Experiencing a new city, especially a metropolitan city twice the size of the one you live in, is always new and exciting but there's never enough time to take it all in satisfactorily. Unfortunately this is almost always the case for me and my trip to Kansas City wasn't any different. The wedding was nice and fun, more so than most weddings, but the only time available to use the camera was after first checking in and before going to bed those two nights.
Fortunately, the fancy hotel put us in a room where someone had broken the lock on the screen door so it could be opened more than an inch (thank-you!!!!). The opportunity would not be lost - that sucker was opened all the way and every available minute was spent in front of the "balcony." It was invigorating to hear the roar of the city and "experience" it in such a manner.
The hotel put us on the thirteenth floor. Perhaps coincidentally, I once wrote a short horror story about the thirteenth floor in a hotel room when I was 12 or so - which apparently Stephen King found and ripped off.
Union Station was in perfect sight from the room. There looks to be a lot going on in there but we only had time for breakfast.
This was the view from the hotel room, with the lovely autumn trees in the park across the street, next to the Lathrop and Gage building (one of two large law firms in Crown Center).
Nighttime view of downtown Kansas City on a Friday night. Although I was more impressed with the Western Auto sign than the convention center - this was the best exposure. To be honest, I thought the convention center was only a boring suspension bridge.
Apparently the Crown Westin paid the downtown Marriot to display 'Cerner' on their building light display so their guests attending the Cerner convention would be impressed they went to the trouble.
The huge signs on the buildings were intriguing, I had never seen so many, and at the time didn't think Minneapolis had any. Then I remembered the Grain Belt sign and the Gold Medal Flour sign.
My party didn't feel like going out after the wedding with some of the other guests but all of us were the last to leave the rehearsal dinner and the reception and was still fun.
© Benjamin Pecka. 2011. All rights reserved.
