our government doesn't even trust its own currency. Don't believe me?  Go ahead and look on your tax form when you fill out your taxes before April 15th.  It says to not send cash.

The next one of the awesome exhibits is the gold bar.  The day we visited, it was worth nearly a half- million dollars.

The last two awesome exhibits are at the back of the museum.  Ever wanted to see what a million dollars cash looks like?  You can see it at the Money Museum!  It's a whole lot of paper!  The final awesome exhibit is the counting/sorting/warehousing of some of the money that goes through the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. There were huge bags and bins full of money.  Some of $1s, $5s, $10s, $20s and bags of coins.  Then a computerized/robotized/lazer-guided automated forklift system that brought bins in and out of the ware-safe.  The forklifts were Huey, Dewey, and Louie.  I kept looking for the Mr. McDuck one, but never saw it.

On the way out we picked up a bag of cash.  Approximately $167 of shredded bills stuffed into a bag that fits into the palm of your hand.  Interesting and informative.

Nearest City: Kansas City, MO
Location: 1 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, MO
Time Needed: 1-2 hours
Difficulty: easy, except for the airport-like screening
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info: Kansas City Fed Money Museum

Making Marbles and the Moon Marble Company

My wife and the kids took another adventure without me.  This time they went to the Moon Marble Company to watch a marble making demonstration.   They had a great time both watching the demonstration, and picking out some marbles to purchase afterward.

Nearest City: Bonner Springs, KS
Location: 600 E Front Street, Bonner Springs, KS  66012
Time Needed: 1 hour
Difficulty:easy
 Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info:Moon Marble Company

The Baby Goats at Deanna Rose Farmstead

My wife took the kids to the Deanna Rose Farmstead in Overland Park, Kansas one day when I was working.  Deanna Rose is free admission during the week, but has a small admission fee on weekends.  It's a city park owned by the city of Overland Park.  It's well known throughout the Kansas City metro area though.

When I got home that night, I was told all about the park.  There were goats they got to feed milk from bottles.  And they fed the goats.  The baby goats were so cute when they fed them.  It was $1.00 for a bottle of milk, and money well spent.  And seriously, how often do you get to feed baby goats?  Once they were done telling me about the goats, the kids told me about some gardens, green tractors that they got to pedal, a fishing pond "but we didn't go fishing because you had to pay, and we don't have to pay when we go with you dad!", and lots of other stuff- including feeding baby goats.  I think one of these days I'll end up going down to Deanna Rose myself.  Baby goats are hungry creatures you know!

Nearest City: Overland Park, KS
Location: 13800 Switzer Road, Overland Park, KS
Time Needed: varies
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead

The Weston Bluffs Trail at Weston Bend State Park

In Mid-May we had a free Saturday morning.  Some friends had told us about a fantastic trail at Weston Bend State Park that was good for hiking as well as kids on bikes, so we headed over to Weston.  Our friends planned on meeting us if they could break away as well.  We drove through downtown Weston and parked on Market Street about a block east of the lower end of Main Street.  It's a weird trailhead, but parking is limited right where the trail begins.  We unloaded the kids' bikes and headed south on Welt Street.  After a block or two, the road turned into a nice paved trail sandwiched between the bluffs of Weston Bend State Park on the east, and the Missouri River on the west. 

We had a great time racing down the trail.  The kids would slow down as they rode up small inclines, then raced down again on the other side.  We went for about a mile/mile and a half until the paved trail intersected with a service road from the main part of Weston Bend State Park.  Shortly after that, the pavement gave way to dirt, and since it had rained earlier in the day, we opted to turn around rather then bike in the mud. 

Along the way we saw two toads, countless snails, and lots of cicadas.  One of our little bikers was determined to rescue every snail he could and picked them off of the trail and threw them into the bushes.  We finally had to set a limit on the number of snails he could remove, or we'd never have made it back.   Lewis and Clark went through here a couple hundred years ago, and there is the occasional sign along the way that gives you an opportunity to stop and read a little about the local history.

