2025 Trip 3, Part 1 – St. Joseph, MO

This post will be about the first half of our return to our house in St. Joseph, MO.

MARCH

As you know from my last post, we started this trip with a stop in Palm Springs to see the art exhibit “Desert X.” On our first travel day to St. Joe, we drove for 12+ hours from Palm Springs to Tucumcari, New Mexico. The next day we drove another 10 hours and made it to our St. Joseph house at around 7:30 PM. We quickly unpacked and got some sleep because the next day we went to Kansas City Airport to pick up Corrianne who was visiting for my 60th birthday. After picking her up, we lunched at Scott’s Kitchen, right next to the airport. Scott’s Kitchen is a BBQ place with amazing BBQ. Cindy had a BBQ Chicken Salad…….

……Corrianne had the Jalapeno Cheese Sausage and Brisket with mashed potatoes and potato salad…….

…..and I had the Jalapeno Cheese Sausage and Pulled Pork with Jambalaya and coleslaw.

As usual, the food was amazing and earned a link you can find at the end of this post. The next day was my actual birthday, and we celebrated by seeing the show “Forever Young” at the Missouri Theater.

The show was about a group of friends hanging out in a basement singing some of their favorite songs. The show was average, but we still managed to have a good time.

The next day we celebrated my birthday with family and friends at Prestyn’s Wine Bar in the downstairs private party room. Cindy and Corrianne worked very hard and made it a night to remember.

**L to R Clockwise: Nancy, Corrianne, Machelle, Bobby, Don, Marie, Scott, Heather, Cindy, Me, John, Dana, Denby**

The next, and last, day of the birthday celebration had a group of us doing the annual birthday pub crawl. The weather was a little chilly, but not too bad for St. Joe in March. Here we are at River Bluff Brewing.

At Geneo’s Pizza a drum and bagpipe group paraded through the restaurant.

Here we all are on our merry way.

L to R Clockwise: Corrianne, Marie, Don, Me, Bobby, Machelle, Scott, Heather, Cindy

I had a great three-day birthday bash. Corrianne flew home and a few days later, Scott, Don, Bobby, and I went golfing even though the weather was a bit dicey. When we were on the 17th hole, the weather had deteriorated, and we received the dreaded message.

So what did we do? We finished the last two holes and lived to tell about it. A few days later the group got together at Scott and Heather’s for dinner and a group craft night. Cindy and I picked the craft. Everyone had to draw someone’s name from a pile and paint a portrait of that person. It was very amusing to say the least. Here are all of the portraits. Do you recognize anyone?

Here are Don and Marie holding up their portraits. Machelle drew Marie and Scott drew Don.

Heather as drawn by Bobby and Marie drew Scott.

Cindy drew Machelle and Heather drew Bobby.

I drew Cindy and Don drew me.

If you are looking for an idea for a fun craft night for a family or group of friends, we suggest trying this. We had a great time. Later in the month, the group headed to the Den for their monthly new drink tasting. As usual, there were some really good drinks, a few interesting ones, and a few I would pass on. That being said, the Den is always a great time and link worthy. You know where to find it.

Cindy and I ended the month at our favorite Mexican restaurant in St. Joe, Los Compadres. Cindy had her favorite cheese enchiladas, and I had my usual and most favorite bucket of soup, the Caldo Tlalpeño. It is filled with shrimp, chicken, beef, and vegetables in a delicious chicken and tomato broth.

APRIL

April started with a spring craft night at Scott and Heather’s house.

L to R clockwise: Me, Machelle, Bobby, Don, Marie, Scott, Cindy

L to R clockwise: Scott, Heather, Cindy, Me, Machelle, Bobby, Don, Marie

This craft night was making silly bunny headbands and puffy bunny balls. Here are some of our bunnies.

A week later, we volunteered at a local Special Olympic event. This was our second year in a row volunteering at this event.

We were the team that handed out the medals again.

Helping at Special Olympic events is always fun and rewarding. We highly recommend trying it. Use the link at the end of this post to find an event to volunteer at or to make a donation.

Later that week, we went to The Den for 90’s trivia. The Den hosts trivia nights once a month and they are always hosted by Bob Schultz. Bob does an outstanding job with the quizzes, and we almost always finish out of the top three teams but have a blast anyway. This trivia night was no different as we really enjoyed Bob’s quiz and once again finished outside of the top 3 teams. We ended up on the Den’s Facebook page. That is us seated behind Bob Schultz.

