The Final Game and the Return to Kauffman

With the trip drawing near a close, the group was ready for our return to the Midwest. We packed our bags Thursday morning and made the drive north to Kansas City. It was a long drive but lucky for it, it was a beautiful day. Dr. Bob let me drive through part of Oklahoma and I was so happy that the west Texas wind had disappeared. The roads were pretty empty and it was a lovely drive.

We made it to our hotel a little bit before the game. For our final night, we got a little fancy, staying in the infamous Muehlebach Hotel, which had been visited by every president from Teddy Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan. Today, it has not only expanded into another building, but also serves as spot for famous people to stay. Upon our arrival, the hotel was getting ready for many Republicans to arrive for a convention. The place was a buzz and we were swept into an elevator to the 13th floor. Changing out of our driving clothes, we jumped back into the van headed to Kauffman. After a few wrong turns and quick stop for dinner, we arrived, only about 10 minutes before game time.

This Kauffman was much different from our first two times at the K. The Royals were taking on the Cardinals, a long time rival and also a fiery one. The place was packed, groups of red or blue seen on every level. The game was great, both sides doing their best to nab that victory.

For the first part of the game, I was lucky enough to spend some time with my great aunt and uncle, Jim and Marilynn. We had a nice time catching up and rooting on the Royals.

The second half of the game was spent with the class, having the most fun at a game I think all trip. Don't get me wrong, we've had oodles of fun, but for this last one, it was just perfect. A super nice family sat in front of us, the grandparents having gotten the family tickets as a Christmas gift. The children were no older than 10 and it was so awesome to see their excitement at their first MLB game. The family was a die hard Cardinal family, the kids having no choice about who to root for. They knew their players and their knew their stuff. It was fun to talk to them. 

In the end, the Royals pulled out a win. It was an exciting, yet quick game. We left the K, side to side with all the other fans, feeling bittersweet. Sure, it was going to be great to be back at Coe, with a full summer ahead of us, but at the same time, I think we all wished we could just stay at the stadiums and keeping watching baseball.  

We got back to our hotel and I was lucky enough to have a friend in the area, Luke, who came by for a quick visit. Again, similar to seeing Krista in Illinois, I hadn't seen Luke in several years. It was nice to catch up and share my travels. I went to bed, knowing it would be time to head home in the morning.