June 12, 2012

We’re not in Kansas anymore!  We hooked up and drove to Smithville, Missouri.  This little town has a very nice lake and a couple of campgrounds and it is just north of Kansas City, Missouri. After unhooking we drove to Independence, Missouri to visit the Truman Presidential Library and the Harry S. Truman home.  On the way we stopped off at the beautiful Vaile Mansion.  Jim and I went to the visitor center and got tickets to go through the Truman House.  Then we found two geocaches while waiting for our tour time.  After touring Bess and Harry Truman’s house we went through the Noland house across the street that two of Harry’s cousins owned.  He had been visiting them when he took a borrowed cake plate across the street to Bess’s house for his cousins.  After Harry and Bess Truman were married they lived in this house which belonged to her grandfather.  Truman came back to this house after his presidency and he and Bess lived here the rest of their lives.  The house was very modest inside (no pictures were allowed).

We also bought tickets and went through the library.  In the foyer there is a large mural painted by Thomas Hart Benton.  We watched two movies and saw all the exhibits.  There is a replica of Truman’s oval office from the White House and also the office he used at the library after leaving office. Harry and Bess are buried here. Then we drove into Kansas City and went to Boulevard Brewing.  It was 5:30 and they were closed but I talked our way into a few samples and we even got to meet one of the brewers.  Normally you have to be on a waiting list for months to go on a tour here.  He told us about a nearby brewpub and we went there afterward.  McCoy’s Public House had good beer, too. We talked to a homebrewer from the KC Bier Meisters homebrew club who was sitting next to us.  He gave us some tips on brewpubs to visit in St. Louis.

One of our friends lives in Kansas City and brews for Gordon Biersch.  He formerly owned Brenham Brewery in Texas and also brewed for Gordon Biersch in New Orleans.  Jim called James and got his voice mail, then called the brewery and he was still at work brewing.  We went to visit him and saw his brewing equipment and had some of the beers he brewed.  James brews outstanding lager beers.  It was good to see James again and we sure miss him.  We got back to camp about 10:30.