Hiking: Cave Spring Park

 

On the trail.

This weekend we once again hit the trail with a hike we found in our new Hiking Kansas City book, that at Cave Spring Park. The park is a small tract of forest along the former Santa Fe and Oregon Trails. Pioneers and traders would stop at the small spring on their first day on the trail, after departing from Independence, Missouri. The park history included a marker for the pioneer trail camps, a few old chimneys that are the mid-twentieth century remnants of a Free Mason Country Club, and a marker for Harry Truman's grandfather, who owned the land in the late nineteenth century.

 

 

Cave Springs in the cave state.

This small cave, for which the park is named, had a tiny spring flowing from it's interior. There was also a small spring-fed pond on the other side of the park.

 

 

Little dude, big trees.

  

The park is only 40 acres nestled in the city, but there were many paths winding through the forest, making it feel much larger. There were also a few small streams and bridges, and we even saw a deer at the start of our hike. There was a small waterfall near what seemed to be an old dam, but a tree had recently fallen over the tiny falls, making them hard to see. All of the remnants of human history combined with some cool natural features made this a really sweet afternoon adventure.

 

Hiking crew. 

Kansas City: Heart of America Shakespeare Festival

 

King Lear program and button.

Each summer, one of our favorite June activities is attending the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival in Southmoreland Park. This year's production, King Lear, was dramatic and dark, but a great performance and a lovely time as usual.

 

 

Festival entrance.

The festival has a pre-show talk and many booths with concessions of wine, sandwiches, and popcorn, but we usually just bring our picnic basket and hang out on the lawn for a few minutes before the show. A fresh baguette, some cheese, dips, fruit, small chocolates, and wine are the perfect accompaniment to the drama.

 

 

We met The Bard himself!

 

 

Clouds in the distance.

The weather is often hot and humid during the festival, but this year it was a bit cooler and more comfortable than usual. There were beautiful clouds off to the north and east, which provided a bit of extra intrigue for the show- at the point when King Lear is leaving the castle the play includes a storm, which on the night we attended was supplemented with real lightning off in the distance. The performance starts at 8 pm, and the sun goes down throughout the first half of the play. It's quite magical to grow increasingly interested in the story and characters as the sun retreats, and the sunset truly heightens the drama of the performance. 

 

 

The view of the stage from our blanket.

The festival is free, but there are options for reserved seats or reserved blanket space. We just opt for the free grassy area and give a small donation.

 

 

Picnic basket.

  

Hiking: Jerry Smith Park

 

Storm clouds behind us on the trail. We narrowly avoided the rain.

 Recently, I purchased a book titled Hiking Kansas City. While there are many resources on the internet for finding natural areas, sometimes the wealth of information makes it hard to find spots nearby. Books like this one are oftentimes more helpful that the web, as they are concise and to the point. Plus, after spending hours in front of a screen for work, it is much more pleasant to page through paper than to spend time on my phone or computer. This past weekend, we took our first hike from the book, at Jerry Smith Park in south KC. We may have never learned about this great spot without the book.

The park was a little tough to find, but was really lovely once we arrived. We completed the 2.5 mile hiking loop through restored prairie, and walked around the small fishing lake. The park was full of wildflowers, and had many areas of stone where little dude could seek out fossils.  We also spied the seventeen-year cicada, and a variety of birds. I'm very much looking forward to hiking here again, and to seeing how the landscape changes with the seasons.

 

 

Wildflowers.

 

 

One of the forested parts of the trail.

 

 

More wildflowers.

 

 

Fossil hunting. We found a variety of coral fossils, and some worm-like fossils.

 

 

Cicada. 

Kansas City: Airport art vending machine

 

I'm going to go ahead and say it- Kansas City is a very underrated place. There are many things to love about the city that I currently call home, and I'd like to use a bit of this space to document some of the greater things about KC. First up- the Souvenear vending machine that sits at Kansas City International Airport. The machine, which has apparently has high sales, sits in Terminal B near Southwest Airlines. It offers locally made products like screen printed t-shirts, limited edition prints, and jewelry. KC has a fantastic art community, so it only makes sense to extend this to the airport. How great that while most places offer cheesy mass produced souvenirs (of course we have those too), you can wait for your flight out of KC with a local beer and some local art?

Royals Blue October

 

This is a few weeks overdue, but I need to write a tribute to this years KC Royals team.

