# missouri, help needed please.



## tackle (Mar 9, 2010)

hi all, my first post, basically as a family we're fed up with quality of life (or lack of it lol) here in the uk & are considering a move abroad.
to this end we took a "recce" to cyprus in october, loved the place & way of life but not wishing to rush in thought we'd check out a few other places before maybe taking a longer trip & living as "natives".
i have relatives in kansas city/mo, so there is a possibility, although im originally from london im now living on the kent coast & where ever we end up it wont be too built up,cant abide city living any more.
anyway, apologies for life story, my quandary is for my first trip to the usa is a semi-holiday, planning on being there for 2 weeks initially but dont wanna stay with relatives in kc as would prob be "suffocated" by them & fail take in the locale info pertinant to our trip.
research so far has failed to find suitable holiday type accomodation for five of us (me,wifey,son & wifey's parents) within easy reach of kc but still a suitable base our needs, most holiday lets are in branson/mo, which is over 100 miles from kc, too far away & having read too many bad reviews on hotels/motels in the kc region, ruling those out as well.
another thing i'd even considered is renting a large rv & using KOA sites, wifey wants to head down to memphis/graceland for couple of days, so that might work ?. 
i'll appreciate all advice & tips given.
sorry to mods, realise this looks like someone just looking for holiday advice but as emigration is a real possibility i wanna get this right first time & not have our first visit to the area & our opinion be spoilt by lousy accomodation............many thanks..........mark.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Another option might be to stay in the so-called "suites hotels." These are more or less regular hotel rooms, but with a kitchen set-up (fridge, cooker, microwave or oven). I usually stay in either Homestead Suites or Mainstay Suites when I'm over in the States because it allows me to cook for myself (saves on restaurant bills) and to live a bit less like I'm in a hotel. There's also the advantage that these places often cost less than a fancy hotel with daily room cleaning. (The suites chains normally only clean your room once a week or so to cut costs.)

There are a number of chains of these Suites hotels - and there should be several in the KC area. You get a better rate the longer you stay, so it may not be worth it for just a one or two night stay. (Besides you have to run out and buy your groceries.) 
Cheers,
Bev


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

In that area 100 miles are considered a commute to and from work:>)
You may want to mark your trip on a road map. It sounds like a lot of driving for two weeks. There is nothing wrong with hotels in KS.


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## tackle (Mar 9, 2010)

hi, thanks for the fast reply, i wasn't infering that kc hotels/motels are crappy, my reasons for trying to find holiday home rental close to kc were based on fact that we would be travelling with wifey's parents, lovely "older" people but not entirely comfortable in hotels/motels, & the idea of schlepping 200ish miles from the branson area up to kc/grain valley maybe nearly every day of our stay doesn't fill 'em with joy either.
thanks for the pointer on "Suites hotels ",that was also my point on staying at motels, i cant see the point of booking in to 4/5 star hotels & paying for services that we won't be using as we intend to be out & about probably every day but the reviews i read were mainly travelodge type places, generally ok for one or two nights max, but as your neighbours can change daily,peace & quiet & a good nights sleep can't be guaranteed.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Can you maybe try this with punctiation and sentenses? Thank you.
If you do not like to use your relatives' home as basis for a two week vacation fine. No mater where you will have neighbors - hotel/motel/campground. Leave the outlaws home? The US has hotels/motels across the grid. Unfurtunately for a two week UK vacationer you have no influence on your neighbor unless you rent all rooms surounding yours. Please do not inquire about my last stay in London. It was interesting to say the least:>) 
Check your route, entertainment options and lodging options. Are you willing to go through buying groceries, finding a camp ground ... for two weeks? A few folks survive Branson without permanent damage every night. :>) You want guaranteed sleep - valium:>) There are star hotels in the area bt no 4-5. Are you open to putting 500$ a person per night on the table? If not - be a visitor, use a normal hotel and enjoy the trip. Maybe your wife will need some geography lessons.


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## YOLO (Jan 11, 2010)

Tackle, KC is huge. Thousands of hotel rooms. Perhaps this site might help: tripadvisor dot com


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

tackle said:


> thought we'd check out a few other places before maybe taking a longer trip & living as "natives".


First job is to ensure that living as natives is possible re. your immigration status. For most, it is not.


