From Oklahoma, we made our way northeast to Missouri. First stop in this Midwestern state was to Walnut Grove, home to our old Afghanistan contractor buddy, Tom Tipton. We hadn’t seen him since 2005 so we had a lot of catching up to do. The next day, Tom took us on a tour of the heart of Route 66 which is in Springfield, Missouri. Apparently, Springfield was the birthplace of Rt 66 back in 1926, and there are quite a few historical spots sprinkled in the Springfield area that were worthy of a quick visit. Tom also introduced us to the Bass Pro Shops, a sporting goods store famous for its hunting, fishing and camping gear. We had lunch at Hemingway’s Blue Water Cafe with Tom and his wife Kathy, before thanking them for their hospitality and checking out the Bass Pro Shops museums on our own. That afternoon, we drove out to Ava, where Becky’s second mom lives on a farm in a gorgeous setting. We had a lovely time with Barbara and reluctantly left the next day to drive out towards Colorado. We did make a quick detour in Kansas to try Joe’s Kansas City BBQ and visit with Jim Burns. So far our trip has been a series of reunions, and we are loving it! Next up are the mountain states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. Stay tuned…

Itinerary

7 May: Drive to Walnut Grove
8 May: Walnut Grove to Springfield to Ava
9 May: Drive Ava to Kansas City to Salina