Kansas Road Trip 2012: Country Club Plaza and the Plaza Art Fair

We love Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, and we were especially thrilled to be in KC this year on the weekend of the annual Plaza Art Fair.  Country Club Plaza is one of the most extraordinary shopping districts we've ever visited, with unique architecture, great restaurants and apartments lining greenways and parks.  It really is impressive, and it's in Kansas City.

Country Club Plaza is right next to UMKC where we go to see the IUPUI Jags take on the Kangaroos for a conference volleyball matchup.  We could really go on and on about Country Club Plaza, but this year we have pictures to show you of the Plaza Art Fair, which featured over 200 artists, more than two dozen plaza restaurants and three live music stages.

Plaza Art Fair is probably one of the largest art fairs we've ever visited, and it was especially cool to see all the artist in their white tents lining the streets of the plaza.  If you are every in KC, don't miss Country Club Plaza!

Kansas Road Trip 2012: Moon Marble in Bonner Springs

A few years ago, Joe spotted a brochure for Moon Marble in the brochure rack at our hotel in Kansas, and on a hunch that it would be good, hijacked our morning to make a trip out to Bonner Springs to visit Moon Marble for the very first time.  This year, Joe went straight to the back of the store to the marble counters having spent all year waiting to buy another handmade Bruce marble.  And this year, Joe got two.

Moon Marble is a toy store in Bonner Springs, Kansas, that has one of the best selections of toys, games and novelties in Kansas.  But most important, they handmake marbles at Moon, and each one is uniquely special, two never coming out quite the same.  Going to the Moon has become an annual tradition for us, and this year when we pulled into the parking lot there was a big space blocked off for a bus.  It reminded us that they do marble making demonstrations in the back of the store, which is really too cool to pass up when you visit.  If you even think twice on skipping the marble making demo, just ask yourself, when are you likely to see someone handmake a marble again in your life?  If you can't quickly think of another time, then grab a seat on the wooden bleachers and enjoy the 15 minute show.

Joe has bought a new handmade marble at the Moon every year and loves the designs by artisan and owner Bruce Breslow.  Josh has a few crafted by Ernie.  These are handmade pieces of art unlike anything else, and you can get one for as little as about twenty bucks.  We love the Moon, but if you want to find out what an "end of day" marble is, you'll have to go to Moon Marble in Bonner Springs!

Kansas Road Trip 2012: Papa Bob's BBQ in Bonner Springs

We love great BBQ, so we just had to make a stop at Papa Bob's BBQ in Bonner Springs after we saw their signature "Destroyer" sandwich on Man vs Food.  We knew right away that we wouldn't be ordering the "Destroyer" - much less the "Ultimate Destroyer" which cost almost sixty bucks - but we did know we would have a great lunch.

Papa Bob's is an unassuming little white building located on K-32 lust  few miles off 435, so if you're in KC you've got no excuse not to hit this place for lunch or dinner.  The place looks small when you walk inside, complete with a lunch counter, but their is a big dining room with plenty of tables just off to the side.  And if you go back in that dining room, look for the United States map.  When we visited, we talked a bit with Bob's wife and she gave us a push pin to put on the map.  So now we're one of those orange pins near Indianapolis on the big map in Papa Bob's.  How cool is that?

Papa Bob's BBQ has an extensive menu for a BBQ joint.  They've got all the regular staples of smoked meats like pulled pork and smoked beef and turkey, plus ribs and burnt ends.  Joe got a sandwich piled high with two meats on the recommendation of our server - pulled pork and sliced turkey.  The smoked corned beef on rye was too much for Josh to resist, and the fries are just as crispy as they say on the menu.  If you've never had smoked corned beef, this stuff is awesome so don't be afraid to order it when you visit Papa Bob's in Bonner Springs.  This place is affordable for lunch.  We got out of there for under $30 including tax and tip, and they take Visa and Mastercard just in case you order more food than you've got cash in your pocket.

There is lots of great food in Kansas City and we can't wait to tell you all about it, so keep watching Josh and Joe Travels to find the best places to eat in Kansas City!

Kansas Road Trip 2012: Visit Historic Bonner Springs

After a summer filled with fairs and festivals, it was good to get back on the open road for our annual Kansas Road Trip.  We've been visiting Kansas City every fall for several years and Bonner Springs has quickly become one of our favorite stops.  Bonner Springs is on the west side of Kansas City just outside the loop, so even if you are staying downtown, this historic area is just a few minutes away.  Bonner Springs is home to one of our absolute favorite stores in the country - Moon Marble - so keep checking for our post coming up soon about our 2012 trip to the moon.

