HELLO AND WELCOME! I am Cami, and this is a blog about Midwest town folk, the fascinating history of the region, boutiques and coffee shops, and anything else that piques my curiosity. I explore this endearing part of the world constantly, as I travel to do historical/genealogical research. I hope you enjoy journeying with me on this blog.
Captivating finds in Springfield Missouri
On a breezy Monday morning, I sailed over to Springfield Missouri - an easy 3 hour drive from my...
What did Kansas look like during the Roaring 20’s?
A living history museum is the closest we can get to experiencing the past. In Shawnee Kansas,...
Have you ever experienced Povitica?
When I lived in San Diego, I noticed an advertisement online for an exquisite pastry, that had...
An Art Center and History Museum cleverly combined
I had lived in Kansas eight years before I randomly discovered our own county history museum. I...
Dolly Parton would be super impressed by the ingenuity of these Millennials.
As I was looking on Facebook for events and places to visit, a catchy notice attracted my...
Why Liberty Missouri is a favored day-trip destination
I decided to force myself to adapt to the icy cold of Midwest winters, so I drove over to spend...
Hats off to Lee’s Summit, Missouri
As I was roaming through Missouri, I stopped and spent a day in Lee's Summit. I visited the coffee...
A startling mystery in Lawrence Kansas
Just beyond the metropolis of Kansas City is a town surrounded by farm fields. Lawrence, Kansas...
Christmas in a train station??
For a different type of Christmas, I decided to spend the holidays in Union Station Kansas City....
A Beacon of Inspiration in the Kansas City Museum
Recently I was driving through an older section of Kansas City, Missouri when a neighborhood...
Tales within the Kansas City Zoo
On a Monday morning in November, I arrived at the Zoo in Kansas City Missouri right when it opened...
Take a jaunt to Des Moines, Iowa
I live just three hours south of Des Moines, Iowa in the Kansas City area. The trip there is an...
Are libraries really necessary anymore?
I have often heard this question posed, based on the reasoning that most everything a library...
Treat yourself to a day shopping in the Weston Missouri boutiques
For such an old, OLD town (almost 200 years), I was surprised to find so many ultramodern designer...
The Wild West is sealed in time in Weston Missouri
Weston Missouri has a well-known reputation for its dramatic Wild West beginnings. I wanted to...
The stories within Mason City, Iowa
On my recent journeying through Iowa, I departed Ames (blog) and headed north to Mason City. I...
Exceptional finds in Ames Iowa
I savored the serenity of the drive up to Ames through the Iowa farming towns. The fields were...
One of the most meaningful spots on earth is found in Clear Lake, Iowa
I made the trek to a small lake town in northern Iowa, solely because a friend strongly...
Remarkable revelations in Beatrice Nebraska
What do you look for in a town to vacation in? Golf courses, a body of water, eateries,...
Inside Fort Leavenworth
Are you the type of person who can (enviably) enjoy the serenity of your habitat? Or, like me, do...
What does Leavenworth Kansas have to teach us?
Museums are vaults of knowledge. I learn so much every time I go to a museum. That is why I was...
Treat yourself to a shopping day in Leavenworth Kansas
My sister often says "when you are having a rough day, pamper yourself". Even if it is as simple...
A visit to regal Washington…..Missouri
As I turned off the main highway and wound down a gentle country road, I wondered what I would...
A Baroness comes to Baldwin City, Kansas
A small country town, just an hour's drive from the metropolis of Kansas City, has a stunning tale...
HOW does Serendipity happen?
I have always been enamored of serendipity. It is the random phenomenon of something suddenly...
The enchantment of Arcadian Moon
I saw a notice for a "kite festival" recently, and remembered back to my childhood when we would...
Silver Dollar City’s allure
There is a well-loved theme park in the Midwest, by the name of Silver Dollar City in Branson...
A Commune in Iowa: the Amana Colonies
I am familiar with the communes that existed in my home state of California. Many didn't work out...
The birthplace of Osteopathic medicine
In a tiny town just outside of Kirksville Missouri, I booked a stay in an unusual boutique hotel....
Naturalistic Lied Lodge in Nebraska City, NE
There is a small, unassuming town in Nebraska outside of Omaha and Lincoln. And yet, it is known...
The murder site of Jesse James
As I followed my GPS into St. Joseph, Missouri I entered a neighborhood lined with magnificent old...
Arabia Steamboat Museum: treasure hunters dig up a sunken ship—in a farmer’s field
Years ago, my niece told me I should go to the Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City. I didn't go...
The astoundingly courageous pioneers
My favorite genre of book is historical fiction. I wish my school textbooks had been written in...
What happened in this Odd Fellows Orphanage?