While I enjoy sports, I'm not a huge sports person. We usually go to a game or two per season; in a year we'll hit up baseball, and maybe college basketball. I'd like to go to an NFL game (Lambeau Field is on my life list), and for a few years we've tossed around attending a major league soccer game, but have never acted. While I enjoy the camaraderie of sporting events, the prices are generally too high (I'm looking at you Chicago Cubs), and we haven't lived in a city with many winning sports teams, with Jayhawk basketball being an exception.

Having said all that, I love going to Royals games. The cost is low- generally $15 a ticket for the seats we get, they have good Boulevard Beer, and there are decent food options like veggie hot dogs. The K is a great place to watch a game, and it's close to our house. We went to one game this year, back in August, and really enjoyed ourselves.

Then came October. And that wild card game. And all the rest.

It was so amazing to see Kansas City come alive with joy as the Royals marched towards the World Series. T-shirt vendors popped up on street corners. Cars had blue flags flying from the windows. Our neighborhood had fireworks going off at the end of every game, and people just seemed to be happier. Little dude's Japanese school took a group photo and sent it to Aoki, the Japanese player on the team. Everyone wore blue for weeks. The games we watched at the local bars were filled with smiles and high fives. We watched most of the playoff games- I even watched some while on a work trip to Texas. Although we didn't win the Series, it was still really fun to see KC light up, to see friends post pictures from playoff games, and to see all the fountains and buildings drenched in blue. While I know that many of the players will be off to new places next year, I still look forward to going to the first game of the season, and to seeing how we do next year. It was a great October.

September First Friday

 

Hung Liu at Sherry Leedy

September's First Friday was my first since being back, and it was a good one.

The two highlights of the evening were Hung Liu at Sherry Leedy and the various shows at the Belger, including Wordplay, Shae Bishop and Emily Duke, and William Christenberry (open since February, about to close). 

Hung Liu's work was powerful and visually striking- especially her multi-layered paintings which use glass to create three dimensionality and a recession of space (above). I also enjoyed her use of gender, class, and history- the juxtaposition of historic signs of Chinese culture with the varied figures found in society created an interesting statement on the turmoil of the twentieth century and the interplay of the many faces found within said society.

 

 

Hung Liu at Sherry Leedy 

 

 

Joe on a lovely KC evening

  

The Belger Wordplay exhibition included a fantastic variety of art, all organized around the theme of text and image, much of which had interesting political content.

 

Wordplay at the Belger 

Commuting

 

Thursday here was a day different than most- I had to commute a long distance.

This post could easily be a complaint or rant about the experience- I went through atrocious construction and traffic, and encountered any number of terrible drivers, people texting, etc., but I'd rather reflect on why so many Americans hold to this way of life when there are so many better models out there. 

We live in the city. This is a choice that allows both Joe and I really short commute times and distances. On any given day neither of us drives more than 20 minutes one way- and this is significantly longer now that his job has moved locations. This also gives us public transportation options, and allows us to walk to a variety of local businesses (the gym, coffee shops, a variety of restaurants, CVS, Walgreens, etc. are within a few blocks of our house). Honestly, I can't imagine living in a place where driving is required, and I don't understand why people make the choice to live in such places (I know many low-income people don't have a choice, that is a separate issue). After spending time doing a "normal" American commute yesterday I came home both physically and mentally tired, irritable, and significantly poorer, as I spent so much on gas. The physical and mental exhaustion was what really shocked me.

This is not how people in other countries live. There are amazing public transport systems in Europe and Japan, and we could do this as a nation if we so desired. Yet, for some reason people cling to their cars. A car culture is wasteful, bad for the environment, bad for your health, expensive, and inconvenient. It promotes no sense of community. It makes social mobility increasingly difficult. I had to run an errand in the suburbs yesterday- it was a nightmare. When I had to run errands or do some shopping while living in Japan, it was much easier, more convenient, and more relaxed. People can sleep, text, play games, read a book, stand up, and do all manner of pleasant things while riding a train.  There simply is no benefit to the people from a car culture, yet our pervasive give-everything-to-corporations way of governing gives huge benefits to oil companies at the detriment of a true public transportation system. Most of my Japanese and European friends still own a car (one for the family), and use it for family outings to the country, or to haul large items, etc. The difference is that the car is not required or necessary. So, why do we allow ourselves to be martyrs to oil companies, forced into the inconvenience of car-centric communities when we could be living healthier, better lives? Why do Americans convince themselves that they like their cars to much? Surely we are smarter than the car-maker and oil company propaganda. Surely we can see beyond our current predicament to a better way. There is some hope in the generations under age 30, who repeatedly report that they don't care about cars and who are moving back into the urban core at high rates. Hopefully that means that we can look forward to a more urban, convenient future, free of cars and strip malls, and full of trains and walkability.

