Day Trip to Weston

Weston is a little itty bitty town about 45 minutes NW of KC. We went last year to the Red Barn for pumpkins, and when I heard there would be apples this year I wasn’t about to miss out. We may have gotten a late start, with a threat of impending rain, but we made the most of our day trip.

The weather may have been cloudy, but it worked to our advantage. The breeze helped with the humidity, and the rain held off long enough for us to have our apple picking fun. It may have only lasted about 20 minutes, but that wasn’t the point. We spent the day outside together, and it was good. So good. It was full of tasting fresh apples, feeding horses, sipping slushies, and coming home with enough apples to bake for weeks.

We had our fair share of “it’s hot”, “I’m hungry”, and “stop bugging me’s” but I think overall it was a success. As stressful as it may have been for me as a control freak, it’s good to get out my comfort zone. 

We stopped for lunch at the local cafe in historic downtown Weston, and it was straight out of a movie - in the best way. Mis-matched tables and chairs, and every kind of homemade pie you can imagine. Because when you stop at the local cafe you have to have pie.

We had no schedule, no agenda, just wanted to explore the city (town really). We stopped at the Historical museum which was actually really interesting, however not very kid friendly. It told the history of Weston, and had a lot of great things to look at and read. But an antsy 4 and 6 year old don't quite appreciate history just yet, so we headed to the local park.

The whole downtown is only a few blocks, so we got to walk everywhere. It may have been the most exercise I've gotten in 9 months, but it was nice to slow down and take the scenic route. Our last stop, and my favorite stop, was the Weston Brewery. Not because of the beer, but because of the amazing history of the brewery. We actually ran into some friends there, and who doesn't bring 5 kids and 2 babies on a brewery tour? Totally normal.

The brewery was established in 1842 and utilized ice from the river during winter and lagering cellars dug deep into the ground to create ideal conditions to store the beer. This is pre-refrigeration time people! The brewery has been through a few different ownerships, and at one point the building was destroyed in a fire, but not the cellars. 5 stone cellars that were dug in the 1840's are still in existence today, and they turned 3 of them into an underground pub. It was seriously amazing. There was even a "secret" cellar beneath the stairs (pictured above - that's the girls inside it). I would definitely go back again just me and the Mr. to explore some more, and of course enjoy more local beer :)

On the tour we learned that Weston was once the second largest city in Missouri after Saint Louis, due to it's port on the MO river, but a flood in 1881 shifted the river 2 miles. SHIFTED THE RIVER! How crazy is that? Once the river shifted, KC and St. Joe became the places to be. They were once the second largest city in MO, and now they have a population of around 1600.

I can't wait to go back and stay at one of their bed and breakfasts, and visit all the wineries and the distillery (the oldest whiskey distillery west of the Mississippi River and the oldest continuously operated in the US!). For such a small town there is SO much to do!