Between the time Tom and I were stuck at the QT in Kansas City and the time we could get the tires replaced and aligned, we stayed at Peculiar Park Place RV Park.
Peculiar is the name of the town, not an adjective for the RV Park. According to Wikipedia, the town got the name Peculiar in 1868. The community’s first postmaster, Edgar Thomson, wanted the town to be called “Excelsior.” But there was already an Excelsior Missouri. Several other names were rejected for the same reason. Finally, an annoyed Thomson wrote to the Postmaster General saying, among other things, “We don’t care what name you give us so long as it is sort of ‘peculiar’.” And that is the name that was assigned to the town.
Peculiar Park Place RV Park is a pretty RV park located next to I-49, just south of Kansas City. The campground has 60 sites, most of them wooded with a nature path to one side or the other. There are two sections to the park. The older section has the more scenic sites, but fewer full hook-ups and pull-through. The newer section has sites closer together but all full hook-up.
Peculiar Park Place RV Park was nearly full every night Tom and I spent there. The only open spots were so small that few RVs these days would fit into them. We were not able to get a full hook-up spot, so we stayed in a back-in electric and water spot. We were on the lip of an old limestone quarry and had to back up with our tail hanging out into space to fit into the spot. Fortunately Tom is great at threading the RV into tight spaces. We had a tree limb within a foot on one side, the electrical box within a foot on the other. Despite the challenge of fitting in, it was a lovely spot that felt like we were in the middle of a woods. After being in the desert without trees all summer, it was a kick to have trees around again.
The campground itself is very quiet, but it is right next to I-49 so there is highway noise. I used the laundry while we were there. Although there were only two washers and dryers, I didn’t have any trouble getting machines when I wanted them. And they were only $1.50 each, which is a bargain rate. Because we didn’t have a sewer hook-up, Tom took showers in the campground restroom. He liked being able to take a looooong shower.
Peculiar Park Place RV Park has a nice nature trail along a farm field. The trail winds up and down hills and through the quarry. We also found a park about a mile down the road that had a nice trail along the Little Grand River. The campground was close to town, close to restaurants, and close to the grocery store. Most important, it was only six miles from the place where the RV would be worked on.
The motto of Peculiar is “where the odds are good.” We enjoyed our stay in the town and the Peculiar Park Place RV Park. We would definitely stay here again.