It was a great little trail.  We even had a few trains go by on the tracks just below the trail.  Each time the kids stopped their bikes and ran over to the edge to see if they could count the cars on the train.  Don't let the confusing signage at the trailhead discourage you.  This trail is a local favorite.  I guarantee you'll see others out on it. 


Nearest City: Weston, MO
Location: Park at Market St & Welt Street.  Head south & slightly east on Welt.
Time Needed: 2 hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Platte County Parks Department  Includes a trail map.

The National Frontier Trails Museum

Another stop in Independence is the National Frontier Trails Museum.  We really liked this museum!  It talks about the five major trails used in the opening of the west:  The Lewis and Clark Trail, The Oregon Trail, The California Trail, The Santa Fe Trail, and The Mormon Trail.  The museum does a great job focusing on each of them and also giving a big picture overview of settlers moving west.

I found it notable that the five trails each were created and used for different reasons The first trail, the Lewis and Clark Trail was blazed in the name of discovery and exploration.  The Santa Fe Trail was used for trade with the Spanish.  The Oregon Trail was followed by those in pursuit of land to settle.  The Mormon Trail was created by people looking for a place they could live their religion in peace.  The California Trail was a maze of routes utilized by "forty-niners" going to California to search for gold.  While the travelers' motivations for each trail varied, all of them were looking for a better life.

The museum had different sections.  It started out with an overview and trail map of each trail.  All of them either began in Independence, or made Independence part of the route as Independence was the edge of civilization in the 1830's.  A decade or two later, Kansas City would become and overpass Independence in size and importance, but in the 1830's, Independence had it all.  After acquainting visitors with each trail, the remainder of the museum mixed artifacts and journal entries to paint a tapestry of experiences that each traveler encountered along the trail.

I found the writings from the pioneer journals a mixture of emotions and facts.  They'd comment on landmarks passed and notable experiences including deaths and births along the way.  Some noted humorous experiences, others focused on hardships encountered.  Some entries looked back at the lives and communities left behind, as others looked forward to the lives they would build. 

It's a great little museum.  I really enjoyed it.  The kids had a good time too.  Their favorite exhibit was a wagon set up with a scale and supplies, and they practiced loading the supplies into the wagon so that they would have all they could, but stay not overload it.  They liked some of the artifacts, but got impatient a time or two while I was reading.   I'm glad we stopped here.  It's not on a major road in Independence, but it's not hard to find either.  If you find it and spend a while, you'll be better off for it.

Nearest City: Independence, MO
Location: 318 W. Pacific Independence, MO 64050
Time Needed: 2+ hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: National Frontier Trails Museum Website

Harry S Truman National Historic Site and the beginning of the Oregon Trail

While we were Independence, we visited several of the Harry S Truman sites.  We stopped at the visitor center and watched a short movie about him, his presidency, and his ties to Independence.  It was very informative.  He was famous for the saying "The Buck Stops Here". 

Before his political career, he was a Judge in Independence, with an office here at the courthouse in downtown Independence.  There is a statue of him on the east side of the courthouse. 

On the west side of the courthouse, there are two large monuments.  The one on the north marks the Courthouse Square as the beginning of the Oregon Trail. 

Off to the south is a stone monument marking the beginning of the Santa Fe Trail.  We stopped by the nearby National Frontier Trails Museum for a great overview of westward migration and the roles that these two trails had in the opening of the west. 

Nearest City: Independence, MO
Location: 223 N. Main Street Independence, MO  64050
Time Needed: 1-2 hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info: Harry S Truman National Historic Site

The Independence Visitor Center, Temple Lot, and Community of Christ Temple

Independence Temple Lot portion owned by the Community of Christ (Temple Lot)

In May we went over to Independence to visit some church history sites and historic sites.  Our first stop was at the Independence LDS Visitor Center.  The visitor center was a good visit, with numerous exhibits on families, LDS church (Mormon) history in Missouri, and information on what Mormons believe.  Stop on in if you're interested!  Even if you're not interested in becoming a Mormon, I'm sure you could find things that are interesting.  In 1831, Mormon settlers moved to the Independence area and began to settle and build a community.  Within a year or two, many of the Mormons began to gather together in Independence.  Joseph Smith Jr, a modern day prophet, came and dedicated a lot in the town for a temple.  Friction with other settlers escalated and before a temple could be built, the Mormons were forced to move on.  First they moved north to Far West, Missouri, then shortly after that to Nauvoo, Illinois. 

