by Bill Althaus, Grain Valley News

I love an adventure.

Especially when I can take a trip to the 1850s without leaving the Kansas City metro area.

Last week, my wife Stacy and I took some youngsters to visit the Arabia Steamboat Museum, located just east of Kansas City's River Market.

And we were not disappointed. 

While the museum is incredible (please go to grainvalleynews.com, to read my recent Day Trippin' column about the museum), we happened to see Matt Hawley, whose family was a part of the excavation of the Arabia Steamboat in a Kansas cornfield in 1988.

Matt's personality, knowledge and insight added to a trip that was already off the charts.

Matt was 5 years old when the excavation began, and he was the envy of all his young friends.

"My friends didn't know about the excavation, and since I was 5, I didn't really know what was going on," Matt said. "When winter hit, the excavation site was a kid's dream come true because we had the greatest place to go sledding.

"I don't think I ever realized the impact the excavation had across the country until 1992 when Good Morning America visited the site and broadcast from there. I was 9 when that happened, and I was beginning to believe that something special was happening."

The museum is a virtual time capsule that captures life on the American frontier in the mid-19th century.
Visitors have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience everyday objects that made life possible for pioneers in the 1800s.

Once inside the museum, you will see one of the Arabia's original paddle wheels, a collection of food – including the world's oldest pickles - to adult and children's clothing, leather goods, glassware, perfume and cologne and the large tree trunk, that rested on the bottom of the Missouri River, that struck the hull, causing it to sink in 1856. 

The Steamboat Arabia was one of many casualties of the perilous Missouri River—the longest river in the United States that claimed nearly 400 other steamboats over its 2,500-mile course.

"And many of those steamboats are still out there," Matt said. "It's crazy to me that there are so many that have not been discovered."

In September 1856, the Arabia was carrying over 200 tons of cargo intended for general stores and homes in 16 Midwestern frontier towns. The steamer was still fully loaded when it hit a tree snag and sank just 6 miles west of Kansas City. Due to erosion, the Missouri River changed course over time, and the Arabia was buried underground for over a century – along with all of its precious cargo. Lying 45 feet deep beneath a Kansas cornfield, the Arabia’s payload was protected from light and oxygen and, thus, was remarkably well preserved.

In the winter of 1988, five men from Eastern Jackson County and their families, banded together to begin the adventure of a lifetime - recovering the Arabia Steamboat's long-lost treasure. That group included Bob Hawley, Jerry Mackey, David Luttrell and brothers David and Greg Hawley.

"There was a lot of activity, a lot of energy in our house while they were excavating the steamboat," Matt explained. "I remember how excited I was when they began pumping out the muddy water that made the excavation so difficult. Oh, and the time someone actually found something from the Arabia. I thought that was like treasure hunting."

The five-man crew and others who joined the adventure,  were hoping to find undamaged barrels of whiskey and gold, but what they discovered was much more valuable – an insight to the life and times of Missouri River travels in the 1850s.
​
In 1992, the Arabia’s cargo was transformed into the Arabia Steamboat Museum, a top Kansas City attraction and favorite local destination in the historic City Market. 

The collection is a work in progress as preservationists continue to clean 60 more tons of artifacts in a preservation lab that’s available for visitors to visit and watch their painstaking work.

And if you happen to see Matt, say hello, and ask him a question or two. I promise you it will make your trip to the museum extra special.

The Steamboat Arabia Museum provided much of the background information for this column.

The museum is open 10 a.m. To 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The Arabia Steamboat Museum is located at 400 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. You can call 816-471-1856 or email [email protected] for more information.

by Bill Althaus, Grain Valley News

Have you ever dreamed about going back in time to an adventurous time in the Midwest when Kansas City was the hub of American transportation thanks to the Missouri River?

The “Mighty Mo” was a treacherous waterway for explorers, businessmen, hunters and trappers, and families who were in search of a better life out West.

Well, you can take that trip, without leaving your backyard by visiting the Arabia Steamboat Museum.

Located in the heart of downtown, across the street from the City Market, the museum is a unique Kansas City attraction.

It is a virtual time capsule that captures life on the American frontier in the mid-19th century.

Visitors have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience everyday objects that made life possible for pioneers in the 1800s.

Voted “Favorite Kansas City Hidden Gem” by Visit KC, the museum is one of Kansas City’s most popular attractions. It is the largest single collection of pre-Civil War artifacts in the world, featured by National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian Magazine, PBS, Antiques Roadshow, Good Morning America, Southern Living, CNN, the History Channel and many other news and entertainment organizations.

​Once inside the museum, you will see one of the Arabia's original paddle wheels, a collection of food – including the world's oldest pickles - to adult and children's clothing, leather goods, glassware, perfume and cologne and the large tree trunk, that rested on the bottom of the Missouri River, that struck the hull, causing it to sink in 1856.

The Steamboat Arabia was one of many casualties of the perilous Missouri River—the longest river in the United States that claimed nearly 400 other steamboats over its 2,500-mile course.

