We finally left Winona MN, but before we did we had to try the cheese curds which many people insisted on. We just went to Culver’s as they were on the menu, but probably not the best. Steve really enjoyed them, Chris wasn’t impressed.
Looking forward to traveling back to this part of the country in the future.

We headed southwest to Clear Lake IA, which was the original plan and arrived at the Clear Lake State Park.

Nice little park with very few occupants. On our way out we made the rookie mistake again and forgot to disconnect the electric. 

Trying to think back to Clear Lakes redeeming qualities but we drew a blank. It certainly wasn’t the Gyro restaurant where the Mexican owners children ran around the tables screaming, and it definitely wasn’t the Mexican gyro.

The town was reminiscent of Coney Island after the summer when everyone’s gone home.

Next stop was Ted’s RV Park which was another stop on the way to Kansas City. Since Steve came out of the hospital we’ve reduced our travel time to 2 hours a day down from 3..

So this was just a gravel parking lot, easy in, easy out.

We arrived in Kansas City from the east and the Missouri side amid masses of construction and traffic. We’ve experienced road construction in every state, Sect’y Pete making sure the infrastructure is healing.

Finding an RV park in Kansas City was tricky, there were one or two but very expensive with poor reviews, then we saw there was a Cabela’s/Bass Pro Shop in the city.

The Kansas City skyline

Once we over the bridge we were suddenly in Kansas City Kansas

We called ahead and asked the manager if we could park there, last time we parked with them was in Anchorage, and that was a very positive experience. We were a bit concerned as they were very close to the NASCAR track and other stadiums, and coming in on a Friday when NASCAR was in full swing we thought there would be a possibility of not getting a spot.

It turned out perfectly, not far from our friends, huge empty parking lots, and free.

We went to the beautiful home in Overland Park of our friend Carole who we met at Del Pueblo RV Resort in Yuma AZ, then went for dinner at the Redrock Canyon Grill, fabulous meal.

Overland Park is the 2nd largest city in Kansas and has plenty to offer, a big city without all the trappings

NASCAR just around the corner from Bass Pro Shop

We decided to spend the next day at the American Jazz Museum, which was well worth the trip.

It was interesting to see the Gem Theater, The Blue Room which once showcased the likes of Dizzy, The Count, Duke and countless others were still standing and operating. This was once one of the few cities in the US where black artists were welcomed.

The Blue Room where performances are frequent we’re having auditions while we were there.

It has many interactive stations where you can listen and also learn about jazz rhythms and harmonies.

Several major artists were highlighted, this one was all about Ella Fitzgerald

A large section dedicated to Duke Ellington 

Louis Armstrong

It was interesting to learn about the Vine and 18th St. area and the influence jazz had on this area of Kansas City MO.

There were several areas where you could sit and watch a newsreel. 
The museum was well laid out and a great way to spend a couple of hours

We then went into the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum which was in the same building as the Jazz Museum

Opened in 1991, this museum is a tribute to some of baseball’s best unknown players…

It’s a great lesson in black history and the game and an overwhelming amount of information 

All baseballs signed by negro players 

Amazing bronze statues of all the greats. They were setting up for a dinner on this day

We met up with friends Richard and Nancy Parks who also live in Overland Park. Richard was part of the 70’s – 90’s music scene in the Albany, New England area.

They suggested Jack Stack BBQ as one of the more famous places for KC BBQ

It was lovely to sit and chat to old friends, and we grazed on BBQ for three hours..

Nancy taking Frankie for a walk as he was in his carrier the whole time we were eating and talking without so much as a murmur . 

Now, we start our journey back to Mesa.