Kansas, Fall 2019, Part 2

It’s weird to go back to this like our country isn’t currently chilling at home during a pandemic, but sure here we go, no worries, that’s our life now…

DAY FIVE

Some pictures of our Airbnb in Riverton captured for posterity, in all its 1950s Route-66 glory. This feels so decadent right now, I mean: we left the house, like REALLY LEFT THE HOUSE WE TRAVELED SEVERAL STATES AWAY, and we rented a place! With a cool history, even! WE WERE SO RELAXED ABOUT IT! I feel like the next time we travel I’m gonna be a ball of nerves about every last stitch of planning, traveling, and staying. And it’s gonna feel weird and wrong, for sure. Wow it’s all so weird this is what the past two months has done to all of us.

Er, anyway. Look! Super cute Route 66 airbnb!

It was above a space that the owners rent out for special events, and from what we could guess from peering in the windows: last rented for a wedding reception.

I really, really loved this place looking back, and dear lord I would love to be able to travel back and visit this again someday. And hopefully this fall, friends.

We drove back to Pitt one last time before hitting the road.

One last stop at Muzzy’s House of Plants! I come by the plant love honestly.

Y’all, that Hoya krimson queen in the picture below is older than me. OLDER. THAN ME.

We stocked up on coffee (Team Signet Forever) and then off we went, to the waving long grass of south-central Kansas.

El-Braumos. I worked at Braums through high school and part of my college career. It’s where I met my lifelong bestie Miss Nikki! And my husband! And they have awesome ice cream and low-key the best burgers in the state, true story. And great crispy crinkle-cut fries. The Plains version of Shake Shack.

We stopped at that Braums for lunch on the way and it did not disappoint. Also I bought cinnamon rolls (THEIRS ARE SO GOOD OMG) and new grocery and freezer bags because I needed mementos. Because we miss you, Braums.

Those were the days, when we were all young and dumb and broke and spent our time hanging out as a big family of weirdo ice-cream shop friends (also if you had told me 25-ish years ago that Nikki and I would still be thick as thieves in our 40s and that I’d marry Scottie, the hot quiet guy with the green eyes, I’d never have believed you).

Anyway! Old timey reminiscencing done! We got back on route to Grandma’s.

We made it to Grandma and Grandpas, and spent some time chillin’ and playing on the floor and Pete took my camera and took a picture and I was less than enthused about that.

We spent some time exploring the farm, which always is exciting for the boys.

And they have the Good Blocks so that’s always a big draw too.

After catching up, we checked into our airbnb, which was located in Halstead proper, at the “hotel” downtown. From what I could tell by looking online, this property opened in the 1920s to rent for the night. There are six nightly rooms currently for rent, we rented ours through airbnb.

It was a 2-bedroom suite with 2 bathrooms (niiice), there were a few weird bits (…why aren’t there any batteries in the television remotes?) I think it was just related to being new to rentals/airbnbs with the current management. It was clean and cute and we had a good stay. I remember sitting exactly where Scottie is sitting below, on Thanksgiving night, happily shoveling delicious leftover pie in my pie hole. Good Times.

The bubs’ room.

My trash hair in profile. Forgive me, it was almost six days in on the road.

DAY SIX. THANKSGIVING TIME LET’S PARTY.

Feed me, I’ve been waiting all year for this moment.

It was a rainy Thanksgiving, which happens every 2-3 years. That’s never a problem, as far as Linus and Lucy are concerned. Snuggle Tiiiiime.

Anyway. First comes the meal.

(In terms of duties, I am currently at Water Lady level.)

Peter is… I dunno. I birthed this. I have no idea, sorry you guys.

He stole my camera yet again and got a good shot of my Thanksgiving t-shirt. TREATIES. HAVE YOU HONORED YOURS TODAY. I showed it to Muzz before we left Pittsburg and she had a good laugh.

Lucy again.

Aaaaand Pete at it stealing my camera again.

Rainy cold Thanksgivings mean no bonfire (total bummer) but instead lots of indoor play time.

There was a pretty solid family Uno game going on.

Later the kids were… I think doing a puzzle? Actually I can’t remember, which kinda bums me out. They were pretty into it, whatever it was.

At some point late that night we headed back downtown to our airbnb.

Here’s the lobby/landing area, you kinda get a feel for the old boarding house it once was.

Oh man I miss that place for real.

DAY SEVEN

Time to head back north, ALREADY, so we said our good-byes 😦    We really need to re-work our travel schedule because I feel like my in-laws get the shaft, between the rush of Thanksgiving and leaving to make the trek back home, we don’t get a lot of time to relax and catch up with them.

On the way we made our usual stops – first to Wichita, to stock up on holiday gifts at the Nifty Nut House. The nuts are, SO WELL DONE here. Our secret weapon. Whenever we give these out as gifts the recipients freak out and ask WHERE CAN WE GET MORE OF THESE NUTS. Friends: it’s Wichita. The Nifty Nut House is a real gem.

Tons of other strange and lovely treat options too, not just nuts!