Before the Moon opened, we had a few extra minutes to walk around downtown Bonner Springs, which is filled with thrift stores and antique shops that actually open early enough on a Saturday morning to check out before lunch.  Bonner Springs is a river town, so count on seeing some unique architecture.  Our first few trips to the Moon we missed downtown Bonner Springs entirely, so if you go be sure to check it out, and keep reading Josh and Joe Travels to see pictures from our favorite spots in Bonner Springs!

Georgetown Fair Queen: 2012 fair week pictures delivered

This week we traveled to Georgetown, Illinois, to visit our friends at the Georgetown Fair Queen Pageant to deliver the pictures from fair week in August.  We had been working on the pictures pretty much every day since the end of the fair in August, so it was very satisfying for us to deliver the pictures to 2012 Miss Georgetown Fair Hayley Lockwood.

As the official photographers of the Georgetown Fair Queen we don't just photograph the pageant.  We photograph the fair queen year round, and our coverage of the new queen actually starts in July at the queen's tea and contestant orientation.  We don't know at that point who will be the next Georgetown Fair Queen, but we know she is in there somewhere as we photograph the practices and take the headshots for the newspaper.  Once the new queen is crowned, we go back through the pictures of all those events, and if we get lucky, we can really illustrate the queen's journey from becoming a contestant in July to being crowned in August.

Albums are our favorite way to show pictures and this year we really stepped things up in terms of what we delivered.  Last year we found out that most fair queens in Illinois bring their scrapbooks to regional meetings where the state fair queen picks the best book.  We took that as a challenge to make sure the Georgetown Fair Queen has a scrapbook filled with high quality pictures, and we think we've achieved that goal.  This year we delivered a total of 10 albums, and because everybody loves to look at pictures on their computers and share them electronically, we delivered a total of 9 photo CDs with print releases.  And even though we are volunteers with Georgetown Fair Queen Pageant, everyone still gets the boutique packaging, the custom designed CD cases and the tissue-wrapped books.

With the 2012 Georgetown Fair Queen pictures delivered, we are eager to get back on the road for our fall adventures.  We are looking forward to posting lots of pictures from our annual Kansas road trip which is coming up soon, and we have stops planned in St. Louis, Kansas City and Lawrence just to name a few.  We'll also be giving you an insiders look at Key West during Fantasy Fest and showing you how to ditch the common tourist spots to see the best of the Florida Keys.  You will see it all right here at Josh and Joe Travels!

2012 Kentucky State Fair Opening Ceremonies in Louisville

We love visiting fairs and festivals, so it is no surprise that we visit several state fairs every year.  Just a few days ago we were at the Illinois State Fair with Miss Georgetown Fair 2012 Hayley Lockwood, and on August 16th we went down to Louisville to watch opening day ceremonies at the Kentucky State Fair.

With over 1.2 million square feet of indoor space, the Kentucky State Fair is the largest indoor state fair in America.  Unlike any other state fair we have every visited, the Kentucky State Fair is held at an exposition and convention center complex, so just about everything happens under one roof.  Seeing state fair exhibits - everything from cars to quilts to modular homes - inside a convention hall is a unique experience, and it is a blessing if it happens to be really hot outside or raining, which are common in August.

Our only disappointment with the Kentucky State Fair is about the closure of Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom.  Because the old Kentucky Kingdom park sat on the property of the Expo Center, the amusement park became part of the Kentucky Thrillway during the state fair.  That meant you could stroll inside Kentucky Kingdom and buy tickets to ride one roller coaster at a time.  There were hardly ever any long rides, and this was one of Joe's favorite things about the Kentucky State Fair.  Seeing the old amusement park shuttered and rusting away is heartbreaking.

In keeping with our role as the official photographers of the Georgetown Fair Queen, we couldn't help but grab a few shots of the Kentucky county fair queens as they introduced themselves during opening ceremonies.  The Kentucky fair queens show up looking fabulous and get their picture taken with the governor.

The Kentucky State Fair has a few entry contests that really sets it apart from Indiana and Illinois.  With tobacco, country hams and an ugly lamp contest sponsored by Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville, there might just be more to see at the Kentucky State Fair, plus it's all inside in air conditioned comfort!  We've got more stops planned in our fall fair and festival tour, so keep following our adventures on Josh and Joe Travels!