Laughs, Landmarks, and Long Roads:10 Days Together

 Day 3 – A Medal-Winning Senior, BBQ,  One Wrong Driveway, and a Fun Evening!

A Slower Start (with a Gold Medal Twist)
This morning kicked off a bit more leisurely. Michael went down to grab coffee for himself and tea for me. He was gone longer than expected—but I didn’t really notice. Turns out, he ran into an 85-year-old woman who just won a medal in the senior games for the 50-meter run. He was absolutely fascinated chatting with her. So yes, he’s forgiven for the delay. 😉 

Exploring Fort Leavenworth
We checked out of our hotel and headed toward Fort Leavenworth. Our plan was to stop at the Visitor Center for passes, the process was easy and Mark, Susan and I were done in a flash...Michael however was visiting with his interview person and we thought maybe he was signing up for the Army since we all sat there listening to him and our interviers really didn't talk much to us but ask why we were there.  We finally got him out and headed right to the museum! It was a great visit—so many interesting exhibits. I’ve got photos to share.

Fort Leavenworth, located in Leavenworth, Kansas, is the oldest Army post west of the Mississippi River in continuous operation Kansas Tourism, having been established in 1827. It's known as the "Post that opened the West" and also as the "Army University". The fort serves as the home of the US Army Combined Arms Center (CAC), which is considered the "Intellectual Center of the Army."

We watched a 12 minute video learning about the history of the Fort 

Michael and Mark were diligently reading the maps to get us directions to the "Buffalo Soldier Monument"!

 But the roads were all closed off and we couldn't get to the parking lot. Do we know why...NO! 

So we shifted gears and made our way to the Fort Leavenworth Cemetery. Michael was on a mission to find the grave of Thomas Custer (younger brother of George Armstrong Custer). After some serious sleuthing, Mark found it for Michael!

BBQ in St. Joseph, MO
By early afternoon, we were nearing St. Joseph when birthday-boy Mark decided it was time for some BBQ. I turned to Yelp for help. The first place was more of a drive-in, so we kept looking—and found Murphy’s Smokin Meats. And WOW. Fantastic service, everything we ordered was delicious, and they even started us off with mini cornbread muffins topped with honey butter drizzle. Yes, please!

We dived in before picture could be taken! Fortunately we got more with our meal. 

Hello Omaha – With a Detour
Back on the road, we approached Omaha. Michael snapped a great photo of the Odyssey sculpture by Albert Paley, which sits on the Iowa side of the bridge as you enter the city via I-29. (There’s one on each side of the bridge—very cool!)

As you can see it is very hazy and tonight we asked why and everyone said it was due to the fires in Canada!

We decided to hit the grocery store before checking in to our VRBO. After shopping, we pulled into what we thought was our rental… but as Mark walked up to enter the code, the homeowners opened the door. 😳

Apparently, we were at the wrong house! I had gotten out of the car and was going to help him get in but I may have bailed and ran back to the car, but Mark got the scoop. The owners kindly told him we were just one house off. So back out of the driveway and into the correct one. We made it!

Dinner with Family – and a Taste of Nebraska
Once we got everything unpacked and groceries put away, we headed over to Mark’s sister's home for dinner with his three sisters and their families. On the menu: Nebraska Swiss Steak—a true comfort food classic. Ended the meal with a luscious ice cream desert! YUM

A Taste of Home:
Swiss steak, a beloved comfort dish in Nebraska, features tenderized beef simmered in a savory tomato-based sauce. It’s hearty, flavorful, and full of home-cooked love.

Dinner was delicious and the conversation even better. Lots of laughter, memories, and catching up around the table. A perfect Nebraska welcome.

After dinner, we all sat around and made plans for tomorrow’s adventures—can’t wait to share what tomorrow brings! 

Stay tuned....