Missouri: An Abbreviated Part Two

Because of my love of football, I insisted that we stop off at Arrowhead Stadium, home to the Kansas City Chiefs. LeRon McClain, formerly of the Ravens (*SNIFF!!*), will be playing here in the fall. (We didn't see him unfortunately.) We also stopped by and took pictures of the Kansas City Royals' stadium because it was right next door.

 I'm a rebel.

 Kauffman Stadium. That day, the Royals beat the Orioles mercilessly. At this point, playing Baltimore is probably like beating a Little League team of 5th graders: unsatisfying.

Click on the picture to enlarge. Then you can actually see me!! (I blend in really well with the posts.)

On our way out of Missouri, we saw yet ANOTHER giant cross! I wonder how many of these are scattered throughout the Midwest. I also wonder if you can climb steps to the top. That'd be cool.

Before we left, we stopped off at a rest stop for a stretch and a bathroom break. Nikki thought that giving Tasha a stretch break would be a good idea too. Tasha didn't really agree.

Next up, KANSAS! All we've been hearing from anyone who's driven through the state is that it's flat and boring. I can't imagine that it's that much worse than Illinois....

Missouri: A Worthwhile Place to Visit (Part One)

After we escaped the nothingness of Illinois, we drove into Missouri, a state that I didn't really know much about. I knew the sports teams that played there (obviously) and that they had really good barbecue (thanks to Adam Richman and Man Vs. Food), but not much else. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was much to enjoy.

The highlight for me was "Ozarksland," an incredibly kitschy store/big rig rest stop that was conveniently located in front of our hotel room. While I *should* know what the Ozarks are (being an armadillo), the region never really interested me before, as I am an urban-loving placental mammal, so I didn't really get the joke. For those who are equally clueless, Wikipedia has this to say about what the Ozarks are:

"The Ozarks...are a physiographic and geologic highland region of the central United States. It covers much of the southern half of Missouri and an extensive portion of northwestern and north central Arkansas. The region also extends westward into northeastern Oklahoma and extreme southeastern Kansas. The wooded hills of southwest Illinois, though commonly called the "Illinois Ozarks," are generally not considered part of the true Ozarks." (Because to hell with Illinois!) (citation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozarks) So there you go. The Ozarks.

Nikki, Steve, and I went to the store right before closing and were those obnoxious East Coasters who took pictures and laughed at a group of people's culture. Pictures below! :D

Sign on the back of the building, facing our hotel. This is a rare picture of Steve, who never seems to want to have his picture taken in general and with me specifically.

Yeehaw! Giddyup, lil cowboys! (I think I look rather fetching in this hat!)

Nikki...I think she's pretending to be a cowgirl princess? With a little bit of Annie Oakley mixed in? It's...hard to tell with Nikki.

Nikki is Strange: Photographic Proof Number 2

Despite having a rifle, I got the feeling that Steve was going to win this fight.

You can take my gun when you pry it from my fuzzy, inanimate paws!

I can only imagine the horrors this squirrel must have seen to have had that facial expression frozen on his face for all eternity.

Part Two of the Missouri story will feature a visit to some sports stadiums and a returning "character" from a previous post!! STAY TUNED!!!