The Temple of the Community of Christ

The temple lot has been subdivided into several pieces, which are now owned by different churches. The LDS Independence Visitor Center sits on a portion of the lot.  The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, prior to becoming the Community of Christ, built their temple on one portion of the lot.  Another portion is currently vacant, but is owned by the Community of Christ (Temple Lot).  There was a detailed map I picked up at the LDS visitor center that showed the location of the temple lot, overlaid with current parcels and ownership. 

We stopped by the Community of Christ temple and quietly walked through it.  Its design was inspired by the conch shell.  The building functions as an administrative building, visitor center, museum, and temple.  Every day they have a Prayer for Peace at 1:00.  I found an interesting contrast between the Community of Christ Temple and those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  If you have some time in Kansas City, stop by the Kansas City Missouri Temple and walk around the grounds.  I feel at peace there.

Nearest City: Independence, MO
Location: 937 W. Walnut Street, Independence, MO 64050
Time Needed: 1-3 hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info:

Canoeing the Duck Head on the Platte River

Ever since we picked up our canoe at Christmas time I've been looking for new places go to for a float.  I like flat water canoe floats, but moving water is always a little more fun then paddling on a pond or lake.  One of the places I immediately gravitated to was the Platte River. There are actually two Platte Rivers.  The one that goes through Nebraska is bigger and certainly better known.  The Platte River in Missouri is smaller, closer to home, and the one I had in mind.  What I found certainly exceeded my expectations.

There are boat ramps located all along the Platte River, but near Platte City, there's a place in Platte Falls Conservation Area where the river twists and turns back on itself, creating a spot where two boat ramps are separated by 2 1/2 miles of water, but only 100 yards or so on land.   This spot has been dubbed "The Duckhead" by others, because as you look at an aerial view of it, it loosely looks like the distorted head of a duck.  One of the basic challenges of doing a river float is the logistical challenge of setting up a shuttle.  The challenge of finding shuttle vehicles and other drivers who are available to stage a vehicle at the launch or takeout has killed more anticipated float trips than nearly any other reason.  The Duckhead, much like the famous Horseshoe Bend on the Guadalupe River in Texas, overcomes this obstacle by the fortunate placement of river geography.  I felt the need to go and float the Duckhead and learn of the marvelous boat ramps for myself, so one warm Saturday afternoon in March we packed up and drove out to paddle it. 

We had a great float!  The 2 1/2 mile float took just over an hour to make the float.  We weren't in any hurry- since I was the only paddler with a boat full of rowdies.  If you're a solo paddler or paddling with others you can make the trip much faster if you want to.  Other options include paddling upstream from one boat ramp or downstream from another if you want to make the paddle longer.  We saw a man and his son out for a float as the only other paddlers.  The river has cut down through the sediments, so the river has steep banks all along the float.  The Platte River flows slowly, and while there are some logs and strainers in the water, the only danger they present is to careless paddlers who are not paying attention.  Even beginner paddlers can enjoy this float.  We had a great time and look forward to getting back and seeing how the scenery changes over the course of the year.

Nearest City: Platte City, MO
Location: Platte Falls Conservation Area, MO
Time Needed: 90 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Platte Falls Conservation Area Website

Round and Around at the CW Parker Carousel Museum

We recently stopped at the CW Parker Carousel Museum in Leavenworth, Kansas.   The morning we stopped by, there was a big chocolate event going on at the facility (they have events at the museum too).  Most of the ladies were going one way- to the chocolate event.  We went the other way- to the museum.  There were some very nice retired folks who were there at the museum desk, so we asked a few questions, bought a few tickets, then went through the doors to see the carousels. 

