As we crossed into Missouri, we caught a shot of the Arch, which symbolizes the "Gateway to the West." This three day trip took us to St. Louis, Kansas City and Bedford, Iowa to visit with nieces and nephews. Email us by clicking here Larry and Glorine.
	Our first stop was with Ken and Vickie Ressler, Glorine's nephew. They have lived in St. Louis for nearly 25 years and recently built a beautiful home in the subards of St. Louis.	Their son Austin was one of five of our grand nieces and nephew to have graduated from high school this spring. Austin starts school at the University of Missouri this fall.
	Their house was exquisite both inside and out. The attention to detail was immaculate.	Pool time. The house sports a great swimming pool in the back yard, which can be accessed from their lower level.
	Here is another shot of the back side of their home.	When we finished with a dip in the pool, we played a couple rounds of pool, along with foos ball and Farkle.
	This was taken just as we were leaving Ken and Vickie's home. It was a great opportunity to reminisce about family and get reacquainted with family and all the changes that have happened since we last met.	In route to Kansas City, we experienced some interested events. The "heat index" was between 106 to 112. Our engine started overheating with AC on, so we started the generator and ran the AC from the roof top. It felt great! Also, the odometer on Ol' Sport turned 70,000 miles, which is not bad for a 1992 rig. It continues to be a very good home and vehicle.
	Our next stop was Kansas City to visit with Al Barnhardt, Larry's nephew and God son. Here Al is sporting his new apartment in north Kansas City with his new neighbors, a Mallard and his mate.	Al took us to downtown Kansas City to a landmark restaurant--Westport Flea Market Bar and Grill, where we had one of the best hamburgers ever.
	From there we listened to some Jazz and then on to a Blues bar. We also got to take in some river boat gambling. Glorine and I decided that gambling was not a reliable source for supplemental retirement income.	Our campsite during our stay in Kansas City was Wal-Mart. All they ask is to park along the perimeters of the parking lot--no need to ask permission. It was quiet and comfortable, but their security lights were a bit annoying.
	Our next stop was with Donna and Greg Norman, Larry's niece. They live in Bedford Iowa, which is on the border of Missouri. Here she is with her daughter Ava.	They bought and are remodeling this 100 year old home in Bedford. It has a lot of character, hardwood floors and beautiful woodwork throughout.
	We experienced our first major weather alert while staying at a camp site near Bedford. The local police came out to the park to alert everyone that a tornado was spotted south of Bedford and heading our way. So we headed off to Donna's house. The electricity was out and we were without news bulletins. Within an hour, the skies opened and we captured a double rainbow. It turned out to be a great night. Click to enlarge the pictures.	Here is Greg, Donna and Xavier in their living room. (Ava was taking here morning nap.) We had a great visit.

Arrived in St. Louis, Missouri on Monday, August 6 and left for Kansas City, Missouri on Tuesday, August 7 and arrived in Beford, Iowa on Wednesday, August 8 and left for Nebraska on Thursday, August 9, 2007.