FEATURE
Continued from page 13
hover outside Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano bar that hosts a band featuring—you guessed it—two pianos, as well as a drummer and several saxophonists.
Allison and I switch our hunt from bars to burgers and cross the street to eat at Chef Burger, a locally-owned burger joint. Although the menu at Chef Burger sports a variety of interesting creations, I order the original Chef Burger: two thick patties of high-quality beef nestled between a toasted, greasy bun. It's terribly messy, but the Chef Burger is one of the best burgers I've ever had. The restaurant also has a variety of spiked shakes.
Appetite sated, we return to KC Livel where they check our IDs yet again. (Be warned: this is definitely not for the under-21 crowd. I had my ID checked at least five times in an hour and a half. Maybe it's because I look 16. Regardless, they're tight with security.)
Weston Bend State Park
We check out PBR Big Sky Bar next, a country-western bar that features a mechanical bull with a freakishly realistic head. Next to the bull ring, a dance floor where couples twirl around and sing loudly to the deafening music played through the entire bar. I have to yell at Allison if we want to talk, but I find myself enjoying the atmosphere—even though I don't like country music.
For my second day of day tripping, I drag along my boyfriend, Nick. We head northeast on 1435 and take exit 22 for Weston and Parkville.
Right away the road starts to curve with the natural shape of the land, weaving around hills, plunging into valleys and cresting over hilltops through a densely wooded countryside. The road eventually straightens out and for most of the journey we follow the straight line of the railroad tracks on our left.
It takes about an hour to get to Weston Bend State Park from Lawrence. As we pull into the turnoff, my excitement mounts. The temperature is in the 70s again, and it's a good day to hike. We roll the car windows down and breathe in the outdoors.
We stop first at the scenic overlook. From high atop a hill, we can see the murky brown Missouri River cutting a ribbon through the hilly scenery. It's a view Lewis and Clark might have shared on their travels through the area.
On our way back to the car we pick up a map of the park's eight hiking trails. After failing to find the first trail I picked, Nick and I decide instead to try the North Ridge Trail, which is a total of two miles long.
Photo by Susan Melgren
Main Street in Weston, Mo., features the historic St. George hotel built in 1845. The 26-room hotel is still open for business and includes the River Bend Bakery and Wine Bank
The trail descends into a valley. The wooded land sleepily slopes away from the path. At times the path narrows and the undergrowth brushes my knees and tickles my shin. I stop every once in a while to take pictures of the caterpillars and purple flowers we find on our way.
We turn back about 15 minutes in. After ducking under half a dozen spider webs (and walking through twice that many), we've had enough. But for a more adventurous person I would recommend this trail. The only noise you'll hear is the hum and chirp of bugs and the rustling of the wind through the trees. Tiny frogs jump at our feet as we follow the winding trail though a dense clump of woods. Several minutes into the hike we even found some abandoned forestry machinery, rusted from age and neglect. The trail has a derelict feeling, but in a good way.
After lunching on slightly smushed PB&Js and jalapeno chips, Nick and I set off down the Harpst Valley Trail, which is better maintained and thus more enjoyable to hike on. The path is smooth and narrow, interrupted occasionally by a random tree.
Alone in the woods, it's easy to collect your thoughts and de-stress after a long week.
Weston, Missouri
Two minutes north of Weston Bend State Park is Weston, Mo. In the mid-1800s, when the Missouri River used to pass by the town, Weston was the second-most important port on the river and boasted a population larger than that of Kansas City at the time. Today, the Missouri River has changed course and Weston has only 2,000 residents, but the town's history still plays a major role in its business.
Nick and I spent most of our time on Main Street.The major portion of Main runs just a few blocks long,but it's packed with stores and restaurants,many of historical value. McCormick Country Store holds
the remnants of a large whiskey distillery founded in Weston in 1856. The distillery, two miles outside town, no longer makes whiskey, but it does create blended drinks such as ready-to-drink margaritas. The store offers a sampling bar where you can try any of the liquor before purchasing it.
We ate dinner at American Bowman Restaurant, which is connected to Weston's popular O'Malley's pub. Heavy wooden tables, mismatched chairs and oil-burning lamps make me feel like I'm eating at an old-fashioned pub or inn. The restaurant boasts a number of traditional Irish dishes such as Beef in Guinness and Ham and Cheese Pye. After dinner, as we slipped into a food coma, Nick and I both rave about how delicious the dinner was, especially the cheddar ale soup.
Because the shops in Weston are small and locally owned, they have a comfortable, homy feel. I enjoyed SB&Co, a candle store that offers hand-poured candles in more than two hundred scents like Vanilla, Chocolate-Covered Strawberries and Clean Undies. Nick was fascinated with Main Street Galleria, a corner store with an old-fashioned soda fountain that sells ice cream and homemade fudge.
"It's just a sleepy Sunday afternoon." Nick says as we leave the restaurant.
I suspect it's like this most days. Because Weston is small, it has a relaxed, comfortable feel to it. A quaint historical town, Weston is a wonderful getaway for a weekend. If you want to stay overnight, the town offers a number of cozy bed and breakfasts, as well as a historical hotel on Main Street.
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October 9,2008