RV driving not for me!

Longview Farms 48 room mansion

When we bought the RV I made it clear I wouldn't drive nor take care of the "stinky slinky."  First, and last time, to drive the RV today.  My teacher was fired before we left our spot (but I still love him). Something about me not having the brake on hard enough and we were rolling forward, and he YELLED at me, so I started out in tears. 

We went out of the RV park, about a block away to a big, empty parking lot, and returned.  I think I may have gotten up to 15 mph once, and the best I can say is I didn't hit anything.  Me: I can't see the front corner.  How do I know I'm not going to hit that RV?  Pat: You can see it in the mirror AFTER you pass it. Me: Isn't that a little too late?  Mind you, we have a GIANT windshield, 4 mirrors (that I wasn't allowed to adjust) and 3 cameras and I still couldn't see the front corner.  Doesn't seem right to me.

Unsuccessful experience!☹  I need chocolate, LOTS of chocolate!!

Ended up with a better afternoon, lol.  We went to Hawg Jaw in North Kansas City.  Not to eat though, just to get their Mama Spice BBQ Sauce--it's our favorite.  

Then we passed through Lee's Summit, where we last lived when we took off to see the U.S.  We drove by the Longview Farms area.  It's  history impresses me.  Robert Long was very successful as a co-owner of Long-Bell lumber company and lived in Kansas City. He donated much to the Kansas City area. He built a summer country estate on 1800 acres, completed in 1914.  It was basically self-contained, with electricity, telephone system, ice house, central vac system, indoor plumbing, greenhouses, a church, blacksmith shop, post office, etc.,  and housing for the 150-200 or so workers.  The Mansion was 22,000 sq. ft with 48 rooms, 14 bedrooms and 10 baths.  It was known for it's prized horses and Jersey dairy cows, complete with pasteurized milk.  It had a horse arena that seated 1,000.  It's said he built the estate mainly for one of his two daughters who bred, raised and showed horses.  She was still working with horses in her eighties. 

Since 2015 people have wanted to preserve buildings that remained, a couple of large animal barns and a couple of workers residences. Sadly nothing has been done to them yet.  At one time there were more than 50 buildings with their signature red tile roofs.A couple of buildings in the lake area and the chapel also remain. The mansion was mostly restored in 2018.  Pat and I went to a dinner murder mystery there ( I was the murderer by the way) and we were able to see a lot of what had been restored.

A stable or barn from Longview Farms hoping for restoration

A Longview Farm building in use in the Longview Lake area

One of the Longview Farms workers houses located in Longview Lake area

Today part of the farm is Longview lake, an elementary school with a red tile roof, and housing.  Some of the housing is built to look like 100 year-old homes, built close together, with small backyards and garages in the rear. I'm not sure when farming operations ceased but both sisters died while living on the farm, the last in 1971.  Maybe to make up for our driving lesson?  Pat took me to Baskin Robbins before we came home.  I'm not fond of ice cream as a rule, but I can't resist Chocolae Mousse Royal.  Already suffering the effects

New Longview Elementary school with red tile roof