There’s the good stuff, friends: the nut gift box stash.

After the nut house, we did some cruising around town before heading North.

Well, with a stop at our favorite spot for lunch first: The Anchor. The beer, admittedly, was Not Great this go around. Scott and I both ordered some Free State Ad Astra and it tasted… sour. It’s an amber beer so uh, that was pretty gross. But: that was the first ever time we had a bad beer there, so I hope it was a fluke bad keg. The food was good, and it was the first time taking the kids, and they really enjoyed it.

Then we went back into the rain and headed up to start our trip home. Miss you, central Kansas.

So: we stopped for the night in Lawrence, again. We planned to hit up Santa being rescued from the top of Weavers because the kids loved that last year, but because the weather was rainy and cold it was postponed. So we had more time on our hands than we planned for. Anyway: we booked another airbnb, this time an apartment above one of our favorite breweries, and across the street from our old duplex in Lawrence (moooooar memorrrreeeeeez!).

The apartment was all very industrial-chic, open floor plan, very East Bottoms neighborhood of Lawrence. I loved it immediately and felt right at home. Also it was bonkers to look out the window and look right into a backyard of a spot we lived at for ages.

Soooo, uh. I abandoned my family. I could not flee fast enough (sorry, fam). I tied my laces and headed out of the airbnb but you guys – the second I hit the hallway of that apartment building I slowed, I breathed deep, I took it all in. The familiarity hit me right away, it took me back to 15 years earlier when we lived across the street.

Lawrence was, and still is – eclectic, original, and fiercely independent. And blah blah blah yeah I hear you, “it’s a college town duh that’s how they all are” but with all due respect, as someone who has visited her fair share of college towns and currently resides in yet another one (one that regularly smugly refers to itself as “The Berkeley of the Midwest”, SORRY BUT BARF): Lawrence is different. It’s genuine. And maybe that’s just nostalgia talking, but I miss it so much.

Anyway – it was raining so while I planned on walking, instead I took the car. I bee-lined directly to The Raven. A bookstore I’ve loved a long time, I bought all kinds of nostalgic goodies and some good books, and wondered why we ever left.

Then I drove over to a new plant shop right in our old stomping grounds, Jungle House Goods. I say old stomping grounds and I literally mean: it’s right where my old job is located, sharing a parking lot. Like half a block from a house we rented when we got married. MEMORIES, GUISE.

They have great plants. I feel like I have Standards, mkay (I have about 100 plants and I am very selective in what I bring home now) but I wanted a good 10 plants they carried. It was hard to narrow it down and I ended up only taking 2 home with me, but I could have taken many more home and I have grand plans for the next time I get to check out their shop.

Eventually, I headed back to my family. I picked up a crowler of beer on the way, and we just chilled and relaxed until people started getting hungry.

The kids were in their PJs, but eventually everyone got hungry, so we went downstairs to get some grub.

Our stay included a coupon for 25% off our bill at the brewery, a nice perk. We ordered several apps to share.

Then back to our apartment.

I finished laundry at the early hours of the morning, got clothes laid out for everyone and packed our bags, and we were ready to head back out.

Scott and I were couch dwellers; the pull-out sofa we picked that night (of the two available) was a bit lumpy but honestly, we were tired so we didn’t have trouble falling asleep. The notable thing was that the new Scorsese movie was released on Netflix (The Irishman) and it was looooooong. And unfortunately: boring. Which may have helped us fall asleep as well…

DAY EIGHT

I woke up early, got ready/dressed, and I headed off solo yet again, Tour de Lawrence. First stop: Munchers. Time for some cream cheese doughnuts, bitches.

Fun fact! My first job after we moved to Lawrence was at a local art store, selling stretched canvas and rice paper and gouache paint to the art students. I learned a lot about art those years, and also Munchers was a mere three storefronts down, so I learned a lot about the offerings of Munchers too. They had a 40-cent granulated-sugared doughnut that was always toasty warm at the same time I had my 20-minute lunch break and it was, just chef’s-kiss, perfection. Thanks for keeping me nourished all those years, Munchers.

Next I popped down to a spot I’ve been meaning to hit up for the few years it was open, Wake the Dead. I got some unicorn doughnuts and I’m sad to say: this spot is now permanently closed thanks to COVID Times.

My darling Raven Bookstore was across the street from Wake the Dead so I took a picture through the rainy car window.

And then it was back to the airbnb apartment to pack up and hit the road. I got a picture out the front window of Scott packing the car in the parking area across the street, just down from our old duplex.

And then off we went to Kansas City.

We stopped to have brunch with friends (and enjoy the Lawrence doughnut tour I picked up before we left), then onwards back home.

Potty stop time. The thought of this gives me sweats given our current pandemic.

We listened to the Dolly Parton podcast on the way home, got about halfway through it and have not gone back to it since. I’m saving it for our next trip back to Kansas, seems fitting and I think Dolly would approve.

It was good to go back, I miss that place and the people so much. Hoping we get to see it and everyone very soon. Much love, errrrbody.