Vist to Kansas City, Kansas (Independence, Overland: amusement parks, home, neighborhoods)

[wellguy]

Good Evening,

My Wife, Son, and I will be visting your City at the end of July. My Stepson moved to Overland Park in March. He is working in Topeka.
Can you all please suggest several places to visit and eat. I don't think we will drive to Topeka. I'm certain your City has a lot to offer.
We will be there from July 28th until August 03.
We live in San Antonio and I would hate to miss some great sites and great places to eat.

Thank You Very Much

[kcmo]

Are you sure you don't mean Kansas City,MO?

KCK is basically a suburb of KCMO. The "city" is in MO, the skyline, the museums, the major league sports teams, the amusement parks, the zoo the entertainment districts etc. All are in KCMO. If you come to see "KC" and never set foot in Missouri, you will go away thinking KC is about as interesting and urban as Plano, TX. That's not a knock on Kasnas, but the Kansas side of KC is pretty much suburban (Johnson County) or blue collar / industrial (KCK), there really isn't much else there.

There is a new shopping area out by the speedway that has a lot of restaurants etc, but it's nothing you wouldn't find in most suburban areas.

If you want to experience "KC", then you will have to go to KCMO, which is actually closer to Overland Park, than KCK, especially the suburban areas of KCK that I was referring to.

If you go to KCMO, then you need to see the Country Club Plaza, grab some bbq at one of the bbq places "in the city" like gates, bryants or jackstack, the WWI museum and observation tower, Union Station, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum etc. There is much more, but that's a start.

[wellguy]

Knowing me I'm incorrect. I can tell you that he lives in Overland Park. I Thank You for the information though. I guess I don't get all the information form my Stepson or Wife. He is still trying to find places to visit.
I asked you all since you know the area much better than an guide book or AAA. If I can ask ,what do you mean by the Observation Tower?

Thanks

[concrete it]

steamboat arabia is very interesting

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by wellguy

Knowing me I'm incorrect. I can tell you that he lives in Overland Park. I Thank You for the information though. I guess I don't get all the information form my Stepson or Wife. He is still trying to find places to visit.
I asked you all since you know the area much better than an guide book or AAA. If I can ask ,what do you mean by the Observation Tower?

Thanks

Don't worry about it. It's not that you are incorrect, it's just that most people outside of KC don't understand the geography of the area and it can be very confusing with the state line and the having two cities in the metro named Kansas City.

People either think the main Kansas City is in Kansas or they think the metro has two large urban centers like Dallas/Fort Worth or Minneapolis/StPaul.

Neither is the case.

KCK is simply an older blue collar suburb of KCMO. It has some urban characteristics and for the most part, it doesn’t look like most newer suburbs, but for all practical proposes it’s a suburb in how it interacts within the metro. Much like Independence, MO which also has many urban characteristics as well as suburban. The suburbs in Kansas like Overland Park and Lenexa are suburbs of KCMO as well, not KCK.

Here is the WWI museum and tower. They have a world class museum and you can go to the top of the monument for awesome views of the city.


http://www.kcphotos.com/gallery/albums/new/attractions/libmem_8427.jpg (broken link)

http://www.kcphotos.com/gallery/albums/new/attractions/libmem_1183.jpg (broken link)

http://www.kcphotos.com/gallery/albums/new/downtown/dtowna_0866.jpg (broken link)

[wellguy]

Thank you kcmo for the information.

WOW The WWI Museum and Tower lookland sound like they are a must see. I have always liked to visit Memorials for Those Who Served Our Country.

Have you ever been to Washington D.C.? . There are many beautiful and historic sights as you know. The two that have always touched me the most are Arlington National Cemetery and the Vietnam War Memorial with the beautiful black reflective name panels.

Thanks Again.

[kcmo]

Yes, DC is awesome. So much to see.

If you have ANY interest in history at all, you would love the WWI museum. Even kids really enjoy it.

I think it's one of the top attractions in the midwest and if you have ever talked to anybody that has been there, they will tell you the same.

You can easily spend 2-4 hours in there and not even come close to really taking it all in and the place makes taking it all in interesting and entertaining.

It's truly a world class museum and like I said, the views from the top of the tower are quite amazing.

It's just too bad that most people that actually live in KC have never gone to the new museum under the tower or even been to the top of the tower. Every time we go, we see people from all over the country there, yet I know very few locals that have gone.

Same with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Fascinating museum and pretty much ignored by the locals.

If you like history, you also should try to catch the Steamboat Arabia as mentioned above. Also the Truman home and Library in Independence is quite interesting.

But do at least drive or better yet, walk through the Plaza area, walk into Union Station and you might even make time for the Nelson, a world class art museum and it’s free.

You might also check out some of KC’s family attractions.

KC has a decent zoo (another attraction the locals can't seem to enjoy for some reason) and KC has a decent amusement park (worlds of fun and oceans of fun), if you are into theme parks. The College Basketball Hall of Fame is a fun place to go even if you don’t care about college basketball. There is a visitors center at Hallmark Card’s world headquarters that is always a hit with tourists. The Money Museum at the KC Federal Reserve is pretty cool too and it’s also free. The Royals have a hell of a time winning games, but they are fun to watch and the renovated stadium is great. Even touring the stadium is a lot of fun, the stadium has tours daily.

I think you would be pleasantly surprised what KC offers for tourists, it's really a great town with lots to see and do.

I just wish more locals knew that.

KC has so many great attractions, yet I hear people direct tourists to places like The Legends and Oak Park Mall, places people can see versions of in their own home towns.

If you are going to come to KC and go to Village West (exurban shopping district in KCK), may as well not come to KC and go to your local suburban hot spots, it’s the same thing.

If you do your homework, you could come to KC and really show off KC to your relatives in OP that may not have any idea what KC offers and it may make them want to stay in KC. I have seen many people move to KC only to think the city offers little because everybody they know pretty much avoids “the city” so they avoid it too thinking there is nothing. It’s silly, you would think people would go and find things themselves, but that’s how people are.

Have fun, KC is a great area. So is San Antonio.

[Alicia Bradley]

I second everything. If you're into shopping at all, the Country Club Plaza is a really beautiful and unique place, even in an international context. A random pic of "The Plaza":



The Nelson-Adkins (art museum) and Union Station (more shopping and restaurants) are nearby, too. (So is Crown Center - an indoor shopping/dining/entertainment venue that I love but others love to hate.)

Other really cool neighborhoods - Westport, City Market, Power & Light District. All very cool places to shop, dine, drink coffee, etc.

[holmesmic]

I lived in the KC area (Leavenworth, KS) for only 10 months...but if I were to go back right now I'd eat at Arthur Bryants! We frequented the one at The Legends.

[KevK]

Gates or Bryants for good BBQ. Both are good.