METROPOLIS

Metropolis is a tiny little town along the southern border of Illinois, but not too small to be the home of Superman.



I ended up staying that night in the Metropolis Inn, and even the front desk is decked out with Superman swag.



The center of the little "downtown" district offered a monument to the man himself - maybe he's Santa after all.



Right by the statue is a pretty big Superman store and museum. They sold everything Superman you could think of.



And the museum had more Superman stuff than I would have ever imagined existed. This is just one aisle of the museum.



Metropolis also includes Superman's summer home - Fort Massac, which was once a major trading post back in the 1700's. I climbed up to the high tower for this shot.

KANSAS CITY

Christmas in Kansas City offers a multitude of attractions, such as lights on the Plaza - mostly car lights.



Edible Christmas decorations. The children look hungry.



Alex is a nutcracker.



The Mayor's Christmas tree looks crooked.



But the tree and Union Station is nice and shapely. It is about at this point that Katie abandons the family to her own ends.



The Kansas City skyline is sponsored by Western Auto.