The Pact

Well, the pact trip actually occured several weeks ago now, but since I've barely had enough time to breathe in the interim I haven't had the chance to address it until now. It also means I don't necessarily remember everything, so you'll have to settle for less detail than before.

This version of our pact trip took Russell and I to Kansas City in search of what my often loquacious but seldom eloquent friend referred to as, "Mega Cow." For those of you who don't speak Russell, that means a great steak. Did we find "Mega Cow?" Yes, yes we did, but more on that later.

We arrived in Kansas City early on Tuesday the 15th of May, and proceded to the rental car station. Thrify was out of economy cars, so we got a free upgrade. It was not until we reached the parking lot and cast our gaze upon the replacement vehicle that we decided the upgrade was anything but. Russell and I made our way through the streets of Kansas City for a 24 hour period in a vomit-yellow PT Cruiser. It may very well be the ugliest form of transportation ever known to man kind. With no recourse, we slung our bags into the back of the Bilemobile and set off on our day. After checking in at the hotel the next stop was the Airline History Museum located at Kansas City Downtown airport. The guided tour of the museum was affordable and entertaining, and included the priviledge of boarding one of very few airworthy Lockheed Constelations still in existance. The tour guide himself was slightly off, but that is to be expected from someone who was even older than most of the museum pieces he was describing.

Next stop, the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, located in Independance, MO. Truman, of course, is famous in history for assuming the reigns from FDR during the waining days of WWII and subsequently authorizing the use of the atomic bomb. The library is exceptionaly well laid out, and is a fitting tribute to a man who led our country with courage and honesty. At least there was one democrat in our history who actually had a spine...

Having had our fill of history, Russell and I proceded to the Zona Rosa, which is a very nice outdoor mall with several fine restaurants. We had a date with "Mega Cow" at the Hereford House, which is perhaps the most famous steak eatery in a city famous for steak eateries. As Russell and I soon found out, the fame is well deserved. We began the evening at the bar waiting for a table, and while Russ sipped a Vodka Gimlet, I chose a Boulevard #41 ale. We split some excellent fried calamari, and then were shown to our table. I selected a bottle of Trapiche Malbec to accompany our dinner, which is a full-bodied semi dry red from Argentina. It was a marvelous bottle to go along with our marvelous meals. Russell opted for an 8 oz bacon wrapped filet, while I dined upon the 6 oz filet topped with a miniature crab cake. Needless to say, dinner was amazing, and dessert was also exquisite. I say dessert was exquisite, but I don't actually remember what I had. I just remember it was delicious. Not to worry though, hopefully Russell will leave a comment on this posting to refresh my memory. Total bill for dinner: $156.57

Well, as tradition dictated, our dinner conversation hovered around what city we would next invade in a future pact trip. We figured August or September would be the time frame, and the current leading contender is Nashville, TN, although Atlanta, GA has an outside chance.