Kansas City

Our seats at Kauffman Stadium were AWESOME! There really isn't that much more I can say about them. You know when you're watching a game on television, and you see those random people behind home plate that are always in the picture? Well, that was us! Except we were off to the side a little bit - behind the on-deck batter, not the plate. Let's just say we were close enough to tell Sammy Sosa that he needed to tuck in the elephant ear he had hanging out his back pocket. And let's not forget the complimentary buffet of assorted gourmet foods in the Crown Club lounge before the game started. So even though neither the Royals nor the Rangers are really spectacular teams, we did get the chance to experience a baseball game in a new and exciting way.

Earlier today we took a quick trip to downtown Kansas City to eat at the world famous Arthur Bryant's Barbeque and visit the Negro League Baseball Museum. Bryant's is, in the words of my uncle, a 'must' if you are ever in KC - unless, of course, you are either a vegetarian or against seeing or eating large amounts of cooked meat in one place. We both feel that it was a quality and homey spot to stop on our tour of America.



The Negro League Museum, which should not be referred to as the Negro League Hall of Fame at the request of Chairman Buck O'Neil, is also a must see if you are a baseball fan in KC. Overall it is a very, very well put together showcase of the some 40 years of Negro League baseball. It shows just about everything from it's creation in 1920 under the direction of Andrew "Rube" Foster until its fortunate demise about a decade after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. Plus, the movie they played was narrated by James Earl Jones, which was a special touch that Dan enjoyed thoroughly.

Overall Kansas City was a great stop on our tour and the penultimate of the summer. It's been 54 days, 9800 miles and 17 major league stadiums so far, and we have one final haul across Kansas to Boulder, Colorado, where we will meet up with my grandparents tomorrow and my parents and sister on Wednesday. The Rockies are out of town right now, but we may get to catch a minor league game in Colorado Springs on Tuesday.