**From the front right going back: Bobby, Heather, Cindy, me behind Cindy without a face.**

Later in the month we went to our first Kansas City Royals baseball game at Kauffman Stadium. Cindy and I were joined by Scott, Heather, Machelle, and Bobby.

We were lucky we picked this specific game because it was a giveaway night. They were giving away Royals ushanka or trapper hats. These hats have fur lined ear flaps that can be snapped up or pulled down to keep your ears warm. We were so lucky to be there on that night. Here is a picture of Scott and I sporting our stylish hats.

Cindy and Heather were not amused nor were they fans of our new head gear. Aside from the hats, the stadium was very nice considering how old it is. It was opened in 1973, making it 52 years old.

The Royals won in a tight game in the 11th inning.

Kauffman Stadium is a must visit. You know where the link is. A few days later, the whole gang went to the Missouri Theater to see an Eagles tribute band named, “7 Bridges.”

This was one of the best tribute bands we have ever seen. They were really amazing.

We will definitely see this band again. You should see them as well, so use the link below. The next day was Cindy and my 33rd wedding anniversary. We celebrated by having dinner at the JC Wyatt House. The JC Wyatt House is the #1 private dining restaurant in St Joseph and a Certificate of Excellence Winner from 2014-2024 on Tripadvisor. You dine in a unique 1891 historic home that has been painstakingly restored. You enjoy amazing cuisine with fine service in authentic Victorian ambiance. When you make your reservation, you select your main course. I chose the lamb, and Cindy ordered the filet mignon. Here is what the house looked like when we arrived.

The inside was very true to the Victorian period.

There was a unique antique butter holder too. That was something new for both of us.

Our dinner was a four-course meal. It started with a tasty shrimp cocktail appetizer.

Followed by a really good potato leak soup.

Our main courses were cooked perfectly and amazingly delicious. Both proteins came with diced potatoes, braised vegetables, and a homemade roll.

Our dessert was just as amazing as the meal. It was a trio of a Key Lime Tart, a Chocolate Tart, and a slice of Raspberry Pound Cake. It was served on a plate that was customized for our anniversary.

The JC Wyatt House is an absolute must visit experience. Use the link below to make your reservation. And be prepared to pick your protein when you call. At the end of the month, we flew down to Houston, Texas to visit Corrianne and Alex, and to meet their new dog, Kiki. On our flight to Houston, they had changed the safety cards showing what to do in an emergency.

Apparently, in case of a crash landing, you are supposed to place your baby in the car seat then on your back. Huh?!?! Luckily our flight did not have a crash landing and there were no babies in car seats near us. We made it safely to Corrianne’s house and got to meet Kiki. She is a 100-pound Great Pyrenees that they adopted from the local rescue. She is very friendly and loves attention.

She went with us to dinner at Wunsche Brothers Cafe and Saloon in downtown Spring where we ate on the patio and everyone wanted to meet her. The next day we all went to Brazos Bend State Park for some hiking and sightseeing.

Brazos Bend State Park is known for its beautiful nature scenery and its alligators. We ended up seeing plenty of both. The scenery was beautiful.

Here we are at a dock.

And us at the top of an observation tower.

There were a lot of birds.

A few turtles.

And of course, alligators.

Last, but not least, there was a small nature center at the park. We saw baby alligators.

There were alligator displays.

There was a display that showed how big alligators can get. Females can reach eight feet and males can reach eleven feet. Stretched out, Cindy only made it top seven feet.

Until next time, be sure to stay clear of the gators.

LINKS

Scott’s Kitchen

The Den

Special Olympics Northwestern Missouri

Kauffman Stadium

7 Bridges Band

JC Wyatt House

Brazos Bend State Park

2024 Trip 6, Part 2 – Cindy and My Return to St. Joseph, Missouri

This post covers the highlights of the second half of our return to our house in St. Joseph, Missouri.

This segment of our trip starts with a visit from our great friends, the Webers. This time, instead of driving, they flew into Kansas City International Airport. We picked them up and took them to dinner at Q39 near downtown Kansas City. Todd is an incredible BBQ chef, so I enjoy having him try KC BBQ for his opinion of it. He liked Q39 and it earned a link. The next day, Todd, Scott, Bobby, and I golfed at the Plattsburg Country Club. This is one of my favorite courses and we all had a great time. Here is the course layout and the view from the 9th tee.

If you want to golf there, use the link at the end of this post. The next day, Todd, Edie, Cindy, and I headed down to the city of Parkview. It claimed to have a nice older downtown area, and it did.

