When in Roam

February 20–25, 2021: Kansas & St. Louis

We left Boulder, Colorado, and headed east for the first time in four months. Took US-36 E into I-70E for 358 miles. I wondered how long it would take to go from seeing those Rockies to being in the prairies? If I blinked, I would have missed it. Twenty minutes out of the greater Denver area, those mountains were a distant memory. Also, I was curious as to how long it would take to travel down from Boulder’s 5,300-ft. elevation to the 2,021-ft. altitude we’d find at our next stop, the TownePlace Suites in Hays, KS (no, it’s not named after Willie Mays Hayes, different spelling). Turns out that change was far more subtle, but very much appreciated. We’d been at altitude ever since we got to Santa Fe on January 16, over a month ago, and while we eventually adapted to that rarified air, we never totally acclimated. Walking uphill yesterday on the spectacular Chautauqua Trail, we still got winded. Damn.

The topography was flat as a pancake. Every 30-to-50 miles there was a town. Limon, Arriba, Seibert, and Kanorado — all in Colorado, followed by Colby, Oakley, WaKeeney, and Ellis (Spence’s middle name, yay!) in Kansas, aka the Ad Astra Per Aspera state, which means “to the stars through difficulties.” The phrase wasn’t coined by Brad Pitt, but by John James Ingalls, a Republican senator who served from 1887 to 1891, and said, “The aspiration of Kansas is to reach the unattainable; its dream is the realization of the impossible.” Talk about a high bar!

When we crossed into the state, we were greeted by our first indicator that we were starting to round third base in terms of our Roam — the Central Time Zone.

We stopped by Kansas’ highway information center where they offered free coffee (no milk though, I still don’t get what’s up with that!). We were welcomed by two cheery women who asked us and documented where we were staying and for how long. Hmmm. I took photos of two wonderful displays. One of Ike and Mamie, the other of Margaret Hamilton, and the rest of that Oz tour group. Both sets of players were in front of the cornfields that seemed synonymous with this state.

Upon arrival at the TownePlace Suites in Hays, we unpacked and proceeded to lock in our stays for the remainder of our trip. Spence was able to obtain vaccine appointments for us at the Javits Center in NYC for early April, so we revised our itinerary to accommodate that, and reside at the Residence Inn in Wayne, NJ, from early April until Forest Lake opened in late April/early May. While we would be losing a month on the road, we were pumped to be on familiar terrain as spring arrived. Between now and then we would tour St. Louis, Mad City, Chi-town, Dey-twa, Cleveland Rocks, the City of Bridges, aka Pittsburgh, and then close it out with a one-night stand in State College, PA, to see what all that Nittany Lion fuss was about.

Once those destinations were locked in, we took a time out to reminisce about how far we’d gone, and what we’d done. In other words, the lemonade we’d made to date.

It was time for some guac, chips, and Uncle Frank, a movie that we hadn’t seen when it was released. It featured two of my fave character actors in supporting roles:

- Stephen Root: Milton from Office Space and Monroe Fuches from Barry — remember that show?

- Steve Zahn: DJ Davis in Treme

It was a really good movie. Not great, but really good.

Saturday Night Live was a bust ’cause we never watched Bridgerton and had no idea who Rege-Jean Page was. So, we called it a night.

The next day, it was smooth sailing to Kansas City, MO, which allowed enough time for two new, and similar, experiences…

The first occurred about halfway through our 270-mile cruise across I-70 E. We stopped at a rest area just north of Abilene, KS, where a historic marker recounted the history of the Chisolm Trail. This was the second time we’d encountered that period in US history. Do any of you Roam-eos recall the first? It was when we were spectators to a cattle drive at the Stockyards in Fort Worth, TX, while we were staying in Dallas in early January.

The plaque recounted the story our Fort Worth Master of Ceremonies shared via megaphone back in January. At the end of the Civil War, millions of longhorns were left on the plains of Texas without a market. Joseph McCoy, an Illinois stockman, believed the cattle could be herded north for shipment by rail to hungry meat-eaters back east. He took advantage of the Union Pacific rails being built out back then, had a railhead constructed in Abilene, and sent agents to notify the Texas cattlemen. In 1867, the first drives up the Chisholm Trail began and, during the next five years, more than a million heads were received at McCoy’s stockyards.

We had been in two different towns, in two different states, approximately 245 miles apart, that didn’t share a border, yet were bound by a common thread of the fabric that is the United States of America.

The second experience occurred in Topeka, KS. We saw a sign on the highway that read Brown vs. Education Historic Site. We turned off the highway and drove about seven-tenths of a mile until we were in front of the three-story Monroe Elementary School. In front of it was a plaque with a picture of a five-year-old kindergartener, Linda Brown. Her father, Oliver, was the plaintiff in that Supreme Court case.