CW Parker had a factory in Leavenworth that made carousels in the early 1900's.  He actually made more than just carousels, he made all sorts of carnival rides and attractions, but carousels are what he became famous for making.  While most of the carousel animals were horses, a few carousels had other animals as well.  The carousel at the museum has two white rabbits. 

The museum is open most days, and does have a cost for the guided tour.  The front desk didn't recommend the tour for children through, so we skipped it.  If you're like us and not able or interested to go on the tour, you can buy tickets to ride the carousel anyway.  That's what we did.  We bought some tickets and had some great rides on the carousel.  The kids were a little bit nervous at first because the carousel does go around pretty quickly, but they had a great time and want to go back again.  

There are actually two carousels at the museum- the CW Parker Carousel, and a Civil War era carousel.  The Civil War era carousel was hand cranked, and is not available for rides. 

If you're in Leavenworth or close by, the carousel museum is a worthwhile stop.  If you're not in the area, it's worth a visit if you combine it with a few other things in the Leavenworth area that you want to see.  We didn't do the tour, but we learned a little bit about carousels and had a fun time riding one when we visited.  If you don't have the time for the full tour of the museum, but still have 15 minutes, stop by and go for a ride!  You'll be glad you did!

Nearest City: Leavenworth, Kansas
Location: 320 S. Esplanade, Leavenworth, KS
Time Needed: 15 to 90 minutes.  varies
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: CW Parker Carousel Museum Website

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

In February we went to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.  Wow.  If you're ever in Kansas City, this place should definitely be on your list.  There's a few crazy modernistic sculptures outside, I won't go so far as to call them art, but don't let them dissuade you from going inside.  Once you get in there's not many of the "contemporary" or "modern" substitutes that people try to pass off as art.  Instead, you've got a couple of floors of the good stuff. 

One of the favorite exhibits was the Medieval armor.  Who said functionality can't be beautiful!  The armor was definitely more popular with the young boys than many of the paintings done by famous and influential artists like Caravaggio, Titian, Rembrandt, Degas, Van Gogh, Manet, and many others.  I liked several of the paintings myself.  Seriously, the Nelson-Atkins Museum as something in it for everybody.  Even people that don't like art. 

The courtyard from a monastery and the tomb covers were pretty cool.  The kids wanted to climb up on top of them.  I told them that it wasn't very respectful of the person they were made for, or respectful of the museum.  (I'm glad I was right there watching before they actually climbed up!)

The section on Egyptian art was a favorite of the younger kids.  There's a mummy, along with the wrappings and boxes, and many things from the mummy's tomb.  This area of the museum was packed.  My kids were not alone in their fascination with mummies.  We saw more families in this area then we did throughout the rest of the museum combined. 

The Chinese Art was also fun to visit.  There's some amazingly awesome Chinese pottery to see, great stone lions, Buddist sculptures, huge ceremonial daggers, and many other things. 

There's way too much there to thoroughly cover in one blogpost.  We really had a good time at the museum, and even though we didn't see it all before the kids got tired, we're planning to go back.  In fact, the kids have insisted that we go back.  Now that should tell you all you need to know- the kids got tired at the museum, but still want to go back and see more.  We'll definitely make it happen!

Nearest City: Kansas City, MO
Location: 4525 Oak Street, Kansas City, Missouri
Time Needed: varies, 3 hours minimum
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: with supervision
Additional Info: Nelson Atkins Website

Liberty Jail Mormon History Site

Since we now live in the Kansas City area, we thought we'd take an afternoon to drive out to Liberty, Missouri to see the Liberty Jail.  Liberty Jail- now that's an oxymoron for you.  My wife and I have both discussed this at length.  If you're familiar with Mormon church history beyond the basics of Brigham Young leading the pioneers across the plains to Utah, you'll probably know that Joseph Smith Jr, a modern-day prophet, was unjustly imprisoned in Liberty, Missouri over the winter of 1838-39.  While there, he received the revelations that became modern scripture found in Doctrine and Covenants Sections 121, 122, and 123.  My wife and I both were taught by our parents to love freedom, and also to obey, honor, and sustain the law, so although we didn't meet until we were in our 20's, "Liberty Jail" left us both wondering as youngsters how Liberty and Jail could rationally be used in the same sentence.  It took a few years until I realized that it was more accurate to say the jail in the town of Liberty, Missouri. 

