October 22, 2018

Kansas City’s COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA

I couldn’t wait to show Stu the Country Club Plaza! Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza was the first shopping center in the world designed for shoppers coming by automobile in 1922.  The “Plaza” was also one of the first shopping centers in the country to be designed with a unifying theme and architecture. The Country Club Plaza was named for the nearby Kansas City Country Club (now Loose Park).   Developer J.C. Nichols began purchasing the land for the “Plaza” in 1907. The development project was the butt of local jokes since no development of its kind had ever been undertaken. The site was marshy and was next to a…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2018, Blog, Missouri, Travel

October 11, 2018

TAKE A BACKROADS TRIP: WESTON, MISSOURI

Take a backroads trip to Weston, Missouri and you will find history, charm and small town hospitality! Walking the streets of Weston is a treat! The 22-block historic district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.   The Lewis and Clark Expedition stopped at what is now the site of the City Hall of Weston, Missouri. Weston was the oldest settlement in the Platte Purchase of 1836 and was the farthest western settlement that year (that is one theory of  how the town got its name-“West Town”). 1836 was the year the U.S. government increased the size of Missouri by purchasing the northwest corner of the state from…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2018, Blog, Missouri

June 25, 2018

TAKE A BACKROADS TRIP: GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER BIRTHPLACE

  Take an educational backroads trip! We didn’t know when we drove southern Missouri backroads, we would find the birthplace of George Washington Carver.     I always root for underdogs. In my mind, they reinforce my own prospects in life. Those who leave the world a legacy are inspirational to me. The George Washington Carver birthplace is a place that traces the gifts, inspiration and obstacles faced by one of the most famous of America’s underdogs. The Ranger’s stories about Carver’s life left me in awe of the man.     Carver National Monument     The Park Service established the George Washington Carver National Monument in 1943. The monument is…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2018, Blog, Missouri, Video