Alex and Kat's Excellent Adventures (to Kansas City and back)
Kat and I recently took a trip to Kansas City to meet our new nephew, and did some touring along the way!
Stop #1: David Davis Mansion (Bloomington, IL)
Kat: OH-MY-LANTA this house. It’s odd looking on the outside, but is absolutely stunning once you pass the front door. Not only does it have a foyer inlaid with tile, it has two doors engraved with the letter “D”, in fogged glass. Beyond the doors lies a house you see in movies and television shows: perfectly furnished rooms, beautiful carpets, and painted ceilings. It’s like a time capsule of a time where new things like indoor plumbing, heating, and fancy kitchen appliances were becoming a bit more main stream. Our docent, Meredith, got a bunch of questions from us and was able to answer most of them. She did admit that she had some questions of her own to look into about the house, which was great too!
The main grounds had a garden planted by Sarah Davis, Dave Davis’ wife, and had plants that had been growing there since the 1870s. We didn’t get to view the entire garden, but we got a glimpse from the gate. There are white circle tags with blue letters that say “Sarah’s Original” to designate these. There are also one or two plants near the front of the house that are original as well. Seeds from these plants are available for purchase in the gift shop.
Before the tour, one of the master gardeners spoke to us about the lives of these two individuals (he was a Senator and Supreme Court Judge who worked under, and was friends with, Abraham Lincoln) and he was very knowledgeable as well.
If you are a fan of historical houses, there are lots of surprises to be found. It’s definitely a must see and we enjoyed it immensely!
Alex: Facinating and slightly kooky period mansion that provides a look into the life of Lincoln ally and Supreme Court judge David Davis that highlights the quirks of 19th century aristocracy. Definitely worth a stop-over if you're in central Illinois
Stop #2: Miller Park Zoo (Bloomington, IL)
Alex: Small but fun zoo. Main highlights are some very entertaining gibbons, a very loud tiger, a showboating Cockatoo, and the world's most evil Kookaburras. Seriously, the Kookaburras made my day. Anyway, the zoo is worth seeing if you're in the area, but otherwise similar to most other small-town zoos.
Kat: We all know the rhyme, “Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,eating all the gum drops he can see.” Let me tell you, my children. They don’t eat gum drops. They eat mice. They are carnivorous beasts and they aren’t afraid to tell you so.
We had the “honor” of witnessing a feeding in which the handler brought mice. The birds were quite happy to see the food and let out their signature laughing call. One of the birds picked up a mouse with its beak (they had already left this world, thankfully), whacked it a few times, and let out this cackling laugh.
I kid you not, I was terrified. A piece of my childhood died that day. I keep trying to forget it, but Alex keeps bringing it up. Their laughter went on for a couple of minutes and it looked like something out of a horror film. The image of the maniacal bird with the mouse in its beak will be forever seared into my brain.
Stop #3: Scott Joplin House (St. Louis, MO)
Alex: Bit of an odd attraction, since there's not much known about Scott Joplin's life in St. Louis, so much is speculation. I liked the old timey player piano demonstration, but otherwise felt that there wasn't much to it.
Kat: This house is the only building that was created to show the life of Scott Joplin and he only lived there a couple of years. The house itself was almost demolished but those who knew its worth petitioned to keep it standing. Now, it operates as a museum for his life and is furnished to the period. Our docent recreated downtown St. Louis, using her vast knowledge to almost build it up and transport us back to the late 1800s and it was kind of magical, won’t lie.
At the end of the tour, we were led to an old foot pedal operated piano to listen to some of his music. We both picked pieces (not obvious ones) and enjoyed a mini recital. Would highly recommend!
Stop #4: St. Louis Art Museum (St. Louis, MO)
Alex: Very good art museum. Not quite the Met Gallery or the Chicago Art Institute, but still a very solid collection especially with regards to the paintings. The museum seemed to particularly have a lot of famous paintings from the early 20th and late 19th centuries, with some notable works by Picasso and Van Gogh. However, my favorite was "The Genius of America" (above) a bizzare allegorical depiction of the United States.
Kat: Overall, there was quite a lot to see and we got through most of it. Other favorites included works by Monet, Sereut, and even a Picasso. We also enjoyed the furniture rooms and seeing a professional art restorer working on a massive mural! Lots of fun, lots to see, would highly recommend.
