Day 13- On into the Kansas City area.. finally at a campground!

I left Bette to fuel up at Murphy/Wal Mart, like she likes to do, and I headed about 19 miles up the road to Arrow Rock State Park, which is a part of the Lewis and Clark Trail, and also was considered a starting point more or less for the Santa Fe Trail for those trekking out west by wagon train. 

Had to wait a bit for the visitors center to open, maybe 5 minutes tardy, and then had to wait for about 5 minutes while the ladies scrambled around to find the Santa Fe Trail Stamp that was there.  They also had several bonus stamps, so it was a good visit.  I also got 2 pins there.  

I was hoping to get a pin of the trail, haven't seen one yet, probably see one before the trip is over, here is the trail as it was back in the day. 

This is the visitor's center.  The site is about 13 miles off I-70 on a back road.

 One of the many interpretive displays inside, that explains how the passage came about, and what the mission was.

 Got 2 pins, the state seal of Missouri above, and one for the State Park site below.

Then I got back to Wal Mart, and we hooked up and headed about 93 miles down the road on I-70 towards Kansas City Missouri..  We pulled into a Wal Mart first, since we were actually a day early, but we drove about 9 miles over to the campground, and they were able to go ahead and take us in tonight.  Yea!!  Finally we are in a beautiful campground, which was actually built by the COE, but is leased and managed by the local county government.  We have a full hookup 50 amp site for 25 dollars a night.  We are off by ourselves in a corner, on a fully level gravel lot, full tv reception, full bars on the air card, right next to the shower/laundry/toilets, life is good!

Since we got in a half day early, I got permission to run out and hit a couple of places that were on the list, and managed a couple that weren't on the list... 

In a three hour frame, I was able to visit the National Trails Center, The Harry Truman NHS and his home as well, and a bonus, the "Truman Train Station" in Independence, which is the station that Mr Truman used when he came to town which was quite often. 

At the National Trails Center, I got 6 stamps, a Mormon Pioneer NHT, A Santa Fe NHT, an Oregon NHT, and a California NHT, and two bonus stamps as well.   Independence/Kansas City was a jumping off point for several of the trails heading out west as people came here by train, then mounted up in wagon trains to head west.  I also got several pins, mostly about Lewis and Clark, as well as a site pin. 

 There is information here on 5 trails- and also there was a ton of pamplets about other things to do in the area- so I will be spending the next few hours planning things to do!

From there, I headed about a half mile over to the Truman Amtrak station, which as I mentioned was the train station for Independence Missouri-  the former President was the last of the Presidents to travel pretty much by train most places he went.  He did fly some, but not exclusively.  There isn't any museum or such here, just signage indicating the history of the station.  I think three passenger trains a day make a stop here to pick up and discharge passengers, the station is not manned, and the waiting room is on a timelock...  seems vandals have messed it up in the past...

Last stop for the day was a mile and a half away at the Truman home and also visitors center for the Truman National Historical site.  The Trumans lived in the home for several years, and both died there.  It served as a "summer white house" and the Trumans would get back to Independence as often as they could, even if it were for long weekends or holiday time.  The Visitors center had a very nice 12 minute film, and I got 6 stamps there and a pin for the NHS.

The Visitors Center is actually downtown, and has a few exhibits, the house tours were all sold out for today, and they were expecting lots of school kids tomorrow, we might go back and see what our chances are. 

Tomorrow, there are several options for things to do-  I'll be looking over brochures tonight to try to line up a sensible tour..  I must have 30 places to possibly go, and Bette will want to do things at least one day- might take her to see the Hallmark card tour, and some other things.

Weather got beautiful today,  High was almost up to 70- but they are saying cold again tonight, but its ok, we have electric and space heaters!!!!!