The jail was torn down except for the foundation, and a home was built on the site.  Because of the sacred revelations received by the prophet Joseph Smith while incarcerated, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS or Mormon) acquired the site in the 1960's and built a reconstruction of the original jail, surrounded by a larger visitor center to protect the site.  Now the site is open daily, with missionaries on site to give tours of the historic jail and to answer questions about the church.  They're great if you want to get firsthand knowledge of what Mormons actually believe instead of trusting something that you read on the internet. Trust me- drinking water from the source sure beats taking a long draught after it's been through the cow pasture.  And if you're not into religion, but interested in history, they'll be respectful enough to still give you a free tour.

Since we have a energetic kids, we asked one of the missionaries for a shortened tour.  They showed us around and we saw pictures of the old jail, the original key, a picture of the house that was built over the jail, etc.  We skipped the 15 minute movie.  The kids were quiet and attentive when we took them and sat by the rebuilt jail and looked at the cramped conditions and listened to an audio presentation about what had happened there.  We took a few quiet moments to sit and ponder, then moved along so another tour group could enjoy a contemplative moment.

Nearest City: Liberty, MO
Location: 216 N. Main Liberty, MO  64068
Time Needed: 30+ minutes
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Liberty Jail Historic Site

Kansas City Cabelas Mule Deer Museum

We stopped by Cabela's to take a look around the store.  I think of Cabela's as a big store, with a little bit of a wildlife museum included.  Of course, the first stop we made was at the fish tank.  They had some huge blue catfish, flathead catfish, and gar.  There were also some decent sized bass and crappie swimming around in the tanks as well.  I could spend a whole lot of time just hanging out at the Cabela's Aquarium, but since my wife was there, we had to go check out some other things too. 

The Kansas City Cabelas has a mule deer museum, with more than 80 world-class bucks on display.  They touted it as the largest collection of mule deer mounts assembled in the world.  I can't refute the claim, and it was quite the impressive collection.  I told the kids that they'd be lucky to see one deer alive that was as big as the ones in the store.  I'm partial toward mule deer.  I think they're way more attractive then whitetail deer. Yeah, some whitetail deer can grow a large set of antlers, but the forks of a mulie's rack are so much more graceful and elegant!  It is a little weird though to have the mule deer museum in Kansas City- the heart of whitetail country, but that's a side tangent.  It's worth a stop if you like wildlife.  

There's many other mounts throughout the store as well, including Arctic and African animals.  We stopped by the bargain cave to see if we could find anything we "needed."  The nice thing about the bargain cave is that you can bargain with the sales clerks to whittle down the price on anything that's already on discount. 

I've decided that Cabela's and REI cater to different crowds.  Cabela's gear is designed and marketed to the hunters and outfitter types- ones that load it in a truck or strap it to a 4-wheeler or horse.  It's more rugged, durable, and HEAVY.  REI's gear is definitely more lightweight and packable- for those who take it somewhere under their own power.  So while it's lightweight and smaller, it won't stand up to tons of abuse.  It's marketed to the latte sipping, granola bar munching, tree-hugging type.  Both stores are a bit expensive.  So while I like browsing both stores, more often then not I go home empty-handed and stuck in the gear purgatory of "good-enough".  I like new gear, but what I've got still works just fine and it's hard to justify spending more money for new stuff.

Nearest City: Kansas City, KS
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: varies
Difficulty:
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info: Cabela's Mule Deer Museum Website

The Lakeside Nature Center and Red Fox Trail

 

It seems like I'm always behind when it comes to blogging.  We visited the Lakeside Nature Center back in December, and I'm only getting around to blogging about it now.  We had a free Saturday, so went over to the Lakeside Nature Center.  We'd heard that it was a place that rehabbed injured wild animals and was a fun stop for kids.  So, we loaded everybody up and went over to Swope Park to see what was there.  