We started with lunch at a French bistro named Cafe Des Amis. The food was outstanding. They had quiches, crepes, and the like. I had the Beef Bourguignon, a type of beef stew. It was amazing. Everyone else really enjoyed their meals as well and they clearly earned a link. After some shopping, we returned to St. Joseph and had dinner at Felix. Then it was off to meet Scott, Heather, Machelle, and Bobby at the Wyeth Tootle Mansion for the Voices of the Past tour.

We did this tour last year and had a really good time. The tour starts at the mansion with one of the character speakers. This year’s theme was Unsolved Mysteries. Each speaker was dressed as a person from the past who was involved in an unsolved mystery. After our first speaker, we took a bus to the Mt. Mora Cemetary where the rest of the speakers were waiting to tell us their stories.

Once again, Bobby was part of the entertainment while we waited for our return bus.

We ended the evening with a nightcap at The Den. They had it decorated for Halloween.

The next day we visited Schweizer Orchards, right down the road from us. It is an orchard that has some pick your own fruits, that we did not do, and a fruit and vegetable store, which we did visit.

They even used some interesting units of measurement, like a bushel and a peck.

We made a few purchases and had lunch downtown at the 7th Street Cafe. It was link worthy as usual. Dinner was at Willie’s Bar and Grill in Atchison, Kansas with Todd, Edie, Cindy, Don, and Marie. Bobby and Machele could not make this event. Why Atchison, Kansas you ask. Because we were taking the haunted houses of Atchison trolly tour. Atchison has more haunted houses per capita than most other cities. Unfortunately, we only drove by the houses and heard stories about the houses from our tour guide. I think it would be fun to go on a tour where you get to go inside some of the houses. Maybe next time. We still had a very good time.

Salle House, most haunted house in Kansas

After an enjoyable tour where we may or may not have seen some actual ghosts, it all depended on your own perspective, we ended at the Visitor Center than happens to have a bar in it. Lucky us. The city of Atchinson, Kansas is worth a visit, so use the link at the end of this post to check out their visitor center and events around town.

L to R: Bartender, Scott, Heather, Don, Marie

The next day, Todd, Edie, Cindy, and I went to the Amish town of Jamesport. Of course, we had to have the delicious chicken and homemade baked goods at Gingerich Dutch Pantry. After some sightseeing, we returned to St. Joseph and freshened up for the evening’s outing. We met Scott, Heather, Bobby, and Machelle and our first stop was the newly opened Parkway Distillery.

One of the owners gave us a tour and pointed out all of the rescued antiques they had in the place. The main bar is from the Goetz Brewery Stein Room, there are historical pieces from the Stockyards Exchange Building, and some doors and pieces from the old courthouse are among the items. It is very well done, and the drinks are delicious. They distill their own vodka, gin and whiskey, but of course the whiskey will not be ready for several years. This is a must visit, so use the link in the usual place. Our second stop was at Coleman Hawkins Park, a park in the main square downtown, to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Days.

We ate some tacos, enjoyed some music, then headed to the roof of Felix’s Room 108 to watch the celebration from above.

L to R: Scott, Heather, Edie, Todd, Cindy, and me

Overall, it was a very enjoyable day. The next morning, we took Todd and Edie to the Historic City Market in Kansas City. It has a farmer’s market, restaurants, shops, outdoor vendors, and the Steamboat Arabia Museum. This is another must visit. The link is in the usual place.

We returned to St. Joseph and toured the St. Joseph Museums. The museums are comprised of the Glore Psychiatric Museum, the Black Archives, the Archaeology and Native American Galleries, and the Doll Museum. Cindy and I have visited these exhibits before, but it was the first time for Todd and Edie. We toured all five of the exhibits.

Here are a few pictures from the Glore Psychiatric Museum.

We saw some dueling pistols and bug jewelry from the Archaeology and Native American Galleries.

And some unusual dolls from the Doll Museum.

The St. Joseph Museums are another must visit. You know where to find the link. This was our last outing with the Webers before they flew back to CA. Several days later, we joined Bobby and Machelle at Scott and Heather’s house for a Halloween craft night of decorating cookies sent to us from Heather’s mom (Pat) in CA. Here is some of our handiwork.

A few days later, we all went to the Missouri Theater for the Taste of Ireland dance and music show. They did not allow any pictures or recordings during the show, so here are two pictures of the stage before the show started.

