Going Downtown

Welcome to Touring Tuesday!
Today's tour takes us to 
Downtown Kansas City back 
in April of this year, when 
American Ninja Warrior
set up shop in the parking lot 
of  Union Station. Our fair city 
was so excited to host this 
competition!
The Regional Qualifying and 
the Final for our city was held 
on April 17 and 18.
We got to see the KC Finals.
AND that show was on last 
night! Great fun to see our 
city in the "Spotlight" pardon 
the pun. :)

As you can see there was a lot 
involved here. Fences, trucks, 
lights and spotlights (LOTS 
of them) and PEOPLE!

On a lark, we decided to go 
downtown and see what was 
going on, Mr. Ken had passed  
through the area on the way 
home from work the night 
before and thought I might 
want to see everything.
So off we go. Had to find a park-
ing place (far away and a big hill 
later, we were able to get pretty 
close without a ticket to get in. We 
were across the street on the hill 
at Liberty Memorial with a few of 
our "closest friends."
All of the pictures were taken with 
the zoom on my Nikon--not too bad 
for a smaller Nikon.

Here are the "chatty" hosts--Matt 
Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila. 
I am getting used to their nonstop 
chatting.

Here is one of the competitors trying
to conquer  one of the HARDEST
obstacle courses in the world. These 
people come from all walks of life--
a PE teacher from here in town, 
Dr's, Athletes, Fathers, Husbands 
competing for their terminally ill 
wife (she was there to see him go 
through the course) and a young 
man coping with Autism! I was sooo 
excited to see him go through, he 
did not make to the end but that 
did not matter to him-his goal was 
to be there and do his best! 
Awesome!!!!

Another competitor contemplating his 
next move. Once all of the competing
in the different cities is complete and
the final is done IF there is a winner 
they will get 1 million dollars!!! So
far in the six seasons of the show
no one has won the GRAND 
Prize.

Here is part of the audience. 
All were dressed to support one 
of the competitors.

A distance shot of the beautiful
Union Station all lit up for the
competition.

There are those crazy kids!!
There are our "friends" in 
the background.

Remember the big hill??? We 
had to walk back up it to get to 
our car!!!

This is Liberty Memorial--most 
will remember it from my World 
War One Museum post. So pretty 
at night!

What a night! You can see high-
lights on NBC.com.

~Keep on Dreaming~