Small Town Saturday Night in KC

Carrie and me at Alan Jackson Concert

Carrie and I went to Kansas City on Saturday to see Alan Jackson. Neither of us had ever seen him in concert before and he is doing his farewell tour. I am so glad that we were able to see him in concert. Our seats were great he sang all of our favorites. This made our concert count four on the year and we have another one booked before the end of the year.

Alan Jackson on the Stage

Our seats were straight which we liked better than our seats for the Chris Stapleton concert (see June 23, 2024 post). For that concert, we were on a side and had to turn our heads to see the stage. This was much better and with isle access, it was easy to get in and out of our seats for drinks.

Jon Pardi Opening Act

Jon Pardi opened for Alan Jackson. He was good and I will have to check out some of his songs. I was not familiar with Jon Pardi, but he is certainly worth checking out. 

We stayed at the Hotel Indigo in downtown Kansas City where we have stayed before. Just a few blocks from T-Mobile Center makes it a good spot to stay and still have access to the concert within walking distance.

Alan Jackson on the Stage

After Concert

New Alan Jackson Hat

Great time at the concert and I am so glad we were able to make it work. We got the tickets back over the summer as we were looking for concerts to attend and noted it was his farewell tour. We had a great time and made some wonderful memories.

Sunday morning we went out to get breakfast at a new spot that my brother, Tim, had recommended. Hemma Hemma was just what we needed after concert the concert. The cinnamon roll was the best that I have had out anywhere. I got an egg dish with potatoes and it was really good, but the cinnamon roll was a must have for our morning. 

We are tired on this Sunday evening as I write and likely head to bed early. Fun time in Kansas City for the concert and eating at a new place. Until next time, have a great week!

A Weekend of Blues, Friends, and Family at the King Biscuit Blues Festival

The King Biscuit Blues Festival (KBBF) took place October 10 - 12 in Helena, AR and we had beautiful weather with great friends and family. I did not take a lot of pictures, but I did capture some which I will share from my experience. I work the main stage of the KBBF which I have been working since around 2004. This is only a guess as to when I started going to KBBF. Someone asked me during the festival and I was guessing around 2004 because festival started in 1986, Carrie and I were married in 2001, and I started going a year or two after we were married. So, I estimated that I began attending the festival in 2003 or 2004. 

We arrive on Wednesday for the festival and then we return home on Sunday. Through the years the amount of work we do at the festival seems to have decreased as I recall carrying on a lot of equipment (amps, guitars, drums, etc.), but the last few years, we have not really had to carry on, or off, a lot of items. Most bands use the equipment on stage or they carry their own equipment on or off even though we offer. Still, it is a lot of work and exhausting as we head back to Topeka each Sunday.

Eddie Stone and me at the KBBF

It is fun to see friends I do not get to see very often which includes Eddie Stone (pictured to the right). He has been coming for the past few years and we have a good time working and playing on the main stage. The past two years we have stayed at a house out by the lake which has been fun as it has allowed us to spend more time together. Telling stories, a few drinks, and having a good time throughout the weekend while we are working.

Aunt Carol, Eddie, and Me at KBBF

Aunt Carol came in on Friday to be with us and then she headed out on Saturday. She always makes brownies which are so good and they go fast. Aunt Carol is the mom of Eddie Stone. It so happened that Eddie turns 50 on October 18 (a week later), so we were able to celebrate his birthday while at the festival this year enjoying brownies to celebrate his birthday along with Amy Rose who was also turning 50.

Group at KBBF

Picture of where we hang out while acts are playing sometimes during KBBF which is off of the stage. Although we sometimes also hang out on the stage which is where the picture of Eddie Stone and I are located in the picture above and to the right. I usually take some comfortable chairs for tailgating with us so we have a good spot to hang out if needed. The past few years the festival has set up a tent for us to use which is nice as it can get really hot on the son facing side of the stage.

Selfie at KBBF

Saturday night I tried to take a selfie with Eddie Shirron (Dad Shirron), Tbo (Tommy Galloway), and Eddie Stone [left to right]. Picture did not come out great as I took it at night and it was a selfie, but I wanted to capture the night and end of the festival. We had a great time and listened to some fun acts. Saturday during the day is always a sad day as it starts to sink in that the festival is coming to an end and everyone will be leaving. 

I did not take a lot of pictures during the festival, but I would like to share the whole album which you can flip through below. Click the picture below to go to the full album of the 2024 festival.

Another King Biscuit Blues Festival in the books. It probably took me until Tuesday to feel like I had caught up on my sleep. I was so tired after Eddie Shirron and I returned back to Topeka. Although Mom Shirron fixed us a pot roast meal and Carrie joined us which was much appreciated. When we got home, I was in bed by 9 that Sunday night. Good memories and a lot of blues music. Grateful for the great weather we encountered while we were at KBBF. I am hopeful that next year Carrie, Corrie, and Javier will join us as well as others that have not been in a few years.

