Goin' to Kansas City...

[Spitball]

We are going to Kansas City on vacation. My wife decided on this. I can't remember her reasoning, but we are leaving at the end of the week. Does anyone have any suggestions about places to visit, eat, and/or drink?

We are going to the Royals versus Rays game on Sunday. Also, I know we are going to the Boulevard Brewing Company (although I'm not a big wheat brew fan).

Is anyone familiar with the city and have any suggestions?

Thanks.

[redsmetz]

Spitball, just you & your wife? Or do you have a family too?

[Spitball]

Originally Posted by redsmetz

Spitball, just you & your wife? Or do you have a family too?

One of our adult kids will be going with us.

[klw]

If someone tells you to enjoy the beach at the ocean, they are putting you on.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by Spitball

We are going to Kansas City on vacation. My wife decided on this. I can't remember her reasoning, but we are leaving at the end of the week. Does anyone have any suggestions about places to visit, eat, and/or drink?

We are going to the Royals versus Rays game on Sunday. Also, I know we are going to the Boulevard Brewing Company (although I'm not a big wheat brew fan).

Is anyone familiar with the city and have any suggestions?

Thanks.

If you like amusement parks, I think Worlds of Fun and Oceans of fun are still there. Westport has a nice entertainment district.

[IslandRed]

I haven't been to KC, but if I was going for a few days, "eat barbecue" would be at the top of the to-do list.

[rdiersin]

Originally Posted by IslandRed

I haven't been to KC, but if I was going for a few days, "eat barbecue" would be at the top of the to-do list.

Absolutely. My recommendation would be for Arthur Bryant's. The burnt end sandwich was great when I was going through KC a couple of months ago. Burnt ends are a KC specialty as far as I know and I think they are in a number of places. I think Oklahoma Joe's (?) is another famous KC barbecue joint.

[Spitball]

Thanks, people! This is one of the great things about being a member of Redszone. Everyone is willing to share and help.

I googled the burnt end sandwich and Arthur Bryant's sounds like the place to go. We will definitely eat there. I also googled some other suggestions and WestportKC.com will come in very handy while we are there. Thanks.

[Joseph]

I don't have any experience with KC, but I can tell you this board has always come through when I needed tips while traveling. We have no shortage of experts on all parts of this great country.

[Caseyfan21]

Two awesome entertainment districts/areas:

- Power and Light District Downtown - lots of bars and nightlife right in the downtown area. It's pretty brand new and very cool. Usually have live music on stage in the street on weekend nights as well.

- Legends area - it's west of downtown out on the loop. Again, lots of bars, restaurants, entertainment, etc. Pretty cool area to spend a night or go shopping.

When I was in town we went to eat barbecue at Jack Stack Barbecue. It's a little more formal than some areas and a bit nicer sit down dining room. Everyone in our group loved it.

Kansas City's stadium is great. We had a lot of fun there. If you are into tailgating or anything like that, feel free to toss in the grill or cooler as there was a great tailgating scene there.

Any other questions feel free to ask. Was in KC for a wedding back in May and although we had a short visit I think we hit a lot. Wanted to hit Boulevard but all the tours were sold out by the time we looked into it.

[Spitball]

Originally Posted by Caseyfan21

Two awesome entertainment districts/areas:

- Power and Light District Downtown - lots of bars and nightlife right in the downtown area. It's pretty brand new and very cool. Usually have live music on stage in the street on weekend nights as well.

- Legends area - it's west of downtown out on the loop. Again, lots of bars, restaurants, entertainment, etc. Pretty cool area to spend a night or go shopping.

When I was in town we went to eat barbecue at Jack Stack Barbecue. It's a little more formal than some areas and a bit nicer sit down dining room. Everyone in our group loved it.

Kansas City's stadium is great. We had a lot of fun there. If you are into tailgating or anything like that, feel free to toss in the grill or cooler as there was a great tailgating scene there.

Any other questions feel free to ask. Was in KC for a wedding back in May and although we had a short visit I think we hit a lot. Wanted to hit Boulevard but all the tours were sold out by the time we looked into it.

Thanks! Excellent advice. We have reservations for the Boulevard Wheat tour. Does anyone know about comedy clubs?

[Johnny Footstool]

Where are you guys staying?

The Boulevard tour always gets high marks. I haven't been for about 7 years. The brewery has expanded exponentially since then, but the tour is still outstanding. If you like heavier beer, try some of Boulevard's Smokestack series. They have a variety of styles. They're sold in wine bottles, and they're around 12% alcohol.

You should also visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. http://www.nlbm.com/

Power and Light is fun, but kind of corporate. If you go there, visit the Flying Saucer for beer. Any beer. They probably have it. You can also visit the College Basketball Hall of Fame, located at the Sprint Center.

South of Power and Light is Westport. Older, locally-owned watering holes. Kind of a young, bar-hopping crowd. If you go there, visit McCoy's Public House. They have their own microbrewery. The Comedy City improv theater is at the Westport Flea Market -- they put on a quality show.

Just south of Westport is the Plaza. It's Kansas City's centerpiece, filled with high-end restaurants and stores, so be sure to visit. The Nelson-Atkins art museum is in that area as well. Too many good bars to mention, but O'Dowd's Little Dublin is a personal favorite. Enjoy a rooftop beer if the weather is nice (it won't be, though).

I'm not a big fan of the Legends area. It's very corporate, with chain restaurants and outlet shopping. However, the new soccer stadium there is very cool, and the Schlitterbahn water park is apparently great, even though some of it is still under construction. The main stand-up comedy club (Stanford's) is also at Legends.

As for BBQ, the big guns are Arthur Bryant's, Oklahoma Joe's, and Fiorella's Jack's Stack. Go to the Arthur Bryant's downtown -- that's the original one, and it's the best. There is one at the Legends, and it is downright embarrassing. Oklahoma Joe's has a midtown restaurant located in a gas station (well, it's a full-sized restaurant that happens to share space with a gas station/convenience store). You should visit it, but go at about 1 pm. Don't try to go around the regular lunch time, as you will be waiting in line outside in the heat for probably 20 minutes.

Those two are excellent, authentic BBQ. Jack's Stack is BBQ fine dining. And it's worth the price, IMO. Visit their plaza location.

If you want a change of pace from BBQ, you can't go wrong at any restaurant on the Plaza or in Westport.

If you have any other questions, just post them here or shoot me a PM. I'm glad to offer my opinions.

[Spitball]

Excellent! Thanks, people. I just read these to my wife, and she suggested we print these off and take them with us.

We will be staying at the Hotel Phillips on 12th or 13th Street. My wife got the rooms on Priceline.com. I definitely hope to visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, O'Dowd's Little Dublin, Arthur Bryant's, and Comedy City.

[savafan]

Check out the Crown Center, which is the National headquarters of Hallmark. Also, if anyone recommends that you eat at a place called Chubby's, avoid it at all costs.

[Johnny Footstool]

Originally Posted by Spitball

Excellent! Thanks, people. I just read these to my wife, and she suggested we print these off and take them with us.

We will be staying at the Hotel Phillips on 12th or 13th Street. My wife got the rooms on Priceline.com. I definitely hope to visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, O'Dowd's Little Dublin, Arthur Bryant's, and Comedy City.

Wow! Hotel Phillips is very nice! You'll be right in the Power and Light District. I hope you have a good time!