Being there reminded me of our time at Central High School in Little Rock, AK, on January 2. That was where the resulting ruling was first tested by the Little Rock Nine, nine black teenagers who were the first to desegregate an all-white high school in 1956. Topeka and Little Rock. 438 miles apart, but linked by a historic judgment.

It felt like each state was part of a jigsaw puzzle and we had connected some pieces that were joined by a common history, if not common geography. It’s no wonder that Kansas had been a through-line for these and probably many other stories related to the development of our country. It was in the center of our 48 contiguous states. The Chisolm Trail and Brown vs. Board of Education. To the stars through difficulties, indeed.

Next stop was Kansas University in Lawrence, KS. The Jayhawks had been a perennial Top 25 team in college basketball since I can remember, and their 1987–88 team, aka Danny and the Miracles, led by Danny Manning and coach Larry Brown, won it all against the number one seed Oklahoma at home at the Kemper Arena in downtown KC. On the gray Sunday that we visited, the campus looked meh. The architecture, which seemed to consist of local chalk rock limestone from nearby Mount Oread (check out the school cheer below the mascot pic), was nothing special. The only thing that stood out was the multitude of Jayhawk mascot bronzes and acrylic sculptures positioned prominently across campus.

Rock Chalk, Jayhawk KU!

Forty-five minutes later, we checked in for one night at the Residence Inn in the Country Club Plaza area of Kansas City, where Carol got us upgraded to a king bed and fireplace — woo hoo!

Based on recommendations we received from two friends who know their BBQ, Larry Estes, and Al Kreitner, and from a subtle media shout out — Ted Lasso’s laptop background when he FaceTimed with his son, we took out from Arthur Bryant’s on the east side of town on 18th and Vine. Nothin’ fancy — just GREAT BBQ served cafeteria-style. Carol had a turkey sandwich and fries, and I went turkey/pork combo, with sides of beans, and coleslaw. It was out of this world. Thanks Larry, Al, and Ted!!!

We dined while starting to watch the movie Pieces of a Woman, ’cause CBS Sunday Morning said Ellyn Burstyn gave an Oscar-worthy performance. I watched the first 20 minutes, which consisted primarily of a detailed home birth delivery scene that seemed to be veering into a slow-motion car wreck. It sent me to my headphones and Spotify. I’m all for pain if it leads to character redemption, but it was taking too long to get any clues of that, so Carol was kind enough to punt. We caught Somebody Feed Phil: Bangkok and all was right with the world again.

In retrospect, Kansas City was a spot where we could have stayed longer. The next day we headed to St. Louis and experienced three iconic drive-bys along the way:

- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: We would have missed it if we hadn’t caught a red light, but fortunately we were greeted by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen’s Shuttlecocks at the intersection. We couldn’t help but smile when we saw them.

- Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium: As a kid, I was all in on the four major sports in the United States and I’ve been 13 again whenever we’ve seen stadiums on the road. I recalled passing by Arrowhead Stadium and Royals Stadium (as it was known back in the day) as a counselor on a teen tour in the early 80s. On this day, we had the luxury of being the only car in the parking lot while viewing two of the most distinctive parks in the country. Both were designed by Charles Deaton and architected by Kivett and Myers. The latter also architected the now-demolished Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands.

- Harry S. Truman National Historic Site: Shortly after we left KC, we passed a highway sign that indicated Truman’s alternate White House was located off a nearby exit. Yet another chance to flex our spontaneity muscles. Three miles off the highway we found ourselves in Independence, MO. We pulled up to 219 N North Delaware Street and imagined Harry and Bess walking out onto their porch, or out the gate on the cement blocks we were standing on, trying to navigate daily life in their hometown while being president and First Lady from 1945–1953.

Three pastimes: Art, Sports, and Political History

We landed in St. Louis on Lafayette Square in an elegant duplex apartment in a Victorian townhouse. This spot was proof of how great the Airbnb lifestyle could be. It was two miles west of the Gateway Arch, and directly across the street from Lafayette Park. The vibe felt like Gramercy Park in the Big Apple. It took a while to find all the light switches amidst the leather couch, love seats, framed antique sheet music, and letters written with crow quill nibs on fine parchment in a romance language that I couldn’t make out, probably Latin. And, it had the piece de resistance, my all-time favorite jam — a waterfall shower head!

Ahhhh….

We unpacked and stocked up on provisions at the local Whole Foods. On the way back, we stopped by friends who hold a special place in my heart — Barry Rosenberg and Barbara Levin — for a fist bump. Any more than that and my Outshine grape ice pops would have melted. More on them shortly in this post.