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## tackle (Mar 9, 2010)

apologies if their is some confusion re: my thread & subsequent replies, without giving my ENTIRE lifestory I was trying to briefly convey my needs, that i have have family in se kc & also grain valley, while i didn't wish to burden them with 5 bodies for 2 weeks i still want to be close enough to get to them within say 30 minutes,but prefer to rent a holiday villa type property rather than an impersonal hotel room,as such cost is not an issue within reason (im not p diddy lol).
so far i have researched a number of routes, locations etc, my stumbling block appears to be that the main areas im looking at have little or no tourist traffic, hence the facilities i seek are thin on the ground, my hope was that somebody on here may have had specialised local knowledge, even my family living in the area couldn't come up with anything.
with regards to possible immigration status, im aware of the extreme difficulties most encounter while attempting to re-settle in the usa, while im not prepared to discuss my skills on an open forum at this time, lets just say some of my work is specialised & of a sensitive nature.
my comment regarding "living as a native" wasn't just aimed at time in the usa, other destinations are being considered, none of which we would attempt to emigrate to until absolutely sure it was right for all our needs & after an extended stay.

finally, TWOSTEP, your opening comment in your last post above regarding "punctuation & sentences" is neither helpful nor constructive, especially when your post is littered with spelling mistakes........."people that live in glass houses".
also comments regarding "renting all surrounding rooms", "taking valium to sleep" & finally "my wife needs geography lessons" are just plain insulting, i suggest you re-read my earlier posts as i feel you didn't "get" what i was saying, branson looks wonderful with amazing rental properties, its just too far from the area i wish to recce' (i commute 150 miles every day already).


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## YOLO (Jan 11, 2010)

Did you try searching Vacation Rentals by Owner? I did the VRBO dot com site > Kansas City, KS and there are some in KC...not sure the location matches your area, but there are vacation houses for rent....


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

*Moving to the States*



tackle said:


> hi all, my first post, basically as a family we're fed up with quality of life (or lack of it lol) here in the uk & are considering a move abroad.
> to this end we took a "recce" to cyprus in october, loved the place & way of life but not wishing to rush in thought we'd check out a few other places before maybe taking a longer trip & living as "natives".
> i have relatives in kansas city/mo, so there is a possibility, although im originally from london im now living on the kent coast & where ever we end up it wont be too built up,cant abide city living any more.
> anyway, apologies for life story, my quandary is for my first trip to the usa is a semi-holiday, planning on being there for 2 weeks initially but dont wanna stay with relatives in kc as would prob be "suffocated" by them & fail take in the locale info pertinant to our trip.
> ...


Hi Mark,

Welcome to the site. As I think someone else posted here, the United States is extremely large. Takes days just to drive across the entire country even in good weather.

There are many thousands of places to call home there with every posssible lifestyle.

Since you are still open as to where you want to live; I'll suggest one of my favorite places. St. George, Utah. Great place to retire/live. While the much of the country has cold winters, St. George has very mild weather in the winter. While other places are digging out from snow storms, St. George is still warm enough for people to play golf!









The summers are very hot though. July and August the temps are at around 105f to 110f. However most all places there have central air conditioning

St. George is in one of the most beautiful parts of the US. Two hour by car from Las Vegas Nevada, one hour to Zion Canyon, two hours to Bryce canyon. and 3 hours from the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

No matter how many places you look at for moving, St. George is a must see before you make up your mind...


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## Guest (Mar 27, 2010)

Check on Google under "extended stays" and "Kansas City", or on TripAdvisor. I checked and in two minutes found one in a decent area with a kitchen and two double beds for two weeks at US$60 a night plus taxes. Put the in-laws in their own room next door (or on the other side of the place if you really don't want to be that close to them 

Be aware that Kansas City is like any other big city, and has good and bad areas. You can also check Overland Park, Kansas or Independence, MO which are nearby but out of the city. Your relatives can point you to a good area that is close to them (less than 1/2 hour drive to their house).

Also - check with the rental car company - they may have restrictions about taking a rental car from KC to Tennessee. If so, Wifey can take an easy bus to Memphis via St. Louis to see the ghost of Elvis.


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## SassyParamedic (Jun 24, 2008)

tackle said:


> apologies if their is some confusion re: my thread & subsequent replies, without giving my ENTIRE lifestory I was trying to briefly convey my needs, that i have have family in se kc & also grain valley, while i didn't wish to burden them with 5 bodies for 2 weeks i still want to be close enough to get to them within say 30 minutes,but prefer to rent a holiday villa type property rather than an impersonal hotel room,as such cost is not an issue within reason (im not p diddy lol).
> so far i have researched a number of routes, locations etc, my stumbling block appears to be that the main areas im looking at have little or no tourist traffic, hence the facilities i seek are thin on the ground, my hope was that somebody on here may have had specialised local knowledge, even my family living in the area couldn't come up with anything.
> with regards to possible immigration status, im aware of the extreme difficulties most encounter while attempting to re-settle in the usa, while im not prepared to discuss my skills on an open forum at this time, lets just say some of my work is specialised & of a sensitive nature.
> my comment regarding "living as a native" wasn't just aimed at time in the usa, other destinations are being considered, none of which we would attempt to emigrate to until absolutely sure it was right for all our needs & after an extended stay.
> ...


