Back to KC

The other trip I took this past summer was to Kansas City, Missouri for the AP World History Grading. The past eleven years the grade was held in Colorado and Utah. I miss Fort Collins and will miss Salt Lake City but I was excited to go to KC.

KC's my hometown. But I haven't been back much since leaving the area to go to college in Oklahoma. I had only been back to Kansas City four times since 1992. So I was excited to meet up with old friends, catch a Royals game and eat the best barbecue in the world.

The College Board put me up in the Westin Crown Center which is still a very nice hotel. It might not be on Grand America Hotel Salt Lake level...but it's very nice. I had stayed at the Crown Center a few times in the past. When I was a kid it was considered the premier hotel in town. It's connected to a shopping center and just a mile up the road from Gates BBQ, one of my favorite barbecue joints in the world. I ate there three times in the two weeks I was in KC.

I ate barbecue nine of the fourteen days I was in town. I ate at Johnny's (my family's favorite spot growing up) twice. Ate at Gates three times. Arthur Bryant's is always amazing. I ate very well.

Got to go a Royals game in Kauffman Stadium. We saw the boys in blue defeat the White Sox. It was a Friday night so there were fireworks after the show. It was a beautiful night. It was my first time back to The K since I took my son to Game Two of the 2015 World Series.

The AP Reader Leadership dinner was held in the foyer that connects the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Baseball League Hall of Fame Museum. The food was great but even better was getting free admittance into both museums. I had never had a chance to visit either place. Both are fantastic. I also loved the Charlie Parker statue as the sun set behind. The 18th and Vine District is so much livelier and safe than when I lived in KC. They've done wonders to the area.

In fact, every area I visited was in better shape and in better condition than when I had lived in KC twenty years earlier. That's a rare and great thing.

I did get to drive the house I grew up in. Looked remarkably the same. Drove the my old high school and where my junior high used to be before it was closed and torn down to make way for a shiny school district resource center.

Met with my oldest friend, Paul, who I met when I was five. We caught up on old times while eating burgers at Winsteads. Met up with Tim, who I worked with in Barcelona, Spain. Tim and his wife now live in Lenexa. Good to see these guys.

There was a tornado that tracked about two miles north of the hotel on my second night in KC. Tornado sirens and everything. Got some pics of the foreboding clouds.

It was a good trip. I really enjoyed getting to know my new Jeep on this trip. Bonus was getting to have lunch with my Grandparents and family in Tulsa on my way back down to Texas.

The AP Read will return to Kansas City this June 2020. I'm  already making plans of which BBQ joints to hit up!

Disney/Universal

So this past June our big family trip was to Florida. Specifically Disney World and Universal Studios. This was another way to celebrate the adoption of our daughter.

We drove down, stopping for the night in the outskirts of Mobile, Alabama there and back. The Jeep proved a great traveling vehicle.

The Magic Kingdom was our first stop. Had to be right? It looked pretty much the same as I left it back in 1987 when I was in junior high. Highlights always include Space Mountain and riding along with my son as he drove the future world cars. We met virtually every Disney princess. My daughter was in a wonderland!

Hollywood Studios was the next stop. Reminded me a lot of Disney's California Adventure Park in Anaheim. Very similar aesthetic. Retro L.A.. Smaller park so a bit more manageable than the larger parks. Had a fantastic time. The highlights for me were the Aerosmith Roller Coaster and the Jedi Training that Ava underwent.

Animal Kingdom the third day. Very different vibe. Really cool safari themed park. Saw lots of animals and wildlife. The Avatar section was staggering in size and scope. We got caught in a monsoon in the afternoon but fortunately found shelter.

After a day off spent at our AirBnB Condo we headed to Universal Studios. My wife and kids wanted to focus on all the Harry Potter sights our first day at Universal. The Hogwarts Express and Hogwarts itself was indeed very impressive. Rained again in the afternoon but we had found a nice table in the Jurassic Park Dinosaur center. We were able to relax and eat until the rain finally abated.

The second day at Universal Studios we focused on the rides. My favorite rides were the Hulk Coaster and the Rock It Coaster. Both were some of the most amazing rides I've ever been on.

After two days at Universal we ended our Florida trip at Epcot. I really enjoyed Epcot as a kid and it was no different as an adult. It's so much less crowded than all the other parks. It seems more relaxed. I really enjoyed the Mission to Mars ride. Spaceship Earth also never disappoints.

We had a great trip. We stayed at an AirBnb condo at a resort halfway between Universal and Disney. On our off day we enjoyed the resort's pool and tennis courts. It was a great place to stay.

Now we have to think about where to go next summer!

August 19th

Today would have been my parent's 47th wedding anniversary. I think about my Dad every day.

Today is also my 21st first day of school as a teacher. I must admit that after 21 of these...they don't produce the anxiety the first several years did. Honestly, by now the years often seem to run into each other in a big blur.

Ava is now in 4th Grade, Jackson in 7th Grade. Hard to believe. Both have good schedules and good teachers. Hoping for a great year for everyone including my wife who is in her 23rd year in education.

Maybe Tomorrow

So where do I begin? Didn't blog all summer. And it was a busy summer that I enjoyed immensely. Went back to my hometown of Kansas City for two weeks for the AP World History Grading. Went to DisneyWorld, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, DisneyHollywood, and Universal Studios. Traveled to visit family in Indiana and Oklahoma. School starts Monday. Guess I should get back in the routine. Always found it ironic that when I have the most free time...that's when I journal and blog the least. And when I have the most interesting things to say...that's when I say the least. Alright. I'll get back in the groove. Maybe tomorrow.