Kansas City, MO - Independence, MO

Day #6 (August 6, 2022): We spent the day in nearby Independence, MO, the trailhead of the infamous Oregon Trail, as well as the California Trail and Santa Fe Trail. The city of Independence is appropriately nicknamed, “The Queen City of the Trails.” We started our morning on a 90-minute, 2-mule-driven covered wagon tour of the town of Independence from Pioneer Trails Adventures. The owner and guide, Ralph, did a fantastic job showing and telling us the history of the Trails, Civil War history of the area, the town’s connection to outlaws Frank & Jesse James, in addition to the history of Harry & Bess Truman. After our tour, we ate lunch at Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque. We ordered an array of menu items to sample, including their brisket, burnt ends, smoked turkey, pulled pork, ribs, baked beans, cole slaw, and French fries. Our overall family favorites: burnt ends and baked beans! Yummy! We drove back to Independence to tour the Truman Home (aka Harry S Truman National Historic Site), which was better than expected. It gave us a glimpse at how down-to-earth President Truman and his wife Bess were, as well as their hilarious-at-times frugality. Highlights were the 1950s green kitchen cabinets and appliances with red wall and ceiling wallpaper with curled-up linoleum on the floor, and the incredibly long pull-string light from the 2nd story ceiling down to the 1st floor foyer near the staircase. Afterward, we went to Clinton’s Soda Fountain where President Truman worked when he was 14, so that we could continue to celebrate Missouri’s ice cream cone connection while learning about President Truman! That evening, we attempted a few geocaches near our campground, but soon realized we aren’t adventurous enough to find too many geocaches that aren’t on or near a marked trail or road.