Overland Park, Kansas

September 17, 2023 – Sunday – Overland Park, Kansas 

 

Up at the usual time to a nice day.  The rain is gone.  We didn’t have a big travel day in front of us (about 5 ½ hours), so there was no hurry to get on the road.  The breakfast looked particularly unappetizing, so we (M, actually) decided to do the laundry instead.  (Actually, it was a jump ball…arriving early to the new hotel and taking the chance on whether a room would be available then or not, or staying where we were for a bit and doing laundry in a very nice laundry room for a great price!  Like the first Homewood Suites, it was $1.50 per load to wash, and another $1.50 to dry – and it worked out great!  We were able to get everything washed and then checked out of the hotel and on the road about 9:15 am!)

 

Left the hotel at about 9:30 for a 5-hour trip from Davenport to Kansas City – freeways all the way.  Iowa, it turned out, wasn’t as flat and uninteresting as expected; it was really quite lovely as we drove along, especially the area south of Des Moines – very hilly and forested.  And, as it as Sunday, the roads weren’t crowded in the least, which was great.

 

Stopped at Arby’s at around noon for lunch, then back on the road.

 

Arrived at our hotel, Homewood Suites in Overland Park, Kansas – a suburb of Kansas City – it would be more accurate to say “Kansas Cities” because Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas really make one community.

 

Checking in, we were told our selected room wasn’t ready, so we said we would take an alternate, as long as it was on the top (4th) floor.  OK and off to room 412, only to find it occupied by another newly arrived guest!  Back to the front desk for reassignment to room 404.

 

One of the restaurant recommendations in the hotel information was Jack Stack BBQ so, this being Kansas City, that was the choice.  And it was an excellent choice.  We each ordered house salads for starters (excellent!) and BBQ baby-back ribs for the main course. M’s dinner included a loaded baked potato, R had cheesy potatoes with a sampler of 5 or 6 BBQ shrimp.  The ribs were truly outstanding.  Lean, perfectly cooked and served with a tasty (but not spicy) BBQ sauce.  We both thought these were the best BBQ ribs we have ever had.  (We now think that any future trips east will include a stop in Kansas City, just to visit Jack Stack BBQ.). Finished off with a slice of take-away carrot cake (for later or for tomorrow).  (Note:  Definitely tomorrow, as there is NO more room for anything else tonight!!). Afterwards, we found the local Overland Park Costco just a mile or so down the street from the hotel and the restaurant, and were able to fill up with gas!  What a great location!

 

Back to the hotel for Sunday Night Football and rest in anticipation of the baseball game tomorrow afternoon, Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians.

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