Swope Park is a huge natural area on the east side of Kansas City that has the zoo, a golf course, numerous hiking trails, some fishing ponds, and lots more.  It's also home to the Lakeside Nature Center.  We found our way there (Swope Park is BIG!), then went inside.  There were a few animals there to see, but really not as many as I expected.  Most of them had been hit by cars, or injured in some other way and were unable to fend for themselves in the wild.  The opossums were a favorite of the kids. 

They also had mice, turtles, fish, snakes, squirrels, and a few other animals inside, with some large cages out back for eagles, hawks and owls.   We enjoyed looking at all of the animals, then looking at them some more.  After about half an hour, the kids saw a coloring table and went over to color pictures. 

I wanted to go for a hike, so after the kids finished their pictures, we dropped the pictures off in the car, then went out to hike the Red Fox Trail, located just outside the Lakeside Nature Center.  There are maps available at the center, and the trail is well-signed for the most part and easy to follow. 

WOW- Midwest hardwood forests.  This was basically my first hike in the Kansas City area after moving from Arizona.  It's definitely nothing like Arizona here!  I like it!  The trees were everywhere.  I'm sure it will be crazy how green it ends up when the summer gets here.  The many kinds of fungus we saw growing were really neat too.  The kids had fun at first, but then wanted to be carried.  We found a great alternative when we found a "choo-choo train stick".  They all grabbed ahold of it, then marched down the trail as part of the choo-choo train.  We had a few small disagreements along the way about who got to be the engine, but the problems all worked themselves out with a little parental intervention. 

The best part of the hike though would definitely be swinging on the vines.  I think they are wild grape plants, and they shoot runners that climb up to the top branches of the trees.  Near one of the trail junctions, someone had cut the vine off at the base, freeing it to make a "rope swing" out of the vine.  I guess that would make it a vine swing!  We spent a lot of time just swinging back and forth like Tarzan.  Finally after our hands and arms were all gripped out, we stopped swinging and continued hiking.   We definitely had a good time! 


Nearest City: Kansas City, Missouri
Location: 4701 E. Gregory Blvd.  Kansas City, MO
Time Needed: 30-45 minutes for the nature center, 30-60 minutes for the hike
Difficulty: Easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: The Lakeside Nature Center

Winter Visit to the Battle of Mine Creek SHS

Our final stop of our Frontier Military Byway trip was at the Battle of Mine Creek State Historic Site.  I was really exited to stop by and learn about the Battle of Mine Creek, the largest battle of the Civil War fought in Kansas.  It was very apparent as we drove up mid-afternoon and saw the empty parking lot that maybe a visit wasn't in the works.  Sure enough, the visitor center is closed from November to March.  I definitely want to come back in warmer weather when the park is actually open.  I didn't let the closed visitor center completely curtail a visit.  I parked the car, then got out and read the few signs outside of the visitor center to learn a little more about the battle. 

The signs were definitely interesting.  Apparently this was the largest cavalry battle of the Civil War.  It also is the biggest Civil War battlefield in Kansas. 

The quick history of the Battle of Mine Creek is on October 25, 1864, just under 3000 Union troops attacked and defeated a Confederate force of about 8000.  It was part of Confederate General Sterling Price's Missouri Campaign to rekindle the Confederacy in Missouri.  The campaign was a failure, and the Battle of Mine Creek was the last major defeat that ended the campaign.  The weather was rainy, bogging down the Confederate's retreat, as they had numerous supply wagons.  The Union troops came upon them, then hastily charged.  More advanced weapons (revolvers and breech-loading carbines) gave the Union forces an advantage, as they carried the day.  Three points of distinction about the Battle of Mine Creek are that it was the largest cavalry battle of the Civil War, it's the largest Civil War battle fought in Kansas, and it's one of the very few instances in battle where a private, the lowest rank in the army,  has captured a general, one of the highest ranks. Private James Dunlavy received the Medal of Honor, the highest honor of the US Military, for doing so.

