Gates Barbecue in Kansas City

Here was another stop on our Food Network tour. This place was also featured on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives. Apparently Kansas City barbecue is famous for it's "burnt ends". They take the crispy ends of the brisket and chop them up in sauce. It was amazing. The restaurant was fun too. You order cafeteria style and then you take your tray to the dining room. We had a personal attendant help us order. We walked in and she said, "You're new, huh?" She made sure they took good care of us, checked on us throughout dinner, and even posed for a picture with us. Loved her!

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Climbing Stairs in Missouri

Brock's cross-country trip mainly consisted of a lot of playgrounds. Here we are in Missouri anticipating our stay in Kansas City and hoping for some awesome barbecue. Brock did some impressive climbing here.

Mt. Rushmore

I am so glad we got to see this. It's one of those places I've always felt obligated as an American to visit, but I was never planning on making a special trip. Good that it worked out to be on our route :) It really is a sight to behold. Looking at Mt. Rushmore is the first time Brock said the word "Wow".

Battle Creek Campground

Here's a little pit stop in Wyoming. A perfect spot to stretch our legs, play, and have a family picnic :)

Counting Crows

Brock can make lots of animal sounds, but his favorite seems to be "cawing" like a crow. Here he is on our road trip as he noticed some birds overhead. He's carrying on quite a conversation with them :)

Birthday in Wyoming

I never thought I would celebrate a birthday in Wyoming. Not that there's anything wrong with Wyoming...just never thought it would happen. Our first stop was a steakhouse that we were told served big game. It had a cool buffalo out front, but not a very interesting menu, and Brock was a little too fussy for such a fancy restaurant. We opted to eat at TGI Friday's instead. So much for the quintessential Wyoming dining experience :)

Montana

We stopped at a little scenic spot along the Interstate in Montana and did some exploring. Very pretty.

Brock was in heaven. He LOVES rocks.

Climbing into the river...

I found a bug!

Honk if you have a nose.