Hi Mark,

First of all let me make your vacation simple by telling you first of all RENT AN RV ! You and your family will have a blast. I am from the Memphis Area ( currently living in Dubai with hubby) and we had an RV in the US that we used to rent out and we used GetRV.com ( we have since sold it ) They have a web site offering pictures, rates and information on each one available ( No i dont' work for them lol ) Renting a 32ft and above gives you plenty of room for your family. Here are the benefits:

No need to rent a car
You can visit with family and have your RV to go " home" to for sleep, showers, meals etc.. without taking up space in a relatives home. We visited family and we were able to hook up to their electricity with a 220 outlet ( Remember US is on 110volt) 
You get to travel and visit areas that might interest you in moving which will work out perfect if you're gonna be in the KC area and want to visit Memphis. Branson is a very nice area and offers lake front living which is really nice! Near Branson is Lake of the Ozarks which also offers lake front living and its a huge lake with so much to do! You can take the RV there and even camp during your visit to the US. All of these areas are located between KC and Memphis. Also, east of KC is St. Louis. A fabulous place to visit in an RV. There is the Zoo, 6flags amusement park which is awesome and then Union Station for some great shopping and meals. They offer RV parking. If you fancy gambling, head on south of Memphis into Tunica and there is plenty of RV parks that will provide transportation to/from golf course, casinos, game center for kids, etc. etc. 
Also in your RV, you can even take it to ball games depending on the time of year you go. 
Renting an RV also saves a ton of money in eating out all over the place. If you need more information, i'll be happy to help you out. Just PM me. Hubby and I will be back in the Memphis area in April and part of May. If you make it down, give us a shout ! Our house is in N. Mississippi about 15 min from Graceland
Melanie


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## tackle (Mar 9, 2010)

hi all, apologies for absence, combination of heavy workload & router probs at home have kept me offline.
YOLO: thanks for the vrbo pointer, very handy & informative & good to see so many countries featured on it.......definately one for future trips.
GENE & VIOL: big thanks for pointers to utah, looks amazing, i always loved a good cowboy film & that scenery is incredible.
as we were struggling to find something suitable in kc/mo we have decided to rent a large place in florida, with our family in kc/mo coming down to stay with us.......that way everybody has a holiday of sorts.
also age of my in-laws means good chance to "do" the disney stuff while its still feasible........if we enjoy our first trip we will prob return bit later for the in country "recce".
thanks to all for kind advice, trips booked for august, just need that damn volcano to settle down now lol.

p.s. (SASSYPARAMEDIC) havent given up on the idea of an rv, prob do that on the second trip, will holler when we know, thank you.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

*Florida Vacation*



tackle said:


> hi all, apologies for absence, combination of heavy workload & router probs at home have kept me offline.
> YOLO: thanks for the vrbo pointer, very handy & informative & good to see so many countries featured on it.......definately one for future trips.
> GENE & VIOL: big thanks for pointers to utah, looks amazing, i always loved a good cowboy film & that scenery is incredible.
> as we were struggling to find something suitable in kc/mo we have decided to rent a large place in florida, with our family in kc/mo coming down to stay with us.......that way everybody has a holiday of sorts.
> ...


Hi and welcome back,

Sounds like you really ARE in need of a vacation. Yea, that volcano over in Iceland is causing serious problems for millions of people. Hope it quiets down before long.

Florida sounds like a good choice for your reunion/vacation. I
ve never been there but from what others tell me its a good vcaation spot. 
I've heard is on the expensive side but would suppose you get what you pay for there. And also if decide to stay longer there is no snow in Florida. Utah gets a lot of the white stuff in winter and is a pain unless you enjoy snow sking.

Do keep us posted as you get ready to go. And especially when you get home. Will be great to see some photos of the vacation if you want to post some.



Have a great time,

Gene and Viol...


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## tackle (Mar 9, 2010)

hi all, well we made it over in august & had a great time, met some amazing friendly people & had a fantastic reunion with our family from missouri who came down to orlando & stayed with us.
disney was great but very hard work, combination of high temperatures & severe overcrowding made it hard going but definately memorable, although if we ever do disney again it will be much later in the year, probably around november when its quieter & cooler. 
a personal favourite of mine was the golden corral, potroast, mash & broccoli........superb.
planning another trip prob for next year, this time we will get over to the family in kc/mo, really want to see the non-commercial side & spend a bit of time outside of the cities.
BUT
our thought of considering the usa as a permanent destination has suffered a setback, our son has some health problems which we hoped the warmer climate would help alleviate his problems, unfortunately the high humidity we encountered actually made things worse for him, so we're now househunting in cyprus as the dry/stable climate seems to be more suited to him.
thanks to everybody for your advice, it was well received & very much appreciated.
many thanks..........mark


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