One of the big challenges we have encountered is trying to
figure out what day it is. Also what time. Also where we are. So it doesn’t help when the authorities put
cities where they don’t belong and then call states by names that don’t appear
on any maps. You can imagine our
confusion when we arrived in Kansas City, only to find out that it wasn’t in
Kansas but it was in Missouri. Even worse,
Google doesn’t recognize Kansas City as being anywhere near Kansas or Missouri but
tells you that you’re in Independence.
And if you ask anyone, they’ll tell you that you’re not in Missouri, you’re
in Missourah, which doesn’t appear anywhere.
When you ask why they pronounce it Missourah, they look at you funny and
say “We don’t say Missourah…. We say Missouraaah, because that’s how it’s
spelled”. By that definition, Mississippi
should be Mississipaaah, I guess.
After spending a couple of days in Kansas City and/or Independence
and possibly in Missouri somewhere, we headed for Springfield, which is also in
Missouri and doesn’t seem to come with any other names. There is so much to do in that area! But first we finally met one of our big challenges: after only 18 months and 10 States, we found
bottles of Smuckers Sugar Free Syrup in a little tiny grocery store near the RV
resort. This was a momentous
occasion! In fact, we went back there
twice to stock up.
Then we spent a great afternoon taking a trolley tour
through the Fantastic Caverns. If you
like rocks this is the place to see them.
And they weren’t just local rocks!
Nope….they even had rocks from Sudbury! Or maybe it’s pronounced “Sudburaaah”.
An hour away, we spent a great day at the Precious Moments
Museum and Chapel which is absolute proof that some people have way too much
time on their hands. The Precious Moments
figurines are adorable and there is literally one for every occasion. I think it is a bit over the top though, to
see them featured in a reproduction of the Sistine Chapel. Still, if you can’t get to Rome, this is the
next best thing. Being early October, it
was also time to start thinking about Christmas (?) so they put up a gorgeous
tree. The most amazing part of the day,
though, was that all three of us walked out of there without buying anything! Another challenge met and conquered!