PS- Kansas City is starting to invest in the future with the current streetcar project, something that I'm very excited about. There is a good deal of outside money fighting the project (!), but I'm hopeful that we can expand the routes, and I know that this will be a great addition to the city.

Back in the States

 

 Narita Terminal 1 North Wing departures.

Hey! I'm in Kansas City!

I made it back from Japan with very few travel issues, though I did have to jettison two pairs of shoes, a sweater, and some old t-shirts at Narita Airport to get my luggage down to the regulated weight. This is not the first time I have been at that airport playing the edit-your-possessions-to-get-your-luggage-down-to-weight game. Even after the great luggage purge I ended up buying a new carry-on at the airport and stuffed about 35 pounds of books and shoes into it. This along with my roller carry-on (full of camera gear, my hard drive, and a years worth of research paperwork) still didn't fit all my stuff- I was wearing a sweater even though it was hot as -fill in the hottest place you can imagine-, my heavy suede shoes (the heaviest I own), and my Panama hat which I didn't want to get crushed. I also had a small purse and my laptop bag. It was ridiculous, but somehow nobody bothered me and I was able to get everything onto both of my flights. Nothing like moving on an airplane through multiple security checkpoints.... Part of the ease should be credited to Delta, which had really great service on all fronts- and decent airline food. On another positive note, because of the epic day of lugging my stuff on three trains and two planes I only shipped three boxes of stuff back. Shipping international is crazy expensive, takes six to eight weeks, and as it is done by boat, sometimes your boxes arrive looking like they have been, well, shipped around the world on a boat. 

Moving out of my apartment was as smooth as can be, which was a great surprise to me. Usually moving, something I have done more times than I'd care to remember, goes horribly for me. This last statement is probably true for everyone. In any case, this time wasn't too bad, and despite the heat, I vacated my apartment one day before leaving the country and had no crises or issues. Yay! A friend helped me to carry some extra stuff along with my stuff down to her apartment and we had a lovely dinner on my last night in Tokyo. 

Now, after five days of being back I'm finally starting to get over the jet lag and general exhaustion of the move, and I'm getting back into the groove of work and life here in the U.S. Some things about being back are amazing (being together with the fam, the speed at which my brain works in English, brunch), others are difficult (driving everywhere, the general inconvenience of American life, giant portion sizes). This is probably best placed in another post on another day.

In any case, I still have many Japan posts to catch up on, and life here is creating many interesting bloggable moments as well, so much to come!

 

 

Something like 24 hours after leaving my friend's apartment, arrival in Kansas City. 

Autumn in America

 

Taking a break from Japan, and visiting the States during my favorite season is a great way to refresh. I've been loving the crisp autumn weather, changing leaves, and the excuse to bake cute Halloween treats.

A trip to Shaake's Pumpkin Patch is a treasured fall tradition in our house, as is carving jack-o-lanterns.

 

 

Hiking at Weston Bend State Park is another favorite activity when the leaves change color.

 

 

Autumn in KC- so lovely.

 

The weekend in photos

It was a great summer weekend-  marked by amazing food, great drinks,  time spent with family,  and time spent outdoors. A few photos sum it up nicely- margaritas,  farmers market veggies,  a magical little door discovered while biking the neighborhood, good local beer,  and a Sunday KC-style veggie cookout. Happy summer!

Skyline

 

A haircut at Skyline is not only a treat because of how great my hair looks when I'm done, but it's also a pleasure to sit and sip a glass of wine, enjoying the conversation or a magazine, and gazing out at Kansas City.

 

Hospital Hill Half Marathon

 

 On June 1, I ran the Hospital Hill Half Marathon. 

Yikes.

This was my second half marathon, my first being Rock the Parkway back in 2012. First off, let me say, I am not a natural runner. I have bad knees, and I'm not particularly competitive when it comes to sports (as opposed to political debate). But, I'm trying to be a runner, partially because I love the way it feels to accomplish something that doesn't come easy, but also because running makes me happy. It quells my anxiety, gets me outdoors, gives me some time to clear my thoughts. It gives me a sense of ease. On a day when I know I have a million things to do and what feels like a million people to answer to, I can get out for an early morning jog, and say to myself: There you go. You just ran three miles and it's only 8:30 a.m. You got this. The rest of the challenges of your day are no problem.