We dined on Arthur Bryant leftovers, which were just as good a day later, and lost two hours of our lives watching I Care A Lot on Netflix. Yet another movie where no character had any redeeming value or overcame any obstacles to grow as people. Plus, neither dialogue nor plot was compelling, and no great twists. What kept us in were Dianne Wiest (I could watch her any day of the week), Rosamund Pike (yep, she’s intoxicating), and Chris Messina, from The Mindy Project (who played an awesome, high-end, slimy lawyer here). It’s a shame that Peter Dinklage was boxed in as a villain.

The next day was a special one. We spent lunch and dinner with the aforementioned Barbara and Barry, who are like family to me. I met them through my involvement with the B’nai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO), a 95-year-old non-profit organization focused on enriching the lives of Jewish teens. Notable alumni included William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. ‘Nuff said. Barry was the District Director for the Queens Borough Region (QBR) and I made it up to VP, supporting our President, Geoff Gerber. Back in the day, it consisted of 300+/- high school kids who were members of their local synagogue chapters. We had monthly local chapter meetings, Saturday night get-togethers, and two annual weekend conventions at grade-c hotels in the Catskills. Being engaged in this organization and attending these events were some of my happiest times as a teenager. If it wasn’t for BBYO, I wouldn’t have met Carol (that’s a great story for another time) and wouldn’t have made so many of my lifelong friendships. I also wouldn’t have the depth of connection I feel towards Judaism, which I define as my ethnicity as well as my religion. And this support group, including Barry and Barbara, was a major life raft for me when I was 17 after my father was killed.

Barry and Barbara were like the older siblings I never had. They’d lived in St. Louis for 20+ years and this was probs the fourth time I’d seen them in the last ten years, and the first time that Carol and I had gotten to spend quality time with them together. They’re both professors at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and have spent their careers in the non-profit world running organizations, developing volunteer and paid talent, you know, herding cats — kidding, I’m kidding. If we had more people and organizations doing what they’ve done, the world would def be a better place!

B&B ❤

We met them on campus at Washington University in St. Louis. This school was one of those Hidden Ivies, distinctive colleges and universities of excellence that hadn’t developed the level of national branding as those other eight institutions — yet. We walked this top-ranked campus which consisted of beautiful architecture and grounds. It was in the upper 50s and we saw a bunch of students flinging the bee on the quad. If that wasn’t a sign that spring was around the corner, what was?

We were treated to lunch outside the nicest student cafeteria I can recall dining at, where we caught up on family, careers, and day-to-day life. We picked up right where we left off, which could have been a few months ago, but in actuality was a year for me, and over a decade for my bride.

They were even kind enough to invite us to continue the conversation on their outdoor patio over dinner. Barry’s attention to detail was on display, preparing simple yet delectable fare. Homemade pizza for an appy (I swear I didn’t tell him in advance that that was Carol’s fave food), followed by grilled chicken and peppers, which were moist, tasty, and slightly charred for effect. He coupled that with appropriate adult beverages. I procured a Gibson martini made with one of his specialty gins, Nolet’s. Yay!

Shake it, don’t stir it

Meanwhile, Barbara shared pics that brought us up to speed on the family including two wonderful granddaughters. After that we entered the way back machine, viewing shots of their wedding, circa 1978ish? where I helped hold up the chairs during the hora (and which I’m still doing to this day — guys under 50, when the hell are you gonna start pullin’ your weight? Come on!), and of my time in BBYO. I was still proud of the ‘fro I rocked back then. As I was the spitting image of my dad, I always knew I was renting my mane.

On Wednesday, I hit the ground running — literally, with two miles around Lafayette Park which was directly across the street. There was a hill in the center of the grounds where I caught a glimpse of the top of the Gateway Arch, which was two miles away, for extra credit.

It’s everywhere!

We drove downtown for a walking tour with Amanda Clark from the Missouri Historical Society. Carol found her on in the New York Times 36 Hours in St. Louis article. Seemed her tour company Renegade Stl was acquired by the Society. You go, Amanda! She was terrific and we recommend her should you venture to this Gateway to the West. These were some of the high points:

• City of St. Louis vs. County of St. Louis. Back in 1876, the city decoupled itself from the neighboring county, so census and other data doesn’t reflect the true size of the greater metro area. For instance, the city’s current population was 300,000 in 2019 while the greater St. Louis population was 996,919.

Wow!

• Gateway Arch: it’s just as tall as it is wide — 630 ft. Within the last few years, the plaza surrounding it was redone to cover the highway below and connect it to the rest of downtown. Prior, it was separated, a pain to get to, and visitors didn’t spend as much time experiencing the surrounding area.
• Dred Scott vs Sandford: We passed the old courthouse where in 1857 our Supreme Court ruled that Scott, a slave who resided in a free state and territory where slavery was prohibited, was not entitled to his freedom and Africans were not and could never be citizens of the United States. There was a through line from that decision, coupled with other events, which led to the Civil War, and the subsequent Jim Crow laws that reinforced racial segregation in the South.

