Day 3: St. Louis to Salina, KS

The Grand Western Tour is notorious for early morning wake ups and today was no exception. A big thanks to the loading crew for being at the bus to pack our  bags at 5:45 am! Not long after checking out of the hotel, we departed St. Louis and headed toward Salina, Kansas.

 

Our first stop was for breakfast at a new and modern McDonalds. We got in and out quickly and the staff was very accommodating. I'm sure a group our size is intimidating for any restaurant! Our breakfast choices ranged from sausage biscuits to flapjacks to frappuccinos. After a hardy breakfast, the group fell into a deep slumber on the bus. Almost the entire bus was asleep at one point (minus Clarence of course)!

 

 

We made two additional stops along our drive which included a rest area and a break for lunch in Lawrence, Kansas. The group had an array of dining choices like Qdoba, Freddy's, Subway and a local Mexican restaurant. The group passed the time on the bus by playing cards, listening to music, and watching Talladega Nights. 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Once we arrived at the Comfort Suites in Salina, we held the annual group meeting where the trip norms and expectations were discussed. We then made our way to Central Mall to grab dinner and a movie. The mall makes you feel like you have stepped back in time. It definitely has a few unique features that date back to the 90s. The group had a quick dinner at the food court which left a little bit of time to shop and scope out the mall before the movie. We had a unanimous decision to see Cars 3 and it was enjoyed by all!