I was disappointed that the site is closed in the winter.  But, from the little bit of walking around and reading the signs that I did, it seems very worthwhile to visit when it's open. 

Nearest City: Pleasanton, KS
Location: 20485 K 52, Pleasanton, KS
Time Needed: 20 min (winter visit)
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: no- too boring
Additional Info: Battle of Mine Creek SHS Website

Kaw Point: Confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers

A few weeks ago I finally brought my car in to get checked out.  There was a slight antifreeze smell that I'd notice every time I got out after driving somewhere.  I'd checked underneath countless times- no drips. I'd also popped the hood on several occasions to check and see if I could see anything from up top, although I never could.  I was getting ready to go when I heard the last words any guy wants to hear when he's bringing a car to the shop: "I'm coming with you".   It was Saturday and my wife and kids were eager to get out.  I was eager to get any car issues resolved, hopefully without any kids running around while it was getting worked on.  She insisted. "We've been here at home all week and really need to get out.  Just drop us off somewhere, Target, the Mall, anywhere, then come get us when it's done."  I relented, and they all piled into the car.  Saturday outings are somewhat more then a tradition at our house.  They're a necessity. I dropped everyone off at Target, then drove the car in to the shop a block or so away.  An hour later, I was good to go.  The car was still under warranty from some work we had done last year, so I walked out without having to pay for the small hose adjustments they made. Some of the hoses were not perfectly aligned/seated, so they'd leak a very small amount of antifreeze each time I drove.  Yay for cheap fixes!  I zipped over and tracked down my family, then it was time for an adventure. 

We stopped by the Wyandotte County Museum but it was closed.  Plan B- Kaw Point.  Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery stopped at Kaw Point on their epic journey westward up the Missouri River.  It sounded like a notable enough location that tracking it down would be fun.  We tried driving on several back roads and side roads, and eventually gave that up.  There's not really an address for Kaw Point, but because of the maze of freeways and highways, ultimately the best way to access Kaw Point is from the freeway.  We found an onramp to I-70 eastbound, then took exit 423B and followed the signs to Kaw Point.  It's only half a mile or so off of the exit and it's pretty straightforward if you follow the signs.  I don't know if we would have gotten there if we hadn't driven on the freeway for a short distance. 

Kaw Point is in what's now an industrial part of town.  When Lewis and Clark came through, it was all prairie and forest.  The reports they sent back were very favorable, which directly led to the establishment of Kansas City.  There's a small park, with some short trails, all of them more or less leading to the confluence.  A silhouette statue of Lewis and Clark is there at the point. It's a fantastic vantage point of Kansas City's skyline.  We climbed down to the water and watched all of the ice floes coming down the Missouri River from the north country. The Kansas (Kaw) River was ice free.  It was fun talking to the kids and asking why there were ice chunks coming down one river and not the other.  As we scrambled around on the rocks, we found  numerous fishing jigs and lost tackle.  The kids had fun finding the rubber worms and grubs and made it a contest to see who could find the best one.  In the winter months, bald eagles come to the confluence for easy fishing.  We didn't see any, but the best way to see them is by from a distance, and by staying quiet.  It was not gonna happen while we were there!

We wandered back up along the trails, read the signs, then went to look at the boat ramp.  While we were at the boat ramp some cops drove by, just keeping an eye on the area.  I'm not sure if they were just out keeping an eye on things or what, but I can't recommend visiting Kaw Point at night.  I do believe that everyone in the Kansas City area should visit Kaw Point at some time or another.  The history is fascinating, and sometimes it's best to start at the beginning.  Although there were some indian settlements in the area prior to Lewis and Clark, they opened the way for the exploration and settlement of the west.  Their favorable report directly led to the settlement of Kansas City.  Also, the point became the dividing marker, separating Kansas from Missouri in a straight line south from the point.  It's worth visiting.

Nearest City: Kansas City, KS
Location: Confluence of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers
Time Needed: 45 min
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Kaw Point Park Website