Until next time, have a great week and I will talk to you later.

Meatballs, Enchiladas, and Football: A Missouri Camping Trip

Tents at HipCamp Site

We went on our third camping trip of the year with this one in Missouri at a HipCamp called Hickory Forest TV Camp Site and we had a great time. We left on Thursday, September 26 and stayed through Sunday, September 29. We went with Erin and Greg. No dogs on this trip although dogs are allowed, but we planned to attend the Washburn game on Saturday, so we left our dogs at home.

We arrived late afternoon to our camp site. Unpacked our cars and got our tents set up. Then it was time to get the stovetop going so we could eat dinner. We would be cooking two meals while camping which would be Thursday and Friday nights. We planned to eat out Saturday night after the football game.

Meatball Sandwiches on Stovetop

Our plan for Thursday night meal was simple with meatball sandwiches. Carrie warmed the meatballs in the crockpot and then finished everything put together in the stovetop. Our site had power which is something new for us when camping, but it was nice to be able to warm the meat in the crockpot before assembling and putting cheese on the sandwiches. They were perfect and just what we needed for the first night.

Fire pit, Chairs, and Perfection

Following dinner, we spent the evening around the fire pit listening to baseball and music. Prior to our trip, Carrie had everyone provide 5 - 10 songs that were five minutes or longer and she created a playlist. Part of the listening of the playlist was to guess who of the four of us submitted the song. Usually when we camp, we do some type of game around songs and playlists so we have something new for us to listen to while we camp. 

View from Lookout Tower at Weston State Park

Saturday morning we all slept a little late before getting up and going for the day. I think we were all up and going by 9 am. We started the day with cereal and then relaxing around the camp site. A few of us read, relaxed in the hammock, or just sat and chilled. Eventually, we decided to venture out to check out some new sites in the area. We made it over to Weston State Park to check out camp sites although we were not impressed with what was available. We did have a picnic while we were there which was nice. We stopped by a store on the side of the road and picked up some cider, snacks, and other knick-knacks. 

Dutch Oven for Cooking

Friday night was layered enchiladas using the Dutch Oven. It took about thirty minutes to cook with goals on the bottom and top of the Dutch Oven. Worked great! The bottom the enchiladas got a little crunchy, but it was very good. As is usually the case, Carrie finds things to adjust the next time we do these when camping, but overall, everyone ate them up and we all had full bellies. 

Food is Ready

I realized that I did not get a picture of the food plated, but the picture to the right is the food ready to start dishing out. It looks a little soupy in the picture, but it was really good. Nice job, Carrie!

Saturday morning we started the day with Carrie making us pancakes on the stovetop. We were not sure if Erin and Greg would like them as they are made with yogurt, but everyone enjoyed the pancakes and we at all of the double recipe. Again, I did not get any pictures, but Carrie has used this recipe twice that we got from the cookbook of a couple we follow on YouTube that have been camping for a long time. The cookbook is titled Gourmet in the Forest by Kellie Oden. We have used a few of the recipes from the cookbook. The pancakes are one of my favorites.

Missouri Western State University

Part of the reason we picked the Hickory Forest TV Camp Site where we camped was because of the location to where Washburn was playing on Saturday, September 28. We were set to play Missouri Western State University at 2 pm. It was our first time at this stadium. We won the game 24 - 16. 

Selfie at Football Game in Missouri

We started the game on the visitors side, but it was so hot and no wind, we moved over the home side where there was shade and a nice breeze. The fourth quarter took a long time, but we won the game. Following the football game, we had already decided we would eat in St. Joseph at Boudreaux's Louisiana Seafood and Steaks. Carrie and I had been there years before Brenda and her family, but first time for Erin and Greg. Other than it taking a very long time to get our food, it was a good meal. 

Sunset at Camp Site

We enjoyed our time camping in Missouri. The Hickory Forest TV Camp Site was beautiful and well cared for by the owner that we spoke to a few different times during our stay. We would go back to stay there again. Good location and layout of the camp site. We were in heavy wooded areas and I got a lot of bug bites. We are not sure what was getting me, but bug spray did not help. I had bites all over my arms, legs, back, and even the palms of my hands as well as fingertips. Very odd!

I was hoping to get a few more times in camping this year, but it did not work out where we could do more than the three we did this year. We got started early in February with a trip to Texas for camping and then two other new spots for us to close out the camping season. We enjoy the slow lifestyle of camping where we read, enjoy nature, and maybe go on a hike. 

Until next time, have a great week and I will talk to you later.