Recently, I drove an hour out to the countryside of Liberty Missouri to the Belvoir Winery for a...
The phantom of Big Cedar Lodge
Before I left on an overnight trip to a famous resort in Ridgedale, Missouri, I was already...
A winery inside of an elementary school??
On a rural road outside of Weston, Missouri is an old school building. It is over 70 years old. It...
Searching for the best coffee in Kansas City
Back in my hometown of San Diego, I had a friend who once said he wanted to find the best...
Why is Bentonville Arkansas suddenly a voguish vacation destination?
Bentonville Visitor Center Whenever I pull into a new town, I first head straight to the Visitor...
The voices of the brothel girls of the Wild West
A few years ago, I helped a Canadian author research a prostitute from the 1880's in Kansas City....
Intriguing Smithville Missouri
A pleasant country highway takes you north of Kansas City, and passes through...
The sweet town of Oskaloosa, Kansas 🌻
Who is Ashlie who imparted this endearing sentiment to the world? I met Ashlie, in a way,...
Inside an Insane Asylum (reader warning)
A few years ago, I drove up to St. Joseph, Missouri to see the Glore Psychiatric Museum. I...
The TWA museum in Kansas City Missouri
I went to the TWA museum because my mother was a "stewardess" for United Airlines. Her...
Playing a profoundly meaningful real-life game
On a random wall, in a large open room, this small sign hangs, easily unnoticed. And yet, one...
Aubrey Vineyards -a boutique winery just outside of Kansas City
As Winter begrudgingly gives way to Spring in the midwest, wintertide often speaks its final words...
Stone Pillar – a historic winery in Olathe, Kansas
On a chilly Spring afternoon, I visited Stone Pillar Winery to enjoy a warming fire pit, a...
Concordia Kansas is a jewel in the middle of farm fields.
Do you know who this is? Boston Corbett. Do you recognize his famous name? I...
The National Orphan Train museum
I sat on the ground in front of this sweet boy, in Concordia Kansas. His tiny soul touched...
The old town square of Clinton, Missouri
Do you know anything about Clinton, Missouri? I sure didn't. So I drove 1 1/2 hours...
The historic town square of Butler, Missouri
I love an old town square with a majestic courthouse in the middle. Butler Missouri has a...
Bates County Missouri has an astonishing museum.
I arrived at the Bates County Museum out in the countryside, and was instantly thrilled to see it...
Making peace with a cemetery.
When I am researching for my clients, I often need to go to cemeteries as the last piece of the...
Experience a real Victorian Christmas — in St. Charles, Missouri
I heard that St. Charles was charming at the holidays, so I decided to go experience a quaint,...
Colorful Christmas in Wichita, Kansas
I have a friend here who is a native of Kansas. She told me I had to see the Botanical...
Branson Missouri’s terrifying history
I was excited about my annual Fall trip to Branson. I look forward to the gorgeous hikes...
The ground hides history.
In the country, outside of Lawrence, Kansas, is a winery. I drove out to visit it today,...
A client asked me to find his poltergeist.
Just a few weeks ago, in the month of Halloween, no less -- I received an email from a physician...
Serendipity in Bonner Spring, Kansas
Hi! I am Cami. Near my home is a winery named Serendipity. I like to go there...
Parkville Missouri is an enclave of imagination
It feels like irreverence for this San Diego girl who grew up on the ocean to say that my favorite...
My favorite new town – Harrisonville Missouri
Hi! I am Cami. I write this travel blog about small towns in the Midwest, spotlighting...
Notorious in Kearney Missouri
Can you guess whose famous grave lies behind me, in Kearney Missouri? Jesse James. The...
The raw Wild West of Jackson Hole, Wyoming
I live in Kansas, somewhat near Kansas City. I just got home from driving to Jackson to...
Is Tonganoxie a town where superheroes secretly live?
Oh no. I am not one of the superheroes. I wanted to set the stage with a pictorial...
A charming midwest town. Belton Missouri.
Just outside of Belton, Missouri, is the family farm of Harry Truman. I am demonstrating...
A dog makes Warrensburg Missouri famous
Old Drum's statue is in front of the Warrensburg courthouse. That is impressive. Most...
I was drawn to this town solely because of its name: Pleasant Hill
Over in Missouri there is a peaceful town with the aptly descriptive name of Pleasant Hill. As...
Fort Osage in Sibley, Missouri
As I drove out to the tiny town of Sibley, I felt the decades retreating with every bend in the...
My son and I get involved in the past.
Once a year, my son goes on a team to restore historic landmark buildings. This year it is a...
Hello! I am Cami…. It is so nice to meet you. 🌻
I am glad we found each other. I am a life-long San Diegan but I moved to Kansas several years...