Kansas City



Imagine thousands of campers gathered near Kansas City, embarking on a long journey west. Camping back then was no picnic. These campers had no flat screen TVs, microwaves, refrigerators, or air conditioning. They were headed west on the California, Oregon, and Santa Fe trails. To commemorate this event Pioneer Crossing Park is constructed where these three trails converge.

The main reason for my trip is to reconnect with some of my favorite people while I am still able to travel, and I haven't been disappointed. Last night I had the pleasure of eating a hamburger at Grandstand Burger with Dave and Doris, friends from college. Dave is my fraternity brother and grew up near where I am camping, so he knows the area well. We had a wonderful time updating each other on our mutual friends.

The next morning I was able to have coffee with Linda and her sister Betsy. Linda is the wife of Gary, my best friend in high school who passed away several years ago. We talked about the great memories our families had shared together.

My 60th high school reunion in Kansas City was last year, but I was unable to attend. Thanks to the generosity of my former classmate Judy, she organized a get-together for classmates who were unable to make it. About 25 of my classmates were there, and we had a great time laughing about old memories and sharing stories of our lives since high school. I brought my old yearbook for people to sign and a bound copy of all the school newspapers for the year so everyone could read about their former accomplishments.



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