Stop #5: Truman Presidential Library (Independance, MO)
Alex:The museum is an interesting and balanced look at President Truman's complicated legacy. There's not much focus on his life prior to the presidency (aside from a special WWI exhibit), though it makes sense for the story that the museum tells. It paints Harry Truman as an ordinary guy who actually had very little success in life. However, he was lifted up by corrupt political machines and ultimately inherited FDR's legacy, thus becoming one of the most influential Presidents. The post-war setting is conveyed very well, and overall leaves you with profoundly mixed emotions.
Kat: Continuing our trend of visiting presidential libraries, we checked out Mr. Truman. I didn’t know a lot about him before, but this museum was quite good!
The exhibits contained facts and articles surrounding him, his family, and his time in the White House. Some of the facts were redundant, but it helped solidify what you had already read. He wasn't a perfect president, but he did the best he could for his people. He, his wife, their daughter and her husband are also buried on the site, so we said hello to them.
Definitely worth seeing. “The Buck Stops Here!”
Stop #6: WWI Memorial and Museum (Kansas City, MO)
Alex: Absolutely phenomenal. The Kansas City WWI Memorial takes on the difficult task of trying to explain one of Europe's most devastating and senseless wars, and succeeds marvelously. The whole museum has a very solemn and disturbingly ominous feel, and creates the setting of a world in chaos.
Kat: Continuing on the trend of museums, we had to pay this one a visit. The monument itself was massive (we didn’t get to go up this time, but maybe next time!) and the museum was equally so.
Going into the exhibits, we walked over a glass floor with a large bed of fake poppies below. After an informational video, we were lead into the exhibit itself.
I’ll admit, it was a lot to take in. The amount of information, artifacts, and people in one space was almost too much to handle. Nevertheless, we took our time going through, watching all the videos on the way and admiring what was left behind. There was a huge timeline of the war that took you through critical points, also highlighting was going on in the world at the time. Many quotes from those who lived it were posted all over.
On the whole, it’s worth seeing. Take your favorite history buff and go, you’ll enjoy it. Try not to go on a busy day though (we went Memorial Day, whoops).
Stop #7: Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun (Kansas City, MO)
Kat: To cap our trip, we had to go to an amusement park. We were told this was one just okay, but we ended up having a great time anyway! Highlights include:
The Patriot: An inverted coaster with loops, drops, and twists abounding. We loved this one so much we rode it twice! Not quite as smooth as other such coasters, but still a lot of fun (these are my favorite kind).
The Mamba: Not my favorite, but Alex convinced me to join him on this hypercoaster. After the first drop, the rest wasn’t so bad. It was smooth, and fun once you got beyond the scary drops. Not sure if I’d ride it again, but I might…
Spinning Dragons: I’ve never been on a ride like this before, but I had a blast with it! The car spins in a circle as you travel the track and you never know if you’ll be going backward, forward, or sideways. I would totally do this one again.
The Wave Pool: THIS. WAS. Really painful for my arms BUT WORTH IT. Every 5 minutes, the pool would create waves for the patrons to float in. You can swim, float alone or with a floatation device. The floatie helps you go higher and it was crazy good fun!
Just don’t be like me and get swept out too far and you’re unable to swim very well, so your husband has to come rescue you. Yeah, don’t do that. Plus, I wasn’t on top of the floatie but through it and my arms got the workout of their life. Yowza. Still very much worth it.
The water park in general was super fun! The tube slides were great, but the body slide scared the beejubus out of me. Alex and I raced down a slide together and I won! Except that I went really fast and was scared the entire time. Not something I plan to repeat.
Alex: As a former amusement park employee, I have strong opinions on theme parks, so I have a bit to say. On the positive side, the roller coaster line-up is solid, including a hyper-coaster (Mamba), a great B&M invert (Patriot), a weird coaster that tilts and spins around (Spinning Dragons), and 2 wooden coasters (Prowler and Timber Wolf). Prowler is crazy-intense! I'd heard bad things about Timber Wolf, but honestly was pleasantly surprised and found that it had a unique rustic feel (the shakiest spots were relatively slow, and didn't bother me). Oh, and there's a river rapids ride (Fury of the Nile) that starts out kinda "meh" but gets awesome in the last third. Beyond that, there's the usual assortment of flat rides, the highlight being a 300-foot high swing ride called "Steel Hawk" that even managed to scare me. The theming was hit or miss... Each area was suposed to be themed to a different part of the world, and while some areas were beautifully themed (The Orient, and parts of Africa around Prowler), other areas were confusing. Some of that can be chalked up to bad layout, a problem that especially extends to the waterpark (some slides are way out of the way). Overall I thought Worlds of Fun was a fun park. It's not quite Disneyland or Holiday World, but it's defnitely worth a visit if you're near Kansas City.