Running a few times a week has taken me through many of the challenges of the past few years, and in such a simple way. Strap on shoes, toss on clothes, headphones, and go. Minimal equipment, go anytime, go in (almost) any weather. I often think about the very act of running while I'm out doing it- and about an article I read a few years ago that argued that humans evolved with the advantage of being built for running distances. I like to think about the very act of movement, of running, as making us distinctly human. I feel the same way about hiking and snowshoeing. Perhaps I'm not the greatest runner out there, but doing what our ancient ancestors were built to do gives me a particular satisfaction and happiness. It keeps me balanced and focused. It leads me to sleep and eat better than if I'm not active. It sharpens my thoughts. It also brings me to a great documentary I watched recently, Happy. The film really is one you should watch for yourself, but many of the things that scientists believe make us happy are things I experience when running- the sense of community out on my neighborhood jogging trail, the feeling of physical exercise, and the exhilaration of doing something new are all things I love about running.

With all this in mind, Hospital Hill was a fantastic race. It's ranked by Runner's World as one of the top halves in the US, and justly so. The race was well organized, and the course was a great tour of Kansas City: Crown Center-> Crossroads->Power and Light->Hospital Hill->Union Hill->Hyde Park->Nelson-Atkins Museum->UMKC->Brookside->UMKC again->The Plaza->Westport->Broadway->Liberty Memorial->Crown Center. There are six named hills (but honestly I lost count), and the killer was the 8.5% grade hill (!) at mile 12.5. Though this last hill was like a million stabs to the thighs, there was an amazing view of downtown that came into view at the top along with a guy in an Elvis suit giving out high fives. There was good beer and bbq at the finish line. The race had great aid stations, and lots of spectators to cheer on the runners, as well as entertainment in a few spots from DJs and two cheerleading squads. My favorite cheers came from Joe and sprout in mile eight- complete with noisemakers and huge smiles.

While the achy knees healed after two days of rest and a Monday yoga class, and my blistered feet are just about healed four days later, the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction remains. I'm not sure if I'll do another half (10k races are more my speed), but this was a great race to finish, and a nice way to celebrate Kansas City.

A beautiful day

 

We've had some stormy weather in KC these past few days. Nothing like down in Oklahoma, but we did have pretty strong straight line winds (supposedly up to 70 mph), and our power went out in the midst of a particularly strong storm on Sunday night. Intermixed with this, we've also had some completely gorgeous days- bluebird skies, temps in the 70s, and lovely sunsets.

 

Kite Festival

 

On Saturday afternoon we went out to the 'burbs for the Flights of Fancy Kite Festival.  This was my first kite festival, and it was actually a good deal more fun than I expected. It was perfect kite weather- just a bit breezy, blue skies, a slight chill, but not cold or too windy. We first walked around the grounds of the community college where the festival was held, checking out the huge house-sized kites from the KC Kite Club, and then made our way over to the fields where the amateurs (us) were trying their hands at kite flying. As we didn't know what to expect, we came kite-less, and were more than pleased when there was a huge trailer selling all manner of kites. We were also relieved when sprout set his sights on an $11 model, and not one of the significantly costlier versions. We flew our little orange kite for quite a while, and little man got so excited at the soaring bit of nylon that he couldn't stop jumping around (he also got too excited to hold onto the kite- note to parents of small children). Once the thrill of the kite wore off we cruised the food trucks, had a light snack, and called it an afternoon. All told, I had forgot how much fun kite flying is- the exhilaration of the breeze, the fun and skill of maneuvering a kite, the simplicity of it all, and in this instance, the shared sense of community. Go fly a kite!

Magnolia

 

The most conspicuous sign of the arrival of early spring in Kansas City is decidedly the magnolia trees. Huge blooms, slight fragrance, and a tree full of blossoms. In the Midtown area there seems to be a few trees on every block, such as the two gorgeous trees in front of KCAI's Jannes Library. So lovely!

 

April First Friday

 

This weekend brought fantastic weather to the KC area. We took the opportunity to do some gallery hopping on Friday evening in the Crossroads.

Sprout was interested in the graffiti, or as he referred to it, "the painted walls." He informed us that he would like to paint the walls when he gets big...... hmmmm.....

  

 One of our first stops was Simlandscape 5 at Vulpes Bastille, an exhibition of Derek Dobbins' work (one of my former students).

 

Lots of galleries in the East Crossroads were full, and the weather perfect. Food trucks were out, people were using lots to play disk golf, and we even saw a pop up outdoor restaurant.

 

 

Another show that we enjoyed was Beneath the Respirator, showing photography work seen below.