Fall is closing in

A few trees around town are turning colors.  Kansas City has fabulous color in the autumn.

Early Morning Bond Bridge

I drive over this bridge every morning on my way to work.  This bridge opened about a year ago.  The old Paseo Bridge was being torn down and until just recently there were piece of the old bridge and cranes that would show in photos.  This is a suspension bridge and the lights shine up from the bottom of the cables.  When it snows in the winter, the snowflakes swirl in the lights.  It is quite stunning.  I would love to take a photo of the snow in the lights but no place to stop.  I find some of the best photos are from the highway, but I never can find a good place to stop.  Does anyone else run into this same problem?

Brush Creek

Brush Creek at the Country Club Plaza.

Tile Work at Parking Garage

These steps lead to a parking garage on the Country Club Plaza.  This piece of tile work would help anyone remember which garage they used to park the car.

Light

Unfortunately the weekend is over and we are back to Monday.  

Sunrise

Red sky at morning.  This is the sunrise that colored yesterdays photo.

Sunrise on Liberty Memorial

I have mentioned before that I drive by this every day on my way to work.  It was a beautiful sky one morning this week.

Weekend Reflection

Have a great weekend everyone!

Doorway

The Country Club Plaza is like an outdoor museum.  The details around the doorways are to be appreciated.

Metal

If I had not been so tired after the Kauffman Center Open House, I would have explored more in the Crossroads Art District.  After being on my feet for 6 hours on Friday night and 6 hours on Sunday and the crowds of people, all I wanted to do was go to my car.  Fortunately this sculpture was beside the parking garage, no information about it, but I liked it.  If I were to have wandered through the area I might have found much more but this was all the energy I could muster.

Food Trucks

The Open House spilled into the street with the Food Trucks and the surrounding area, we had First Friday on Sunday.

Open House at the Kauffman Center

It was a cloudy, rainy day for the Open House.  There were over 22,000 people register and with families and unregistered the Kauffman Center was expecting over 40,000 people to walk through the building.  I was told there was a 2 hour wait to get into the building.  The line wrapped in switchback fashion up and down the drop off drive (which is not a short drive) and then around the building.   I was an usher at the Helzberg Theatre, which is the home to the KC Symphony.  I heard the youth symphony, blues, jazz and choirs throughout the day.  It was spectacular.

Kauffman Center - Friday Red Carpet Event

I volunteered at the Friday Night Grand Opening of the Kauffman Center of the Performing Arts.  I was a greeter outside in a prime location on the drop off drive.  I was awed with the gowns, cars and local celebrities.  All the big names arrived at the drop off drive; Kauffman, Brandmeyer, Helzberg, Hunt, senators, governors, and mayors past and present, in addition to other influential people from the area.  It was truly a red carpet event, photographers, TV stations were all outside as people arrived.  There we helicopters circling overhead.  Limousines of all shapes and sizes dropped of the attendees, which included shuttle bus limo's, stretch, typical limousine and a absolutely stunning 1941 Lincoln Continental City Limousine.  I have searched for the last hour to find this limo photo, as I stood right next to it I studied it well.

The very sad part of all this is that as a volunteer I was not able to take photos.  The photo above was taking inside the Muriel Kauffman Theatre during one of our volunteer training events.

Patti Lapone, Placido Domigo, Tommie Tune and samplings of opera and ballet were all part of the festivities.  You did not have to be in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre to enjoy, the music filled the Brandmeyer Grand Hall spectacularly.  After the show the guest were directed across the street to Bartle Hall for dinner and a fabulous south lawn light show set onto the building's exterior.  Music filled the air and unique dancers greeter the guest as they exited Kauffman Center and headed for dinner.   Fireworks surrounding the building concluded the evening.  It was a night of celebration.

Grand Opening Weekend

The unveiling of the Kauffman Center of the Performing Arts is this weekend.  I am excited and also believe the whole city is buzzing over this new venue.  In the background is downtown Kansas City, MO with the Bartle Hall Sky Stations, Power and Light building viewing the side with no windows that I explained here and the beautiful Kauffman Center.  I hope all of you have an unveiled weekend.