Stop #1: David Davis Mansion (Bloomington, IL)
Kat: OH-MY-LANTA this house. It’s odd looking on the outside, but is absolutely stunning once you pass the front door. Not only does it have a foyer inlaid with tile, it has two doors engraved with the letter “D”, in fogged glass. Beyond the doors lies a house you see in movies and television shows: perfectly furnished rooms, beautiful carpets, and painted ceilings. It’s like a time capsule of a time where new things like indoor plumbing, heating, and fancy kitchen appliances were becoming a bit more main stream. Our docent, Meredith, got a bunch of questions from us and was able to answer most of them. She did admit that she had some questions of her own to look into about the house, which was great too!
The main grounds had a garden planted by Sarah Davis, Dave Davis’ wife, and had plants that had been growing there since the 1870s. We didn’t get to view the entire garden, but we got a glimpse from the gate. There are white circle tags with blue letters that say “Sarah’s Original” to designate these. There are also one or two plants near the front of the house that are original as well. Seeds from these plants are available for purchase in the gift shop.
Before the tour, one of the master gardeners spoke to us about the lives of these two individuals (he was a Senator and Supreme Court Judge who worked under, and was friends with, Abraham Lincoln) and he was very knowledgeable as well.
If you are a fan of historical houses, there are lots of surprises to be found. It’s definitely a must see and we enjoyed it immensely!
Alex: Facinating and slightly kooky period mansion that provides a look into the life of Lincoln ally and Supreme Court judge David Davis that highlights the quirks of 19th century aristocracy. Definitely worth a stop-over if you're in central Illinois
Stop #2: Miller Park Zoo (Bloomington, IL)
Alex: Small but fun zoo. Main highlights are some very entertaining gibbons, a very loud tiger, a showboating Cockatoo, and the world's most evil Kookaburras. Seriously, the Kookaburras made my day. Anyway, the zoo is worth seeing if you're in the area, but otherwise similar to most other small-town zoos.
Kat: We all know the rhyme, “Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,eating all the gum drops he can see.” Let me tell you, my children. They don’t eat gum drops. They eat mice. They are carnivorous beasts and they aren’t afraid to tell you so.
We had the “honor” of witnessing a feeding in which the handler brought mice. The birds were quite happy to see the food and let out their signature laughing call. One of the birds picked up a mouse with its beak (they had already left this world, thankfully), whacked it a few times, and let out this cackling laugh.
I kid you not, I was terrified. A piece of my childhood died that day. I keep trying to forget it, but Alex keeps bringing it up. Their laughter went on for a couple of minutes and it looked like something out of a horror film. The image of the maniacal bird with the mouse in its beak will be forever seared into my brain.
Stop #3: Scott Joplin House (St. Louis, MO)
Alex: Bit of an odd attraction, since there's not much known about Scott Joplin's life in St. Louis, so much is speculation. I liked the old timey player piano demonstration, but otherwise felt that there wasn't much to it.
Kat: This house is the only building that was created to show the life of Scott Joplin and he only lived there a couple of years. The house itself was almost demolished but those who knew its worth petitioned to keep it standing. Now, it operates as a museum for his life and is furnished to the period. Our docent recreated downtown St. Louis, using her vast knowledge to almost build it up and transport us back to the late 1800s and it was kind of magical, won’t lie.
At the end of the tour, we were led to an old foot pedal operated piano to listen to some of his music. We both picked pieces (not obvious ones) and enjoyed a mini recital. Would highly recommend!
Stop #4: St. Louis Art Museum (St. Louis, MO)
Alex: Very good art museum. Not quite the Met Gallery or the Chicago Art Institute, but still a very solid collection especially with regards to the paintings. The museum seemed to particularly have a lot of famous paintings from the early 20th and late 19th centuries, with some notable works by Picasso and Van Gogh. However, my favorite was "The Genius of America" (above) a bizzare allegorical depiction of the United States.
Kat: Overall, there was quite a lot to see and we got through most of it. Other favorites included works by Monet, Sereut, and even a Picasso. We also enjoyed the furniture rooms and seeing a professional art restorer working on a massive mural! Lots of fun, lots to see, would highly recommend.
Stop #5: Truman Presidential Library (Independance, MO)
Alex:The museum is an interesting and balanced look at President Truman's complicated legacy. There's not much focus on his life prior to the presidency (aside from a special WWI exhibit), though it makes sense for the story that the museum tells. It paints Harry Truman as an ordinary guy who actually had very little success in life. However, he was lifted up by corrupt political machines and ultimately inherited FDR's legacy, thus becoming one of the most influential Presidents. The post-war setting is conveyed very well, and overall leaves you with profoundly mixed emotions.
