West of the Mississippi

West of the Mississippi

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Once we left Columbus we were bound for St. Louis, my birthplace. Based on my cousin, Geri’s recommendation, we were staying at 21C Museum Hotel in downtown. Boutique hotel meets contemporary art museum, it is an uber-cool concept, a re-imagined YMCA with a gymnasium that now serves as gallery space. We spent an hour after checking in roaming several floors which included the art deco indoor pool from a century ago.

A lounge shows off art and fun
21C Museum Hotel bar
These boots…were they really made for walkin’? I think not!
Women of Color
Tatooed infants – what will they think of next in the name of art?
The cousins Geri, Jacki & Don gather for an evening of lively cheer!
Even the ceiling of the cafe is an artistic endeavor.
View from our window, including a peak at the Gateway to the West arch, dead center.
A lounge shows off art and fun
21C Museum Hotel bar
These boots…were they really made for walkin’? I think not!
Women of Color
Tatooed infants – what will they think of next in the name of art?
The cousins Geri, Jacki & Don gather for an evening of lively cheer!
Even the ceiling of the cafe is an artistic endeavor.
View from our window, including a peak at the Gateway to the West arch, dead center.

Being back in St Louis was wonderful! The city has completed a lot of restoration projects and I thought it might make a good home. We must plan a return visit.

Gateway to the West was opened in 1962,the year we moved to Tulsa
The Beaux Arts design of the Central Library makes it one of the city’s grandest works of art.
Pinocchio in the Sculpture Garden is one of many playful exhibits
Stiffel Theatre (Kiel Opera House in my time)
Gateway to the West was opened in 1962,the year we moved to Tulsa
The Beaux Arts design of the Central Library makes it one of the city’s grandest works of art.
Pinocchio in the Sculpture Garden is one of many playful exhibits
Stiffel Theatre (Kiel Opera House in my time)

Onward through Missouri and Kansas where we managed to fit in two more presidential libraries. And a stopover in Kansas City wouldn’t be complete without dining on K.C. barbecue. Have it all with brisket, sausage, chicken, ribs plus corn and beans!

We stopped to see the Truman Presidential Library & Museum near Kansas City
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The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene rounded our our library tours this trip.
We stopped to see the Truman Presidential Library & Museum near Kansas City
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The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene rounded our our library tours this trip.

Boulder was my home most the decade of the 70s. We’ve made a few sporadic visits over the years and it is always impressive to see how it has evolved. Great memories!

Approaching the Front Range of the Rocky Mtns as we arrive in Boulder.
Autumn was getting started along Mapleton St.
Wellness and anti-aging injections are the latest fad in Boulder.
A few days with great friends, Susie & JR Stearns. Susie & I went to high school and college together.
JR treated us to a day of golf at the Boulder Country Club. What a special experience this was!
Approaching the Front Range of the Rocky Mtns as we arrive in Boulder.
Autumn was getting started along Mapleton St.
Wellness and anti-aging injections are the latest fad in Boulder.
A few days with great friends, Susie & JR Stearns. Susie & I went to high school and college together.
JR treated us to a day of golf at the Boulder Country Club. What a special experience this was!

The final leg across the western United States – almost home!

The lonely roads near Laramie, Wyoming
Green River, Wyoming
Wide open spaces of Utah
A warm welcome with this sunset when we arrived home in Pt Tiburon.
The lonely roads near Laramie, Wyoming
Green River, Wyoming
Wide open spaces of Utah
A warm welcome with this sunset when we arrived home in Pt Tiburon.

We arrived home, 14,000 miles later on Oct 25, nearly 3 months from our departure in August. It’s always nice to get home but we had the trip we hoped for…seeing new locales, and seeing 35 family and friends! I call this SUCCESS! Thanks to everyone who hosted us and made this journey so special.

Our route from Columbus to St Louis, Kansas City, Boulder and Tiburon

3 thoughts on “West of the Mississippi”

  2. Well, you did it again. Spectacular photographs and thoughtful descriptions of every site. Through your lens, I revisited many of the places I had been to in my past. Vancouver, the plains of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (think fields and fields of beans and lentils), and let’s not forget Moose Jaw! A great town and the last air traffic control tower before flying over the North Pole. I loved seeing again Toronto, Montreal, Halifax (best mussels in the world), Peggy’s Cove, and even Boulder.
    This travel log is a gorgeous testimony of this “aller-retour” in North America. And how wonderful of you to have planned all those special visits with family members and friends. Precious. Unforgettable.

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