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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Day 7: A President and Peanut Butter

I did some research on President Truman's museum and library. Seems there are two sites in Independence. One is the Presidential Library and they other one is his home. The home is run by the Parks Service! That was the one we were going to go to!
We could not take any photos past the gate.  The house is an amazing time capsule. President Truman died in 1972, and Mrs. Truman did not die until the 80s. She kept everything just as it was in his closet, and bathroom. His iconic hat was still on the hat rack in the hall.  Mrs. Truman donated the house, the entire kit and kaboodle to the Parks Service. They have left it as much as they could just the same. The photos of the grandchildren on the mantle, the mismatched couches, the little kitchen.  It was so worth seeing.  You have to get tickets with a time stamp at the visitor's center. Then go up to the house.  While we were waiting to go into the house, Lon finished up his Jr. Ranger badge booklet.


There was a mule team and wagon parked in front of the Visitor's Center.  They were selling rides, Lon and I agreed that riding in a wagon was not something that sounded fun on such a hot day.  The mule's noses were so soft.
Lon now has his Jr. Ranger Badge from  President Truman's Home.
Driving south on Highway 71.  We love all the old barns along the road.
I read about the George Washington Carver National Monument on line. They did not list a Jr. Ranger program.  So I called. They did have a Jr. Ranger program!  I wanted Lon to learn about him!  A boy born into slavery, who wanted to learn everything he could and he did. He was an amazing man !  Peanut Butter is all because of him!
The park was beautiful. Very well maintained grounds.  Black Walnut trees all over. There were black walnuts there during George W. Carver's boyhood.
We had to take a 3/4 mile walk into the woods to see the cabin.  There were plaques about his life and this statue.
I did not get a picture of the cabin. It was hot and we wanted to get back into the woods where it was slightly cooler
There was a spring in the woods. They had a plaque that said George would play in the creek and also carry back water to the cabin. However, by today's standard, the water is not potable.
The woods were noisy. There were many bugs making noise, birds, and some creatures too. We did not hear a bobcat which was something they said lived in the woods. I was fairly happy about that.  Lon would have liked to have seen one, from a distance.
Another Jr. Ranger badge for Lon !  I really liked this badge.  Lon learned alot and so did I.
We had another Park to visit, but we only stopped in and got the booklet and Lon is working on it tonight. The time spent at George Washington Carver's Monument was time well spent.
 It was an early night, we went to Ruby Tuesday's for dinner and spent time in the pool. They have a wild pool here. Indoor/outdoor pool! Half the pool is inside, there is a flap to swim under and you are outside. Lon was having a blast going in and out.
The hot tub was good for Mommy.
We got gas:
Mileage: 2942.5
gallons: 11.698
Price: 41.52


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