Recently, the case’s history had been enhanced to include the story of Dred’s wife, Harriett, and their kids. Turned out that Dred died a year after the decision was announced. The man that bought Harriet Scott after the case concluded set her free. We viewed a statue of Dred and Harriet on the east side of the courthouse that looked promisingly to the east. Past the Gateway Arch and over the mighty Mississippi River to Illinois, where former slaves were considered free after the emancipation proclamation.

• Wainwright Building: Built between 1890–91, it was designed by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan, who was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright called it, “the very first human expression of a tall steel office-building as Architecture.” It’s considered, “a highly influential prototype of the modern office building” by the National Register of Historic Places. Contrary to popular belief, It was not named after the Card's former ace pitcher Waino as it predates him by 90 years.
• Eads Bridge: Built between 1867–74 by James Buchanan Eads, it was a predecessor to my and many others’ favorite, the Brooklyn Bridge. This genius came from a dirt-poor family, figured out how to dig through the silt of the Mississippi and was the first to send folks down to the bottom of the river, initially to retrieve valuables from sunken ships. He applied his technology to sink pediments into the bedrock and built this, the longest steel bridge at that time. And it was still being used today. We drove over it. Later he architected a jetty system used in the port of New Orleans. I’m embarrassed that I hadn’t heard about him before our tour!

After the tour, we headed over to Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. They’d won eleven World Series, more than any team in the National League. And they were just as successful developing the area around the stadium, having commissioned bronzes of the many players responsible for their legacy including Musial, Gibson, Ozzie, Brock, Dean, Slaughter, Schoendienst, and Sisler. No Jim Edmonds though, Jake. There were many new restaurants, bars, and a sleek residential hi-rise in the area as well.

Per Amanda’s suggestion, we drove to Crown Candy Kitchen for lunch. A fourth-generation sweet shop, it had been around since 1913. Alas, as we pulled up there were EMS and police sirens blaring. We assumed they weren’t alerting their colleagues to fresh coffee and donuts, so we continued to Plan B. We all always need a Plan B.

Racanelli’s New York Style Pizzeria was one of the few places where Carol was able to order a slice, as opposed to a whole pie, on our trip. And they didn’t smother it with parmesan as many of their peers had to date. She gave it a seven outta ten. Would have scored higher had it not been reheated.

A statue of the legendary Chuck Berry greeted us in the Delmar Loop, and pointed us to The Ville, which was home to the following historic spots:

• 3137 Whittier Street, which was now vacant, had been Chuck and his wife Betty’s home for eight years during which he wrote his seminal works, which included: Maybellene, Roll Over Beethoven, Rock and Roll Music, Sweet Little Sixteen, and Johnny B. Goode.

• Next, we passed by the Annie Malone House, home of one of the first African American women to become a millionaire. One of her selling agents in St. Louis was Madam C.J. Walker who was the subject of the recent Netflix series Self Made.
• Around the corner was Homer G. Philips Hospital, the first all-black hospital in St. Louis where some of the first black physicians and nurses were trained.
• From there, it was only a short drive to Sumner High School, whose notable graduates included the aforementioned Mr. Berry, as well as Arthur Ashe, Ron Townson and Lamonte McLemore (40% of the 5th Dimension), Dick Gregory, Nate Colbert, Robert Guillaume, and Tina Turner. How’s that for a lineup?

• Up next, a favorite of Carol’s — Scott Joplin’s house (she loves ragtime, betcha didn’t know that).

• And, we closed out with a trip to The Hill , where we stood in front of the childhood homes of Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola. They lived directly across the street from each other!

On the way to/from The Hill, we drove by Tower Grove Park, which along with Forest Park, were the two large and gorgeous parks in the city. Tower Grove was ringed by what seemed like blue-collar, and middle-class homes. I imagined living there, walking out the door, and being able to go for a run, on the grass under shaded trees in an affordable neighborhood. The thought put a smile on my punim.

Closing out on St. Louis, it was the most surprising city we’ve stayed at to date — in a good way. Recently it had been the embodiment of the American dream, having welcomed immigrants from other countries at a faster rate than most other large metro areas based on its abundant housing supply. For example, it’s been home to the largest Bosnian community in the world outside of Bosnia. It’s got a great university — Wash U, a great hospital system in Barnes-Jewish, the aforementioned large wonderful parks, and an abundance of housing with growing demand (read: still affordable). Throw in a couple of sports franchises to get you through the year — the legendary Cards, and the recent Stanley Cup champ St. Louis Blues (great name and great logo). Finally, its GDP has been growing steadily since 2000.

If we were early on as a family unit and looking to plant roots somewhere where we could get the best value/quality of life, I’d give this town some consideration and ask you to meet me in St. Louis!

Next up — Madison, Wisconsin!