After we said goodbye to Ellie the Beagle in The Woodlands, TX we had three open days before we needed to be in Kansas City. Rather than rushing north, we took our time and spent a few nights with friends. We visited one of Dorian's high school friends outside of Dallas, and we enjoyed two nights with a pair of Dorian's birding/photography clients in Bartlesville, OK. We also had some time to poke around and visit some additional Roadside America stops, our favorite being houses built to look like a cowboy hat and boot! They were constructed in Huntsville, TX by a local artist who used mostly recycled and donated material. We could only afford a quick drive-by since we had a lot of ground to cover on this particular day, but these quick diversions have become a big part of our journey. We love the Roadside America app since it points us right towards this sort of ridiculous stuff!
Friends Danielle and Jen in Bartlesville, OK
(we failed to get a picture with Kate's family outside Dallas. Boo. ðŸ˜)
Departing Oklahoma, we headed north to our next sit in Lake Quivira, KS. We pulled up to a lakeside abode and were promptly greeted by homeowners Randy and Megan. We were the first pet-sitters they'd found on Trusted Housesitters, but they immediately welcome us onto the property and toured us through their home under the watchful gaze of their three cats. Pickle, the youngest of the group, was the first to introduce himself. He was curious and energetic, and it wasn't long before he started rubbing against our legs to demand attention. Siblings Pudge and Willis eventually mustered equivalent courage, and they offered a few investigative sniffs before offering us similar approval, their long tails curling and flipping as they warmed up to us.
Neither of us had spent much time in Kansas before this visit, so we were excited to explore small slice of the state. For starters, Lake Quivera is really cool. Located 10 miles west of downtown Kansas City, the private, residential community occupies the shores of a beautiful, 225-acre lake. Randy (the homeowner) explained how -- in the 1920's -- Charles Gualt wanted to create "a lake of the finest water in this part of Kansas". A dam was built in 1928, and the lake filled to create a residential resort. Development came to a screeching halt when the Great Depression hit, so residents banded together and formed a homeowners association. The neighborhood thrived across the ensuing 40 years, and Lake Quivira applied to become its own city in 1971. Today, the community of 400 homes has its own mayor, city council, and police department (of one officer 😂). Golf carts are a popular method of transportation, so we took advantage of the wheels which Randy and Megan left for us!
We also lucked out since we were in Kansas City during the March Madness (aka the NCAA basketball tournament). The University of Kansas Jayhawks reached the Final Four, so we spent an afternoon exploring the college town of Lawrence on the day of the semi-finals. And man-o-man was town buzzing! With Massachusetts Avenue closed to vehicular traffic, fans flowed up and down the wide main street. Bars set-up outdoor TV screens, and various street performers -- jugglers, magicians, skateboarders -- entertained passing pedestrians. Even Dorian got into the spirit. Finding a pile of hula hoops in the middle of the street, he decided to give they toy a go (spoiler alert - it was a HUGE flop!) We don't know the story behind the public-use hoops, but we're guessing it has something to do with the Hoop Mama's group which formed in Lawrence in the early 2000's. If anyone else has any other intel, feel free to drop it in the comments. It was a lot of fun being in a college town, and we enjoyed watching KU beat Villanova in the semis and North Carolina in the finals!
Enjoying downtown Lawrence. Go Jayhawks!
Our remaining time in KC/Lake Quivira was used to meet up with friends, hike local trails, eat delicious vegetarian BBQ at Char Bar, and -- most importantly -- spend time with our cat crew. Their antics kept us entertained, and we really bonded during our week-long stay. Pickle, strongly gravitated to Sonia, and he always kept her company through her work day (her colleagues really enjoyed his special guest appearances in her Zoom meetings!). We couldn't let him sleep in the same room as us because he was so boisterous at night, but he never let us forget his presence (see the video)!
Pickle keeping Sonia company during her work day
As our Kansas City sojourn came to a close, we took a final spin around the lake in the golf cart before saying 'goodbye' to the cats. When we moved our luggage to the hall, they plopped onto/next to it to protesting our departure. We've heard cats can be picky about their prides, so this final gesture seemed a fitting stamp of approval!
Thanks Pickle, Pudge, Willis, Randy, Megan and all of KC! Until next time...
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