Living in the Scoot Utopia

Want to get a great up-close tour of Kansas City and get some terrific exercise at the same time? The join me for the First Annual Spring KC Ragwalk on Saturday, May 12.

After multiple requests, I have decided to organize this group event as a way to introduce more people to the joys of walking for fitness in KC. There's no charge, I just want more people to get to experience why I like doing it so much.

The course I have laid out makes a loop from the City Market to the Plaza and back and takes you through some very interesting and beautiful parts of town. You can choose between either the full 12-mile course (will take about 4 hours) or the 6-mile half-course (will take about 2 hours and require $1.25 for MAX fare back to the City Market).

I highly recommend the 12-mile course if you can do it, the second leg is totally different from the first leg. It also ends on the patio at Harry's Country Club. :)

In addition, the walk will employ the same technology I used during my recent Liberty to Olathe walk... so your friends and family will be able to track your progress online and see live photos of where you are.

If it works out well, look for a Summer edition (which will include crossing the Missouri River) and a Fall edition that will explore the changing colors of the season.

I urge all of you to sign up. :) Just go to www.kcragwalk.com for complete details and to sign up. I hope to see you there!

Posted by ScooterJ at 09:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For those of you who don't have Firefox or otherwise didn't get to see them, here are the better of the pictures I took on my walk from Liberty to Olathe last Sunday in an IE-friendly format.

Sorry, these are camera phone pix since I wanted to carry as little extra weight as possible.
 
Liberty

The courthouse, where I started...
 

The south side of Liberty Square...
 

The start of the new extension of Liberty Parkway...
 

Claycomo

 


KCMO

I'm not sure what the name of this neighborhood is... this is NE Barnes, on the south/east side of I-35 from Stroud's...
 

The next few are from the Winnwood neighborhood...

 

Jacobo family Extreme Makeover house
 

These next two are just west of Chouteau, I don't know if this would still be considered Winnwood or not...
 

 


Avondale

 

 

 

 

 


North Kansas City

NKC Hospital...
 

 

 

 

Ultra-long warehouse on Swift...
 


KCMO

Crossing the Heart of America...
 

 

 


River Market...
 

CBD and P&L..
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crossroads...
 

 

Union Station...
 

 

 

Liberty Memorial...
 

 

 

Federal Reserve...
 

Pennsylvania...
 

West edge of the Plaza...
 

 

 

 

Mercier...
 


Mission Hills

 

 

 

 

 
Overland Park




Lenexa

 

 

Recent fire damage...
 

My parents intercepted me as I passed near their house and brought me fresh water. Here's me and my mom...
 

Old town Lenexa...
 

This tunnel under I-35 looked like a snap when I scoped it out duing the day.  I didn't consider the possibility that it would be dark before I got to it.
 


Olathe

Since it was getting really late, I called off my push to go all the way to the courthouse and and eded just south of 119th & Strang Line...
 

Posted by ScooterJ at 09:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[Update: the detailed route map is now available below.]

Yesterday (Sunday, April 15) I set out to walk from Liberty, MO to Olathe, KS. I started out at the courthouse in Liberty Square. I wanted to end at the courthouse in downtown Olathe but really only needed to cross the city limits. I ended up stopping in the parking lot of the PetSmart at 119th & Strang Line, about a mile into Olathe.

Some stats...

Time started: 6:38am
Time ended: 9:35pm
Distance walked: 37.5 miles (new personal record!)
Steps taken: 69,800
Calories burned: 4,700
Detailed route map

I'll post photos in a followup post tomorrow. Until then, as long as you are using Firefox, you can also see the photos from the walk here: livewalking.com.

This was more than 8 miles longer than my previous longest walk and also my first major walk of 2007, so I'm very happy with how well it went. My ankles are pretty sore today as I take a day off work to rest up, but I should be back on my feet by tomorrow.

Posted by ScooterJ at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

It looks like the weather is finally going to cooperate, so this upcoming Sunday (April 15) is the new date that I'll set out to try to walk from Liberty to Olathe.

I've set up a web site that I can update via my cell phone where you'll be able to:

• Track my progress in almost real time


• Read my comments about the walk/my condition and post comments/questions of your own that I'll receive during the walk


• See photos I take along the way, as I take them

The web site address is: www.livewalking.com. At the moment it's still password-protected while I do some final work on it but it will open up for service in the next day or two.

I'll be setting out around sunrise Sunday morning and, including breaks, should finish around sunset or a little later.

Wish me luck!

Posted by ScooterJ at 07:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

This weekend I'll be taking on my biggest walk yet... I'm going to attempt to walk from Liberty, MO to Olathe, KS.

This will be either on Friday or Saturday, depending upon the ever-changing weather forecast. I'll make the decision Thursday by noon.

This particular walk will feature a first for me (and maybe for the KC walking community?)... you'll be able to track my progress live on-line. An online map will show my position and progress mile-by-mile and I'll post comments, my feelings, and my condition as I go.

Look for complete details on Thursday!

UPDATE

Due to the forecast high temperatures this weekend that drop lower and lower every time I check (now predicted for the upper 30s), this walk is being postponed. I'll announce a new date as soon as one becomes available. Currently the 10-day forecast looks pretty crappy.

Posted by ScooterJ at 08:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Just days after the City Council passed its new ordinance banning aggressive panhandling, restricting panhandling in general, and severely restricting street performing; I got hit up by panhandlers on at three consecutive downtown intersections. The first by car, the next two by foot. The panhandlers approached me en masse, followed me, repeating their calls for money and getting up close about it. They were right on the corner and stepping out into the street, making them impossible to avoid. In-between two groups of panhandlers I came across a band of street performers totally blocking the sidewalk while performing directly in front of the doors of a business.

Yep, it's Blue Monday again. Where's John Fairfield when we need him?

Posted by ScooterJ at 08:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)