The dancing and music were amazing. I would see this show again if it ever returns. The following week we finally had our new carpet installed in our bedroom and on the stairs. The St. Joseph house has mostly wood floor and tile floors, with the exception of our bedroom and the stairs to the second floor. I thought the old carpet was fine, but was outvoted 1-0. Here is the old bedroom carpet.

And this is the new bedroom carpet.

The colors are close, with the new carpet being slightly lighter. Here is the before and after of the stairs.

Since we had redone the carpet, I decided to replace the two blinds in our bedroom window with a single blind. If you look at the picture of the old blinds, the circled item is a piece of paper that was clipped to the blinds. This was necessary because the streetlight in front of our house would shine in the gap between the blinds and hit me right in the eyes every night. The paper was not needed with the single blind and it just looked better. Judge for yourself.

The installation process caused a day of havoc as we had to move all of our bedroom furniture into the living room first thing in the morning, then return it to the bedroom that night.

All of the effort was worth it and now everything is back to normal. On the night of the carpet installation, Bobby, Machelle, Heather, Cindy and I went to the Trail Theater to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Scott was unavailable as he had basketball practice.

Front Row: Me, Machelle, Heather Back row: Cindy, Bobby

We had a great time and even danced the Time Warp in the aisles. If you have the chance to see this movie, do it and dance the Time Warp. It is so much fun. The next day we participated in the zombie crawl to benefit the Friends of the St. Joseph Animal Shelter. The crawl starts at D & G Bar and Grill and they encourage dressing up as zombies. So of course we did.

In this picture of us inside D & G, I love how the picture somehow was distorted and Bobby’s body as abnormally larger than his head!

L to R: Bobby, Marie, Don, Me, Scott, Cindy, Heather

He is the crowd walking down Fredrick Avenue.

And a great time was had by all and the animal shelter benefitted as well. Cindy and I spent the following weekend in Kansas City for her birthday. On the way to our hotel, we stopped at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. This is an amazing place with tranquil gardens, beautiful nature scenery, and fantastic bird watching opportunities.

The Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is a truly amazing place and is more than link worthy. Visit it yourself using the link at the end of this post. We spent the weekend at the Intercontinental Kansas City, overlooking the country club plaza.

There was nightly entertainment in the lobby/bar area.

The next day was walked to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. It is known for its giant shuttlecocks on the grounds, among other things.

There was also some interesting art on the outside of the museum.

Near the entrance, was a Dia de los Muertos exhibit where you could write a message to one of your departed relatives and it would be “delivered” during a ceremony later on. Yes, we each sent a message to the beyond.

Here are some paintings from a few famous artists with a description of their art.

And some paintings from some less famous artists.

Here are some interesting non-painting art pieces.

And here is a piece I posed for. It was difficult, but I did it for the art!

If you like art museums, this is one not to miss. Use the link at the end of this post to get your KC art fix. For dinner, we walked to Capital Grill in the Country Club Plaza. We had a special tasting menu called the Wagyu and Wine. I had the Wagyu Cheeseburger that came with grilled onions, steak sauce and Vermont white cheddar cheese. It was paired with a Duckhorn Vineyards merlot. Cindy had the Wagyu Mushroom and Swiss Burger that had roasted shiitake mushrooms, Jarlsberg cheese and Truffle Aioli. It was paired with a Migration Pinot Noir. The meal ended with a special birthday dessert for Cindy. As usual, the meal was outstanding.

Capital Grill is more than link worthy so use the one at the end of this post to have a culinary treat. When we returned to St. Joseph, our first group outing was to have some fried chicken at Gina’s Cafe and Catering. We had eaten there before and love the fried chicken. This time they had a special mascot there.

Great food and good fun. Want to try it for yourself, use the link at the end of this post. A few days later was Halloween and this is Scott in his costume.

We did a craft where we were supposed to make bath bombs. Something went terribly wrong, and this is what we ended up with.

Needless to say, they ended up in the trash and not in anyone’s bath. A few days later, we went to the Den to see their Christmas decorations. It was amazing as usual.

And of course there was someone there with a small dog. It is either a small dog or small child.

Our last meal for this visit was at our house where we celebrated Bobby and Machelle’s birthdays.

L to R: Machelle, Heather, Scott, Cindy, Bobby

And so our St. Joseph stay came to an end. The next post will cover our drive home via Texas, where we visited Dan and his wife Chris, Corrianne and Alex, and Big Bend National Park. Make sure you only use good bath bombs until then.

LINKS

Q39

Plattsburg Country Club Golf Course

Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Capital Grill