Open House at St. Joe Police Department & Bye Bye St. Joe

Our last day in St. Joseph, Missouri started off in the morning at the Law Enforcement Center (LEC). A new expansion of the building, which houses both the St. Joseph Police Department and the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, had just been completed and today was an open house for the public.

Training Sergeant Marla Wilson (the lady in red) greeted us on the steps of the LEC and was our tour guide.

Several local politicians gave speeches in the training room of the Police Department explaining how the expansion had all come about. By the time everyone finished speaking, we decided it was kind of neat that our group of 4 was about the only "public" who came to the shindig. Most of the rest were somehow involved in the expansion project.

This is Marla's office where she thinks about ways to recruit new officers and train old ones.

Here Marla is explaining to our group (including both television and newspaper reporters) how the reception area of the St. Joseph Police Department now appears a lot friendlier and less scary than it did in the past.

This is the roll call room...straight out of Hill Street Blues.

Marla proudly showed us the gym housed in the building. She is an avid user of the facility.

Pause for a family snap. Notice Carol (the OTHER lady in red)...like mother like daughter...and it WASN'T planned.

Proof Doug, Marla, Sean and Carol were there appeared in the St. Joseph News-Press the next day. Marlon's black shoe DOES appear in the lower left hand corner, but wasn't mentioned in the photograph caption.

After the open house, we met Marlon's dad for one last big meal.

Trina showed up for a final goodbye as we left Sharp RV Park about 3pm. Thanks to Sharp for letting us stay past the noon checkout.

Trina had come to show off her new hair color. Not bad!

For more pictures of today's events, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2007/august/sgt-marla-wilson-gi/ .

To be continued...

Fuji's with Trina & Delbert

Our final night in St. Joseph, Trina and Delbert took us out to experience Fuji's Japanese Steakhouse & Sake Bar.

Delbert and Trina look over the menu. They decide to start us off with some veggie sushi. This was everyone's first time trying sushi.

We look like we survived the sushi.

Now on with the show. Click on the play button to see our chef in action.

Thanks to Trina and Delbert for a fun meal!

For a few other pictures, see http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2007/august/trina-and-delbert-t/ .

To be continued...

A Friendly Lunch and Dad's Well

Today we had lunch in downtown St. Joseph at Boudreaux's Louisiana Seafood and Steaks (http://www.heyboudreaux.com/).

We met up with Sean Wood and Marla Wilson, two friends and former co-workers of Marlon's when he worked at the 1/2 Price Store in the early 90's. Carol, Marla's mom, joined us for lunch.

Sean is now a security officer at Heartland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph. Marla, meanwhile, is a Sergeant in the St. Joseph Police Department. She is currently their Recruiting and Training Officer and spent many years with their K-9 unit.

Marla carefully eats her Lobster Bisque.

Marla demonstrates her gun drawing stance.

Sean showed Marlon how to set the timer on the camera to capture a picture of the entire group.

After lunch, we drove back up to Rea, Missouri to see Marlon's dad.

While touring Monty's land, we decided to inspect his well.
All appeared to be well.

An after-dinner group shot.

For a few more pictures of today, visit http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2007/august/eating-lunch-with-m/ and http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2007/august/spending-the-day-wi-2/ .

To be continued...

Day with Marlon's Mom

Today we spent the day with Marlon's mom, Angie and her cat, Callie. We visited her in her apartment, which she will be vacating soon to move into her new townhouse.

Here is a rare picture of Doug holding Callie on his lap. She did not stay there for long.

Here's Angie perusing her brand-new Sprint bill for her new hot red Razor phone.

Marlon hooked up his mom's new LCD tv for her.

Marlon and Mom-Angie's porch is the one on the left-all of the flowers are hers.

We then went to visit Hunt's Grandview Orchard near Amazonia, Missouri. We forgot to take pictures but during the fall they have hay rides and a petting farm. While there Marlon tried their apple cider and gave it a thumbs up.

Next, we took a drive out toward Rosecrans Memorial Airport and saw this sight, somewhat reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.

Some of the aircraft at Rosecrans Memorial Airport 3 miles northwest of St. Joseph, Missouri. Rosecrans is used for general aviation as well as being one of two bases for the Missouri Air National Guard.

After eating with Angie at Ryan's Restaurant, Marlon and Doug returned to the motorhome and came across this unusual sight.

For more pictures of this day, visit http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2007/august/spending-the-day-wi-1/ .

To be continued...

The Many Lives of Atchison, Kansas

Although we were now in Missouri, we decided to give Kansas one last hurrah and visit the historic town of Atchison.

Even though Atchison is only 33 miles from St. Joseph, Marlon had only driven through...he had never stopped.

Here Doug is standing at the official Atchison Visitor Center, Museum and Trolley Stop.

Being as Marlon had never been to Atchison, the teller at the bank didn't recognize him and refused to cash his check.

Atchison was made famous in several ways, one being because of the success of The Atchison, Topeka and The Santa Fe Railroad (ATSF).

In 1946, Judy Garland starred in the MGM musical "The Harvey Girls", which forever immortalized the ATSF in an Oscar Winning Song.

The Harvey Girls truly existed from 1883-1968 and worked in Fred Harvey's famous Harvey House restaurants. Extensive information about Fred Harvey and his Harvey Girls can be found on the internet.

The Atchison Museum is directly adjacent to the Atchison Rail Museum where many old railroad cars are on display.

Here is an actual railroad car from the ATSF Railroad.

This is a close up view of a United States Mail Railway Post Office train car. This particular car was #1604 Silver Pouch and was in service from 1953 to 1970 servicing Kansas City to Chicago as well as Denver. Railway Mail Service was discontinued in 1970.

Doug's dad, Bob, worked on the Railway Mail Service during the early years of his career with the USPS.

We found out that Atchison is the most haunted town in Kansas and has been featured on The Travel Channel.

This is the haunted Glick Mansion which now operates as a Bed and Breakfast.

This is the Gargoyle Home. You can read about its legend and the legends of many other haunted buildings in Atchison at http://www.legendsofamerica.com/OZ-HauntedAtchison.html .

Did we mention that Atchison lies on the Lewis and Clark Trail? They explored the Atchison area in 1804.

Another Atchison claim to fame is as The Birthplace of Amelia Earhart, the famed female aviator who disappeared at the age of 39 on a circumnavigational flight at the height of her international popularity.

Here's Marlon outside the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Musuem. He always seems to have a way with animals.

This is Amelia Earhart's order for the Lockheed Electra 10-E she was flying when she disappeared in 1937.

The International Forest of Friendship is located in Atchison. This arboretum and memorial forest was started in 1976 with the cooperation of the city of Atchison and The Ninety-Nines, an international organization of licensed women pilots.

It is a memorial to everyone involved in aviation and space exploration, including the crew of the ill-fated Shuttle Columbia.

This is the Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge, so named in 1997 upon the 100 year anniversary of Amelia Earhart's birth. The bridge, considered by KDOT to be "structurally deficient and functionally obsolete" will soon be replaced by a new bridge expected to be completed in 2009.

See you later, Kansas. Until the next time....

To view more pictures of the sites of Atchison, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2007/august/atchison-kansas/ .

To be continued...