Independence Day in Parkville, MO

This week was Independence Day. We like to keep good family traditions going, and one that we've had since we moved to Missouri was going to breakfast on the 4th of July. Previously, we'd always gone to Neighbor's Cafe in downtown Lee's Summit, but the last time we ate there, we felt like it had gone down hill. I think it might be under new ownership, but I'm not sure. But, ever since Neighbor's Cafe became Neighborhood Cafe, it hasn't been quite the same. So, with a 'long-standing' tradition to uphold, we had to find a new, preferably non-chain, restaurant for our 4th of July breakfast. Since we were thinking about going to the Independence Day parade in Parkville, MO, we looked to see what they had to offer, and I think we found a real winner. We had breakfast at Roxanne's Cafe, and it was every bit as good as we remembered Neighbor's being. As soon as we walked in, I was confident we'd made the right decision because all the local diners having breakfast made it feel like we were outsiders invading their territory, which is exactly how we felt the first time we ate at Neighbor's Cafe. We had biscuits and gravy, with some hash browns and scrambled eggs. With a great breakfast out of the way, we set off across the parking lot to snag a spot on the parade route. Lots of folks were parking on the east side of the road and setting up their chairs in by their cars, so we did the same. The parade did not disappoint. It was really fun, and it had a great, small-town-Americana feel to it. There were lots of local government campaigning, some nice cars, all different kinds of fire trucks, dogs, clowns, and, Savannah's favorite part: people were just giving candy away. It was the perfect family-oriented parade. By the time it was over, we were already saying that we'd be back next year. Here in Kansas City, the weather has been super hot. The 4th of July was no exception, so after Savannah's nap, we went to the spray park in South KCMO, off of Longview Road. Our girl cracks me up. She was initially a little timid with the gentle spray fountains on the kiddie side of the park, but eventually warmed up. Seems to us that Savannah see spray parks more like drinking fountain parks, because drinking the water is her favorite activity. No fireworks yet. Savannah is still a little young to be out that late. But nonetheless, we had a great, relaxing Independence Day.