The Fountain of Bacchus.  Someone was sitting on the Inscription and I waited for quite awhile.  But since this is outside the Cheesecake Factory, my cravings were starting to overwhelm me and I moved on.  

Inscription: CHANDLER COURT, 1967, IN MEMORY OF CLARENCE A. CHANDLER 1872-1963, PIONEER KANSAS CITY FLORIST AND LONGTIME OWNER OF THE FIRST COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE TO OCCUPY THIS SITE.  

Boy and the Frog

One of the favorite fountains on the Plaza.

Plaza Doorway

The doorways on the Country Club Plaza are like a piece of art.  Here is privately owned Starkers Restaurant.  It serves high quality entrees with ingredients bought from local farmers and has an extensive wine list.

Another building in the Country Club Plaza.  The 15 block shopping area contains upscale shops, parking garages are hidden behind the shops or in enclosed garages.  It is a place to stroll as on this beautiful day.

In Tribute

In the 10 years since 9/11/01 our nation has changed.  The attempt to take away our freedom has made us stronger.  Flags are flying on most homes this weekend.  Since 9/11 more flags fly in our nation than before.  This post is in tribute and respect to all the families impacted by such a horrific act of terrorism.  May the heroes find solace in their actions and the survivors wounds be healed by our strength.  United We Stand. 

Raphael Hotel

This Spanish Renaissance style building was built as an apartment building in 1927.  After complete restoration to maintain its historical character, the Raphael Hotel opened in 1975.  It helped launch the boutique hotel trend.  It has received many awards and is a Marriott Autograph Collection of Independent hotels.  A fabulous restaurant is also within the hotel.

Sunday Morning Get Together

It was such a nice morning the crowds spilled onto the streets.  But then can you keep men from their toys for long.

I found you can switch back to the old blogger dashboard or interface, there is a link at the top of the design page.

Neptune Fountain

Interesting bit of history concerning this fountain.  Amazing that it has endured water and weather for 100 years.

What does everyone think of blogger's new design format.  Throws me everytime I go to these screens.

Pomona Fountain

The sun was bright on Sunday and Pomona was looking in the wrong direction.  Also taking the photo looking the other way would have displayed a bright construction barrier and didn't look good.

Country Club Plaza

The Plaza was built in a Spanish style architecture designed after Sevilla,  Spain.  The Giralda Tower featured above is designed after the original Giralda Tower which is part of the Great Cathedral of Seville.

JC Nichols Fountain

After reaching the high 90's and 100 degrees this last week, our Sunday was a beautiful day, low humidity and temps in the mid 70's.  Everyone was outside today.  Above is the JC Nichols fountain.  Jesse Clyde Nichols was a distinguished commercial and residential real estate developer in Kansas City.  He developed the Country Club Plaza in 1923 as seen in the background.  This was the first suburban shopping center built in the US.  This is a photographic wonderland which I will show you in future post, I hope you do not become tired of this area as tourist and myself love the plaza.  

West Bottoms III

There are many abandoned building in the West Bottoms, feels like a ghost town.  

West Bottoms II

You can find all sorts of stuff in the West Bottoms.

West Bottoms

The West Bottoms originated with trade between trappers and the Kansas Indians.  The area is where the Missouri River and the Kaw River (once known as the Kansas River) join.  The area became the receiving point for goods from steamships traveling upstream on the Missouri River.  The importance of the area increased with the railroad.  The stockyards, established in 1871, developed here because of the livestock brought in from the railroad.

There are many vacant buildings in the West Bottoms, Vintage Markets, architectural salvage, vintage markets, lofts and art gallery contribute to a resurgence in the area.  It is another of my favorite places to visit.  This photo shows downtown KC on the hill in the background.  

Theme Day - Perspective

Whenever I am under a bridge, I think causes me to think in a different perspective.  The first day of every month is theme day for the CDP community.  Click the below link to see other photos on perspective.


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