Joani & David's Travels

Today we ventured to Powell Gardens in Kingsville, MO, just a little east of our park. Admission to the garden was included with our American Horticultural Society membership. The heat had broken a bit, it was only in the mid '80s with a few clouds so we decided to see how long we would last in the humidity.

The Visitors Center was designed by E. Fay Jones, one of Frank Lloyd Wright's students. You could certainly see Wright's influence in the architecture. Inside, the wide open spaces and a mix of wood and stone were very nice.

We were told an artist who worked with Legos built and installed his works around the gardens. I could have done without the giant Black Widow spider.

Lego Garden Spider

number of bricks: 16,492

The Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel, dedicated in 1996 was also designed by E. Fay Jones. It probably was not practical in the least given the climate here but what a uniquely beautiful structure. The glare of the sun made it difficult to capture the shadow detail without overexposing the roof and sky but it was the best I could do.

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." ~John Muir

There were quite a few dragonflies buzzing about and one posed for me long enough to get a clear shot.

Platycodon grandiflorus, balloon flower

This frolicking bear in bronze was titled "A Roll in the Junipers" by Dan Ostermiller.

The strange "flower?" on the tree below was just crazy. I think we have seen flowers something like this before but never a full tree.

Galanthus elwesii, Giant Snowdrop

I always love it when close examination of a flower seems to reveal a bouquet of flowers within a flower.

Close Quarters, bronze sculpture by Dan Ostermiller, 1990.

The heat and humidity started slowing us down and we headed indoors for a snack and something cold to drink before we continued our exploration of the gardens.

This had to be one of the strangest flowers we have seen. One in pink and one in yellow and no identifying tags. We thought it looked more like brain coral than a flower.

Toward the barn, what appeared to be an old grain silo was actually an observation platform. Of course, we had to play with unusual framing and angles in the spiral staircase.

From the top, we had a view of the entire gardens but we were so far from everything it was difficult to grasp the scale of the enterprise. I am certain we walked more than two miles to cover all of the separate gardens. Below is one of the quilt gardens that was being replanted.

I made Joani wave at me from the top while I headed back down the stairs for this shot.

Day Lilies are one of my favorites and this ruffled yellow specimen was a prime example of the beauties that graced the gardens.

Hemerocallis, Daylily 'Erin Lea'

Joani caught this industrious bumble bee hard at work. She was close enough to nearly bump him once or twice but he was unperturbed as he continued collecting his pollen.

I don't know how many times we glanced at the guys below and thought they were actually working in the garden before we realized they were not moving.

Lego Garden Crew

number of bricks: 76,840

We headed to downtown Kansas City, MO, today to visit Union Station. The station is not curved - the panoramic shot below made it look that way but it was the only way to capture the entire building without backing up another quarter mile.

Inside was Science City, a kid-oriented museum on our Association of Science-Technology Centers list (ASTC). We spent a little time exploring and found ourselves enjoying a few things we had not previously seen. The spin chairs were quite a trip. Sit down and hold on as the strange balance took you for a wild ride!

David is such a sport, he will try anything for me and let me capture the look on his face!

The spin or spun chair can be yours for $1,048.50 (after tax and shipping).

The big treadmill below was tied to a generator so you could see how much effort it took to generate precious little electricity. The water makes it seem so easy in a hydroelectric power plant.

It was a hamster wheel for humans.

Joani thought my head was too big and the fun-house mirror, below, fixed that but it also made her the two-headed woman.

Also in Union Station was a model railroad display. Since we had already seen the best model railroad in Foley, AL, we were somewhat underwhelmed. The majority of their collection was O-gauge (not my favorite) so they had limited options in their space. A third of the floor had HO models but again they were somewhat limited because of space. One N-gauge layout was just a simple oval. In line with the museum, I think the trains were really for the kids who clearly loved following them around.

Union Station’s Model Railroad Experience is in the process of getting a needed facelift, but it was still open to the public (and still free).

The tornado at the end of the HO boards was a nice touch since we were in Kansas City. There were vehicles and livestock caught up in the whirlwind.

We first learned about Fred Harvey and the Harvey Girls when we were in Petrified Forest National Park, AZ, and then in Winslow, AZ, at La Posada Hotel. It was interesting to make the connection with the franchise along the routes from so many years ago when the majority of long-distance travel was by rail.

The Fred Harvey Company operations closed in 1968. This restaurant was a nod to his legacy.

Joani wanted to see the Hallmark Welcome Center which was close to Union Station. We walked across the street and around a few corners, through a hotel and a shopping mall until we were completely disoriented. Asking for directions the second time landed us close enough that we finally found it.

I saw this old lady in the place and thought she looked familiar. She was giving me quite a lecture when Joani yelled "cheese" and snapped our picture.

Push a button and this little robot would make a decorative bow right before your eyes. It was pretty fast so we had to watch it twice.

We were not expecting to see Norman Rockwell works in the museum but he helped raise money for the rebuilding effort after the Missouri River flooded a good portion of Kansas City in 1951.