Driving a short distance north, we visited Second Cup Cat Cafe in Shawnee, Kansas. They opened in 2022 and as of today, they have placed 1,301 cats for adoption. Last year we visited and posted about Second Cup when it was in Olathe, but it moved to this building (which needed much less work) later in the year. It is a lot of fun for people who come to play with the cats and enjoy a beverage. For those thinking of adopting, it gives them a chance to spend some quality, stress free time with the cats before committing to taking one home. This results in a higher success rate in the adoptions. 

The cats roam freely in the large space and there were 34 cats here today. We quickly made some friends.

Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins are welcome if there is room available. An hour costs $15 for ages 11 & older and $10 for 4-10. It includes one hot or cold beverage.

Lunch was at Avelluto's Pizzeria & Ristorante in Mission, Kansas. Originally Italian Delight which opened another Mission location in 1983, it operated until 2021. In 2024 it opened with this new name after the Italian deli D’Bronx at this location closed the year before.

Many people list this as their favorite Kansas City Pizza. We tried a slice of pepperoni & mushroom pizza and chicken parmigiana. The large slice of pizza was only $4.75. Most people find one or two slices to be enough for a meal.

The chicken parmigiana is available by itself for $11 or with pasta for $14 and we went with solo. Self serve fountain drinks (Coke products) are $2.75.

The final stop was at 50th and State Line Road in the tiny community of Westwood Hills (population 400, .1 square miles) to visit Annedore's Fine Chocolates. They have relocated twice over the years in the same cool historic building. MOving into a larger space on the corner in 2014 and back to the original space at the beginning of the year. They have two other locations in Johnson County and the candy is made at the one in Shawnee.

They also make gelato at that location and it is sold, next door to this one in the Flying Cow.

We purchased candies which I haven't tried yet and also shared a small bowl of Peanut Butter Cup and Stracciatella gelato, which was very good.

Second Cup Cat Cafe
 
 
 

Avelluto's Pizzeria & Ristorante
 

The Flying Cow & Annedore's Fine Chocolates

Behind those rows, there was a field with wild flowers and what looked like will be sunflowers, There were a couple of sunflowers with the other flowers, with one having a bloom today. The barn at the front, had chickens, turkeys and a couple of alpacas. There were also couple of barking, but friendly dogs.

At Pittsburg, Kansas, I took new photos of 34 year old Tropical sno, across from the Pitt State campus.

We then photographed the 1907 Miller Mansion. It is on a street with some very large homes, but this one still stands out, larger than the others. Since 2022 it has been offered on Air B&B. You can book the entire home a few hours or overnight ($450). The owner, Larry Seward says that is sleeps 13.

We stopped by Kiddieland Amusement Park in Lincoln Park, about 5:20PM. They had opened at 5, but it was a hot, humid day and there were no customers. The employees were friendly and happy to tell us the history of the park and how it operated.

Kiddieland is in its 73rd season and most of the rides were purpose built for the park when it opened. Although the focus of park is young visitors, only 2 of the rides have maximum height. Tickets are 2 for $3, 5 for $7, or 12 for $14 (Punch Card). Only two of the rides (train & carousel) require two tickets. All the rest are 1 ticket.

You can book the whole park for $250 For 1.5 Hour Party with unlimited rides.

At 6 we met friends for supper at Chicken Annie's Original, which has a Pittsburg address, but is closer to Frontenac. Annie's was started in 1934 by Ann Pichler, who began cooking out of her kitchen after a coal mine accident disabled her husband, Charlie.  Eventually the family moved out of the house, and additional rooms were added to accommodate customers. They moved into this current large building in 1972 and are one of the places which has made Crawford County chicken famous. 

The food is a bargain, that is nice for folks with a family to feed. A three piece (leg, thigh, wing) with two sides in $10,50. We had onion rings (large bowl $9.50) which were shared with others, a chicken breast meal ($10.50), and gizzards & hearts meal ($12). A third of our large party got gizzards, livers & hearts. The seasoning on my gizzards & hearts reminded my of KFC original. The onion rings are close to being onion straws. They were my favorite part of the meal.

Several of our friends joined us again in the evening, to check out The Library Speakeasy, a 1920s themed bar, which open July 10th in Fort Scott, Kansas. There is no sign and it in the basement beneath Lu's Ice Cream. The first room is filled with books, but the shelves at the end of the room open to let you into the cozy bar. I sampled The Huckleberry, which is described as "bold whiskey meets the golden warmth of maple syrup, brightened by fresh lemon juice and a dash of bitters. 

There are 12 house cocktails from $10-12 or they are happy to make you whatever you want.

There is another speakeasy in Fort Scott, Green Lantern Speakeasy, which opened in 2024, but we saved that for another visit to town.

We spent the night at the Travel Lodge Fort Scott. It was comfortable and, at least on this day, was one of the best values in town.

Kiddieland Amusement Park
 
 
 

Chicken Annie's Original
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Library Speakeasy

Gary & Kylene stopped working when we arrived to give a tour and enthusiasticly tell us. They purchased the farm across the road from Gary's parents shortly after they married, but found that the land had been over grazed and needed years of work to be productive. Fertilizer was not adequate or practical and they adopted regenerative farming to produce income while restoring the land. 

They practice sequential integration where cows first graze land, then sheep, then chickens using custom chicken tractors (mobile chicken coops) which allows the chickens to be moved onto new land up to twice a day. The farm also provides custom meat processing and locker services as well as assisting with marketing, labeling, packaging, and distribution for other farms, They are in the process of adding a licensed commercial kitchen which will be an industrial incubator to support local startups.

It has changed. The menu and the hours are both shorter than when I first went here in 2008. But the menu is still long enough and breakfast and lunch are still available from 7 AM - 2 PM seven days a week. This is an old school restaurant.

We had Pork Chops (grilled and topped with sautéed mushrooms, served with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables) and Liver & Onion (grilled and topped with seasoned grilled onions, served with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables). We each paid a dollar to change the vegetables to fruit.

Both the pork chops and liver were cut thin and had great flavor. And this may sound like a tiny thing, the iced tea was very good, and here is another old school feature, it was served along with an iced tea spoon. We couldn't remember when was the last time we saw one, but it wasn't this year.

There is a 3.5% charge for using a credit card.

After lunch, we drove a few miles south to Lone Elm Park, to visit Lone Elm Park Historic Campsite. From 1821 into the 1850s, this was a campground and rendezvous point on the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails. The marker at the site says that John Fremont, Kit Carson, Francis Parkman and the ill-fated Donner party stopped here.

There is also an oxen and conestoga wagon sculpture which was originally at the Olathe Visitors Center from 1994 until its closing in 2002. A 1906 DAR Santa Fe Trail Marker, was relocated from the corner of the park to one of the park shelters.
 
 

Lone Elm Park