KC Coffee Conversations

Day 3: “Chad, we have to get up! The employees are starting to park their cars around us.” After spending the night all comfy-cozy-situated in the truck service center parking lot, it was time to get rolling as more cars started pulling in around 7 a.m. The quality of sleep was much improved as we are getting used to the recliner-like sleeping position in the front seats of the Jetta.

While Chad navigated to the art museum, I prepped my car work station to work on a blog post. The desk set up is super quick and it’s been such a treat to be able to sit comfortably while using the laptop. We wandered the city checking out the infrastructure and homes, then found parking for visiting the museum and waited until they opened at 10 a.m.

Once parked, I snuck onto the museum’s wifi and was able to work on a blog post for the day before and that cleared up the rest of the morning without having to drag the laptop supplies into a coffee shop. Good find Chad!

The grounds of the museum had trails to view art pieces and had a large expanse of greenery in the back yard. This is where giant birdies were placed, like the big spoon and cherry located in Minneapolis at the Walker Art Center.

I had read online about a coffee shop inside the museum, which was known for their unique blends of coffee beans and had a view of large golden doors on display. Might as well check it out before viewing the rest of the building.

When we approached the coffee shop, there was a Kansas City police man hanging out by the counter and we asked him what he would recommend for drinks to try.  Super glad we did, because we then spent the next 45 minutes chatting.

First, the coffee was amazing.  Quay Coffee makes their own vanilla bean syrup and it had little tiny specs of vanilla floating around in our latte.  We also had a cup of straight coffee that was very rich in flavor and was defiantly not Folgers. We ended up standing with the police officer, sipping away and learning about places to go see.

As the coffee set in, Chad and I lit up and loved chatting with this gentleman about how he would one day like to hike the Appalachian Trail, leave his gun behind and become vulnerable again as the hike would last over 5 months.  Not vulnerable in the sense of being easily overcome by something, but the kind of vulnerable where you don’t know everything.  Where you are willing to learn and be humbled by your experiences, and to be able to see the good in people without instantly thinking they are planning to attack. 

He mentioned feeling tainted by the line of work he’s in because he’s always on guard, thinking tactically and always seeing the potential negative in anyone.  He was inspired to go set the intention to travel and communicate with his wife to help bring the ideas to fruition.

The policeman loved hearing about where we're road tripping to and then Chad (efficiently lit on caffeine by now and has traded cups with me so he wouldn’t shake the cup/saucer duo in his hands to the regular coffee cup) proceeded to ask about his experiences with Airbnb, his opinion on truck stops for car camping and other locations where we should stop on the road. 

He loves using Airbnb for unique locations to get the experience of the town he’s in, otherwise, him and his wife prefer to stay in bed and breakfasts.  Truck stops would be his preferred location for car camping since there would be access to help, if needed, since it’s a populated space.  Granted, there are negatives to truck stops like potential drug deals, what he called “lot lizards” (ladies offering their company) and other sketchy activities, but he said it’s way better than being alone in a camp site where there is no one or without resources to help. 

He was happy to hear we were wary of sleeping locations and are paying attention to our surroundings.  He said we for sure needed to hit New Orleans for their chicory coffee at Cafe Du Monde and share a Muffuletta sandwich.  But, most of all, we have to hit Charleston, NC.  Thanks for the tips and the chat!

Now high on travel tips, great conversation and jittery from coffee, we finally made our way into the art museum. After looking around some of the rooms, we came across a museum volunteer who greeted us with the most amazing, deep and clear audio book/radio talent-like voice.  Chad immediately started laughing and exclaimed, “no way!” and when we popped around the corner, there was a short, older gentleman dressed in a grey suit. 

We complimented the gentlemen on his beautifully soothing voice and explained that if there was an audio book narrated by him, we would buy it instantly.  The gentleman started laughing, became abashed and was completely taken by surprise. His mannerisms reminded us both of the Bashful dwarf from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

We ended up chatting with him for a good while talking about how Kansas City has changed over the course of his life, places to go see on the road trip and about the art in the galleries.  We were able to learn more about the pieces, as if on a one-on-one tour, and we went on an art hunt to find his favorite piece in the whole place.  He was absolutely wonderful and extremely humble.

Completing the art museum in the early afternoon, we made our way out of town towards Wichita, KS. The drive was full of farm fields, gentle rolling hills and a lot of land that was recently control burned. Black soot and ash stretched for as far as the eye could see.

I routed the map to hit a Costco in Wichita and we found ourselves in a pleasant little retirement community on the outskirts of town.  So, I may have hit the wrong button.  But, it was a pleasant stroll through a community and we did find our way to Costco eventually.

Once there around 6 p.m., we were ravenous since we only had veggies and coffee all day. Rotisserie chicken in hand, we made camp for the night in the back of the Costco parking lot next to some pleasant-looing greenery. We devoured the bird until it was reduced to a pile of bones and munched on carrots to clean our teeth. One of the desk legs made a civilized table. Dinner for two - $8.

Now better trained on sleeping arrangements, we were able to access the trunk of the car, pull out our gear and put away items without even having to get out of the car. Stealth mode activated. The weather was warm, in the mid 50s, and wonderful for sleeping.

We did see our first bug, but it wasn’t anything that would bite. By far, this has been the best place for sleeping. I joked saying we should make the trip about seeing a Costco in every state, which then Chad replied with shaking his head. Ok, so maybe it wasn’t my best idea, but it’s a great idea for sleeping!