Kansas City - Waters, Wizards and Wonders

Part I in a Series About the City of Fountains

Oct 9, 2009

Going to Kansas City, Kansas City here you come? Try these local venues, museums and hot spots to make this visit one to remember.

Kansas City has a lot to offer to a sports enthusiast, history buff, art lover or shopper. Want jazz? Kansas City has it. Want food? Steak and barbecue restaurants in Kansas City rival the best anywhere. Kansas City is called the City of Fountains because of the beautiful fountains liberally placed around town. Take a look at what Kansas City can offer the traveler and tourist.

The first thing any air traveler to Kansas City needs to know is that you will be landing in Missouri, not Kansas. Many people think that Kansas City must be in the state of Kansas and they would be half right. Both Missouri and Kansas have a Kansas City and they share a border and the dividing presence of the Missouri River. The natives distinguish the two by calling them KC-Mo and KCK. The larger and arguably the more exciting of the two is Kansas City, Missouri, but both cities and their metropolitan areas have much to recommend them to the visitor. Johnson County in Kansas, a major suburban section of the Metro, is a great area to visit for shopping and restaurants.

Kansas City is one of those towns where renting a car is a good idea. The Metro area is quite spread out, but there are areas where walking makes sense. For example, when staying near the Country Club Plaza, good food and shopping are in easy reach for most walkers and bus and cab rides to other features are easy to obtain. When flying to Kansas City, remember the airport is not near the center of town, so staying near there, while comfortable, may not be convenient.

Enterainment in Kansas CityEntertainment in Kansas City abounds. Sports enthusiasts find football and baseball seasons exciting, and even soccer fans have their hometown Wizards to cheer on. College basketball is huge in Kansas and Missouri, and the Sprint Center hosts an annual tournament as well as visits from perennial basketball giant the University of Kansas at Lawrence.

Kansas City is famous for its jazz and hosts a museum with pieces from jazz legends like Charlie "Bird" Parker. Local clubs host jazz bands, but local pop and rock bands are also found in the many clubs downtown and in the Westport area. Classical music groups, such as the Kansas City Symphony, also call Kansas City home.

Museums in Kansas CityArt museums and history museums, science museums and craft museums are plentiful in the Kansas City area. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art holds an extensive collection of fine art and hosts traveling exhibitions from the finest sources. The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is blocks away from the Nelson with a sometimes amusing and sometimes thought-provoking collection of its own. For history, one can't do better than the World War I Museum at the Liberty Memorial. Its extensive collection of artifacts, pictures and letters as well as multi-media presentations will engage the emotions as well as the intellect.

Shopping in Kansas City

Shopping in Kansas City is a delight to be experienced. The Country Club Plaza with its designer boutiques provides upscale shoppers with its own brand of extravagance. Halls Department store is a Kansas City byword for elegance. In the Christmas season, The Plaza is always lit up from pavement to roof line to put shoppers in a holiday mood. In Johnson County, the Town Center Plaza at 119th and Roe is home to unique boutiques in addition to national favorites like Macy's. Legends at Village West in Kansas City, Kansas is another outdoor plaza with designer boutiques and local shops. Visit the Pride of Kansas City store and pick up a bottle of barbecue sauce. Wyldewood Cellars Winery has a tasting bar in their store for those who wish to sample their elderberry wines.

Visit Kansas City for things to do, places to shop and entertainment. The friendly natives will greet each visitor with "How are you?" and a big smile. Shop, travel and sightsee or attend a sporting event or concert. Everything to be expected in a great city can be found in Kansas City, The City of Fountains.

The copyright of the article Kansas City - Waters, Wizards and Wonders in SE U.S. Travel is owned by Eilene Toppin Ording. Permission to republish Kansas City - Waters, Wizards and Wonders in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.