Kansas City getaway

Brent and I had a much-deserved getaway in late July.  We talked about all sorts of locations and had the kids lined up with my parents.  As time drew closer and closer, we still didn't have a destination.  Did you know that flights don't always get cheaper at the last minute?  That is one downfall to not living in a metropolis -- but I wouldn't trade it.  Ultimately, we decided to drive to Kansas City, which, by way of my parents house is a much longer trip than our house (like, nine hours).  We took some not-so-common roads and it was fun to see different countryside.  Brent, of course, inspected every field of corn and soybeans that we drove by.

While in Kansas City, Kansas we stayed at the Chateau Avalon.   It's a great location to escape the busy everyday life. 

If you have ever watched Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network, you may have seen this restaurant.  We thought it would be neat to sample an eatery that had been on DDD and we couldn't pass up barbecue.  They are known for serving the best burnt-ends in Kansas City; Brent agreed.  It was definitely a "dive" and really tiny, but good food!

The Chateau Avalon is right across the street, literally, from the Kansas Speedway.  We aren't really race fans, but we were so close we thought we would see if we could get a tour of the speedway and we were in luck. 

The view from the top of the stands where ESPN and other channels set up their TV crews.  It was incredibly hot up there. 

I had to zoom in on this - it is the family center in the middle of the track.  This is where the family members of the racers and crew hang out.  Basically, a daycare so spouses can watch their loved one race. 

From pit row. 

Winner's circle.

It just so happened that the day of our tour was also a day that the Richard Petty Driving Experience was at the Kansas Speedway.  We decided to take advantage and do the ride along experience.  We each got to ride shot-gun in a two-seater NASCAR race car with a professional driver at the wheel for three laps at real NASCAR speeds  -- approximately 180 miles per hour. 

And dress in the special safety suit. 

zoom ~ zoom ~ there goes Brent ~ zoom ~ zoom

My turn; getting in and out of the car was true Dukes of Hazard style. 

I had to take this picture of the tunnel for Lucas because it reminded me of the scene in Cars when Mack drives into the race track. 

Did I mention it was hot?  It got warmer - at one point it was 107 degrees!

The next three nights we stayed in the Power and Light District of Kansas City, Missouri.  We were walking distance to restaurants, bars and entertainment.  We even went to a movie theatre that had big, soft, cushy recliners and a waitress!  They had everything from typical movie snacks to appetizers, full meals, desserts and a bar section on the menu.  Crazy! 

A relaxing and rejuvenating getaway for us; always fun.  The kids had such a good time, I don't think they even noticed we were gone.  :-)