In Tribute

If you've been reading this blog, you should know that Kansas City is the city of fountains. I have lots more fountains to show you. But KC is also known for its beautiful boulevards. Why does the city place such an emphasis on beautifying its road structures?

Part of the answer lies with the work of William Rockhill Nelson.  Nelson came to the area in the 1880's from Indiana. He settled in the area of the city that now is the home to UMKC. When it came time for him to build his driveway and bridge, instead of just building the structures for function and function only, he decided to make the structures aesthetically pleasing. The idea was if you have to build a bridge, why not make it beautiful and interesting to look at?

This bridge now stands where the original Nelson bridge was.

More on the fountains in this area below...

The other night, Bree, Jason and I went to eat at Brookside's neighborhood pub, Charlie Hooper's. The service left a little to be desired but my BBQ chicken sandwich was delicious.

Bree and Jason at Charlie Hooper's

Charlie's got Woodchuck on draft!

Here's some more fountains:

No. 23-

At the Women's Christian Association Estate, 81st & Wornall

No. 24-

College & Delmar in Overland Park

No. 25-

at the South & Associates building- College & Lamar in OP

No. 26-

Armour Fields subdivision, 69th & Wornall

Today, I drove by the Stowers Institute for Medical Research at 1000 E 50th St, right across the street from UMKC in the South Plaza neighborhood. It had some great fountains and a really nice park for its employees to enjoy!

No. 27- at the front entrance

No. 28- This fountain and seating area is at the top...

No. 29- ...and it flows down this waterfall

No. 30- the waterfall flows into this pool

The ponds had stepping stones you could walk over:

No. 31- This fountain was in honor of all organ and tissue donors.

They also had a cool, very large sculpture: 

My favorite part of the day was going to the Kauffman Memorial Garden. This garden is a small oasis, located in the midst of the busy city. It was constructed in 2000 from the memorial funds of Ewing and Muriel Kauffman. The Kauffmans are best known for being the founders and long-time owners of the Kansas City Royals. 

This garden was simple but beautiful. The admission is free and it's just so relaxing and refreshing to walk around and take in its beauty. Here's some pictures from the garden:

Mom, you would LOVE this place!

My favorite part of the garden was in the restroom and indoor area, they had the cutest live-in kitty! She was so precious!

She made me miss my Itsa!!

There were also lots of fountains (of course!):

No. 32

No. 33

No. 34

No. 34 from the other side

This was more than just a garden. It's actually the gravesite for the Kauffmans. So it got me thinking. First, it made me realize that people with a lot of money can really do a lot of good. You can see the Kauffman's charity from all of their foundations that are still working, years after their deaths.

Second, I thought specifically about this memorial garden. At first, it may seem like they just wanted this luxurious garden to show off. But I think it's something different. The graves are tucked away in the corner of the garden, away from the main pathways. I think the Kauffmans wanted others to enjoy this beautiful garden for years to come. What an awesome gift!

Well, that's all for now!

Til next time...Laura