Happy In Bag

Friday, June 30, 2006

The Kansas City River Conspiracy












River currents are deadly. Giant maneating catfish are lurking just below the surface. Rivers are for commercial barges only. The water is dirty.

Lies. It’s all lies. Well, except for the part about the water. It is dirty.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Two majestic rivers wind through the Kansas City metropolis. But when’s the last time you dipped your toes into either the Kansas or Missouri Rivers? Wouldn’t it have been great to spend part of last weekend on this little boat docked in Kansas City, Kansas?

How did this river aversion happen? Did old J.C. Nichols convince people that they should think only about his housing developments instead of next weekend’s fishing expedition? Or maybe the Corps of Engineers hid the rivers from Kansas Citians to enhance their land speculation at the Lake of the Ozarks. Or could there be a psychotropic additive in our water supply that makes us believe that rivers are scary?

Let’s reclaim the rivers. Let’s get wet.

6 Comments:

  • At 10:54 AM, Blogger Happy In Bag said…

    Kristine: Parkville, and to a much lesser extent, Riverside, are the only area municipalities that make a serious effort to allow people access to the water.

     
  • At 11:09 AM, Blogger jdoublep said…

    kck's got a sweet spot too:
    kaw point riverfront park

     
  • At 12:57 PM, Blogger Happy In Bag said…

    You're even more on target than you realize, JD. I took this photo from that location when I was at the KCK blues fest. And while's it's sweet, as you say, it's hidden; you have to know it's there.

     
  • At 2:44 PM, Blogger jdoublep said…

    true. hidden is even an understatement. it took sarah and i 30 minutes to find the damned entrance. but now that i know where it is, and that it's right up the street from our house, i'mma do some photo essaying from that spot and on down the river.

     
  • At 9:01 AM, Blogger FletcherDodge said…

    For the past couple of years I've wanted to rent some kayaks, drive upstream to Atchison or St. Jo and boat down the Big Muddy to KC.

    Anyone know where I can rent the gear?

     
  • At 4:48 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Let's divert the Mighty Mo to clean out all the all-ages venues in town, a la Hercules and the Aegean Stables or those Starburst candy commercials from the late 80s where dude bites into rectangular fruit candy and the immediate vicinity floods. A river ain't too much to love.

     

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