Kat: Continuing our trend of visiting presidential libraries, we checked out Mr. Truman. I didn’t know a lot about him before, but this museum was quite good!
The exhibits contained facts and articles surrounding him, his family, and his time in the White House. Some of the facts were redundant, but it helped solidify what you had already read. He wasn't a perfect president, but he did the best he could for his people. He, his wife, their daughter and her husband are also buried on the site, so we said hello to them.
Definitely worth seeing. “The Buck Stops Here!”
Stop #6: WWI Memorial and Museum (Kansas City, MO)
Alex: Absolutely phenomenal. The Kansas City WWI Memorial takes on the difficult task of trying to explain one of Europe's most devastating and senseless wars, and succeeds marvelously. The whole museum has a very solemn and disturbingly ominous feel, and creates the setting of a world in chaos.
Kat: Continuing on the trend of museums, we had to pay this one a visit. The monument itself was massive (we didn’t get to go up this time, but maybe next time!) and the museum was equally so.
Going into the exhibits, we walked over a glass floor with a large bed of fake poppies below. After an informational video, we were lead into the exhibit itself.
I’ll admit, it was a lot to take in. The amount of information, artifacts, and people in one space was almost too much to handle. Nevertheless, we took our time going through, watching all the videos on the way and admiring what was left behind. There was a huge timeline of the war that took you through critical points, also highlighting was going on in the world at the time. Many quotes from those who lived it were posted all over.
On the whole, it’s worth seeing. Take your favorite history buff and go, you’ll enjoy it. Try not to go on a busy day though (we went Memorial Day, whoops).
Stop #7: Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun (Kansas City, MO)
Kat: To cap our trip, we had to go to an amusement park. We were told this was one just okay, but we ended up having a great time anyway! Highlights include:
The Patriot: An inverted coaster with loops, drops, and twists abounding. We loved this one so much we rode it twice! Not quite as smooth as other such coasters, but still a lot of fun (these are my favorite kind).
The Mamba: Not my favorite, but Alex convinced me to join him on this hypercoaster. After the first drop, the rest wasn’t so bad. It was smooth, and fun once you got beyond the scary drops. Not sure if I’d ride it again, but I might…
Spinning Dragons: I’ve never been on a ride like this before, but I had a blast with it! The car spins in a circle as you travel the track and you never know if you’ll be going backward, forward, or sideways. I would totally do this one again.
The Wave Pool: THIS. WAS. Really painful for my arms BUT WORTH IT. Every 5 minutes, the pool would create waves for the patrons to float in. You can swim, float alone or with a floatation device. The floatie helps you go higher and it was crazy good fun!
Just don’t be like me and get swept out too far and you’re unable to swim very well, so your husband has to come rescue you. Yeah, don’t do that. Plus, I wasn’t on top of the floatie but through it and my arms got the workout of their life. Yowza. Still very much worth it.
The water park in general was super fun! The tube slides were great, but the body slide scared the beejubus out of me. Alex and I raced down a slide together and I won! Except that I went really fast and was scared the entire time. Not something I plan to repeat.
Alex: As a former amusement park employee, I have strong opinions on theme parks, so I have a bit to say. On the positive side, the roller coaster line-up is solid, including a hyper-coaster (Mamba), a great B&M invert (Patriot), a weird coaster that tilts and spins around (Spinning Dragons), and 2 wooden coasters (Prowler and Timber Wolf). Prowler is crazy-intense! I'd heard bad things about Timber Wolf, but honestly was pleasantly surprised and found that it had a unique rustic feel (the shakiest spots were relatively slow, and didn't bother me). Oh, and there's a river rapids ride (Fury of the Nile) that starts out kinda "meh" but gets awesome in the last third. Beyond that, there's the usual assortment of flat rides, the highlight being a 300-foot high swing ride called "Steel Hawk" that even managed to scare me. The theming was hit or miss... Each area was suposed to be themed to a different part of the world, and while some areas were beautifully themed (The Orient, and parts of Africa around Prowler), other areas were confusing. Some of that can be chalked up to bad layout, a problem that especially extends to the waterpark (some slides are way out of the way). Overall I thought Worlds of Fun was a fun park. It's not quite Disneyland or Holiday World, but it's defnitely worth a visit if you're near Kansas City.