In September 1856, the Arabia was carrying over 200 tons of cargo intended for general stores and homes in 16 Midwestern frontier towns. The steamer was still fully loaded when it hit a tree snag and sank just 6 miles west of Kansas City. Due to erosion, the Missouri River changed course over time, and the Arabia was buried underground for over a century – along with all of its precious cargo. Lying 45 feet deep beneath a Kansas cornfield, the Arabia’s payload was protected from light and oxygen and, thus, was remarkably well preserved.

In the winter of 1988, five men from Eastern Jackson County and their families, banded together to begin the adventure of a lifetime - recovering the Steamboat Arabia's long-lost treasure.

They were hoping to find undamaged barrels of whiskey and gold, but what they discovered was much more valuable – an insight to the life and times of Missouri River travels in the 1850s.
​
In 1991, the Arabia’s cargo was transformed into the Arabia Steamboat Museum, a top Kansas City attraction and favorite local destination in the historic City Market. 

The collection is a work in progress as preservationists continue to clean 60 more tons of artifacts in a preservation lab that’s available for visitors to visit and watch their painstaking work.

The Steamboat Arabia Museum provided much of this information.

The Museum is open 10 a.m. To 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The Arabia Steamboat Museum is located at 400 Grand Blvd.,

Kansas City, Mo., across the street from the City Market. You can call 816-471-1856 or email [email protected] for more information.

Next week, Day Trippin' will visit with Matt Hawley, whose family was a part of the original excavation of the Arabia - and he has quite a tale to tell.

by Bill Althaus, Grain Valley News

After taking one step though the entrance of The Rabbit hOle, I knew my wife Stacy and four young guests were about to experience a magical journey featuring nostalgia, the books we read when were youngsters, and the type of wide-eyed wonderment that helped make our childhoods to special. 
 
If you are looking for a destination where adults and children can visit, look no further than The Rabbit hOle, 919 East 14th Street, North Kansas City, 816- 492-7915.

There you will find a world of tapestry of adventure. And it all starts with a trip down R. Fox Rabbit's rabbit hole.

The Rabbit hOle is the only experimental museum in the country built around children's literature. With more than 40 showcase replications of children's classics, it brings those special childhood memories back to life.

When my sons, Zach and Sean, were youngsters - they are now 40 and 37, respectively - they had the opportunity read childhood masterpieces like, "Strega Nona,"  "The Stinky Cheese Man," "Where the Sidewalk Ends," "Curious George," "No, David," and the list goes on and on...

Believe it or not, all but two of the artists who create the magical kingdom of once-in-a-lifetime journeys through the a world of literature, are elves. They're tough to find, but if you do, they will be happy to share their creative journey with moms and dads, sons and daughters and grandparents, too!

The Rabbit hOle is the only experimental museum in the country built around children's literature.

R. Fox Rabbit, the founder of the Rabbit hOle, invites everyone to read one of the more than 90 books - that are available at each point of interest - then share a journey with the Stinky Cheese Man, Curious George and that famous sidewalk where you can climb to the end and discover your final destination.

"We encourage you to stop and read along the way," R. Fox Rabbit explains. "We want you to discover books you have never heard of, and rediscover old favorites."

And that's what we did.

We arrived at The Rabbit Hole with four youngsters aged 5 through 16, and witnessed the joy and wonderment in their eyes as we shared their amazing journey.

"I'm not coming home with you," exclaimed 5-year-old Isaiah. "I'm going to live here. I don't ever want to leave."

His 11-year-old sister Annabelle, added, "This is the coolest place I've ever been. I want to come here every day."

Sixteen-year-old Maddie looks around this one-of-a-kind fairy tale, and whispered, "This is where your favorite books come to life. It's amazing. I know I'm having as much fun as Isaiah, and he's having the time of his life."

And 14-year-old Elijah, adds, "This is an 11 on a 10 scale. No wait, it's a 20 on a 10 scale. Everywhere you look there's something new to see and books to read. How did they create all of this?"

A 20-foot python, who is as gentle as a baby bunny, tree houses, sidewalks, gardens and a trolley car were all created in a 22,000-square-foot fabrication area that is manned by human artists during the day and artistic elves at night.

They capture the impact books make on the lives of children, and create a world where you can watch a pasta explosion in Strega Nona's kitchen, sit next to the cap man under his "Caps for Sale," tree or share a drink with "The Tigers Who Came to Tea."

Youngsters can slide down a pole in "The Fire Cat's" firehouse, take a trolley ride and enjoy a ride to "The Last House on Market Street" and stroll through the colorful "Gladiola Garden."

Look up to find "The Three Little Wolves and the Big, Bad Bunny," as they look across the horizon where you can grab Madeline's hand as she strolls the streets of Paris.

Max's Kansas City offers meals on-site, and whether you order Blueberries for Sal or a Stinky Cheese Man grilled cheese sandwich, which is a delight to the taste buds. And everyone needs to stop at Lucky Rabbit Books and gift shop.

For older kids, The Rabbit hOle is home to the Letterpress Print Shop, where you can create journals, cards, posters and bookmarks, and next to the print shop is the Story Lab, where visitors create their own books in a variety of printing and bookbinding processes.

For more information go to rabbitholekc.org.