My train from the southwest arrived in Kansas City at about 7:30am today, and my 'connecting' train on to St Louis didn't depart until 4pm.  So I had a little bit of time to kill. 

It took me a while to wake up / eat / nap / freshen up / rearrange luggage / store bags.  Even then I still felt half asleep, and my hair really could have done with a wash, but put on some fresh clothes, shove some contact lenses in my eyes, and whack on some mascara, and it's amazing how presentable / vaguely awake I can look! 

I basically just spent the day wandering around shops, on a (failed) mission to find some more cross-stitch supplies.  Kansas City seems nice enough, but nothing amazing to write home about… EXCEPT for my lunch. 

Kansas City is apparently the home of barbecue - as in the slow-roasted-meat-with-tangy-barbecue-sauce kind of barbecue.  So I figured the least I could do was try it out.  I got some 'carry out' from Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue - apparently the best in the entire country, according to one guidebook. 

It was AMAZING!  The sauce was fine & dandy, and I had some excellent coleslaw as a side, but the meat… It was just so melt-in-your-mouth tender & delicious.  After my first bite I immediately wished I'd ordered the Jumbo instead of the Mini Jumbo.  Of course I was perfectly full after the mini, as I expected I would be, but I just wanted more of such deliciousness!

Some day I must return to Kansas City and eat more barbecue.

Service was great. They asked our large group up front if we were going to a show and made sure we were finished in plenty of time to walk to the show at the Midland. Some entrees at the table were the scallops, petite fillet and chicken/waffles. All were fabulous and with generous but not too overly big portions. Overall dining experience was great! Will definitely return for dinner as well as for drinks after the show.

This upscale restaurant had terrible service, misleading menus, very overpriced, but had a nice view seating outdoors to view the live stage in the Power & Light district. Steaks were 35+ and we did not read on the menu anywhere or were told, steaks come without anything. So, after waiting for 45 minutes after we ordered, we received a steak sitting alone on the place that was well done when we ordered medium rare. Waitress never offered additional drinks or checked on us, did not advise us that the entrees' were stand alone, and all around just a poor-poor-poor experience. For a steakhouse bragging about it's steaks, this Maker's Mark really missed the mark in my opinion. Any other restaurant would be a better choice.

KRAZY KOOKS KRUISE KC

Jennifer (thingsall2good) and her friend, Lori, came to Kansas City for a business convention. These two wonderful women live in Fayetteville, Arkansas. After their work week was finished, we got together on Saturday, September 6, 2008 for a fabulous day of fun.

SATURDAY MORNING/AFTERNOON SIGHTSEEING

Classic Cup Café

301 W 47^th St

Kansas City, Missouri

(816) 753-1840

www.classiccup.com

We met for brunch at Classic Cup Café, a European style bistro on the Country Club Plaza famous for its outdoor dining, contemporary cuisine, award winning wine list (over 800 wines) and homemade desserts.

Afterwards, we took a short stroll through the Plaza, stopping to window-shop and take pics of the area’s sidewalk architecture:

www.countryclubplaza.com

The 15-block Country Club Plaza was designed in 1922 as the US’ first shopping district. Its architecture was modeled after Seville, Spain. Only Rome has more fountains than Kansas City and the Plaza has several of the more spectacular ones.

Then, we drove around upscale Ward Parkway (Missouri) and Mission Hills (Kansas).

Next, we stopped in the Westport area and roamed the annual Art Westport:

www.artwestport.net

It is the only show exclusively for Kansas City area artists. All drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, painting, photography, pottery and sculpture craftsmen must live within a 40 mile radius. 

On our way to visit a local winery, we toured Kansas Speedway:

www.kansasspeedway.com

The track was busy preparing for its upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup race later this month. Four different companies are bidding fiercely to build a casino by the racetrack. For example, if the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino wins the contract, Kansas Speedway promises to add a second NASCAR Sprint Cup race, build a road course and host an annual RV rally.

We concluded the day’s fun with a visit to Holy-Field Vineyard & Winery, a 14-acre vineyard planted with Native American and French hybrid varieties.

www.holyfieldwinery.com

While there, we tasted several wonderful vintages. Make sure to check out Jennifer’s website which discusses and critiques several things, including wine:

www.jennifersreview.com

SATURDAY NIGHT GREEK DINNER/ENTERTAINMENT

Tasso’s Greek Restaurant

8411 Wornall Rd

Kansas City, Missouri

(816) 363-4776

www.tassosgreekrestaurant.com

We reunited later that evening for fabulous authentic Greek food in a fun atmosphere with live music and dancing.

Tasso’s has been a Kansas City landmark since 1976. The place has become so renown that Wornall Road in front of the restaurant has the city’s honorary title of “Tasso Kalliris Street”. As you can tell by the photos, we enjoyed Tasso’s originality, ouzo and Opa!

Convenient location to Power & Light District, a short and safe walk. I, too, had a non-working elevator from the parking garage and no notifcation. I stayed there the end of June. All stairwell doors were locked so we had to walk into incoming traffic on the narrow ramp to get down 3 floors to the lobby. Poor! We stayed on the executive floor but kids were playing in the elevator and screaming through the halls. So much for extra security and quietness. Bartender in lobby bar was very slow and not friendly. I think we woke her up (at 4pm) because she was a bit of a crab when we ordered our free martini (given one complimentary at check-in). The sleep number bed was like a camping mattress that was slightly deflated by morning. The room on the 18th floor had a nice view though. Summary: Good location, doesn't offer much else. For the money I feel robbed.

@ The POWER & LIGHT DISTRICT: The flight and missing camera aside, I arrived in peace at the Westin Center hotel at a quarter to four in the afternoon. The check in process was a little tricky as I was not sure if the room was booked under James' or Yadilita’s name - silly me I did not ask when I spoke to James earlier. Well the receptionist (Stephanie) was kind enough to look it up for me. She said she could do so under either names so she asked for Yadi's last name (heheheheeee), and then Jame's and, I literally laughed out loud because I did not know either. How stupid could a traveler be? Well I was feeling silly and smiling like a fool. So I made one last call to James who salvaged the day: My room key was duplicated giving me 2 instead of one even though Yadi already had a set. I love western civilization. In my country I would be sitting waiting for Yadi to return, lol!

The main meet up was at the GRAND FALLON BAR & GRILL, however the highlight as far as food was concerned was the preceding destination before the Grand Fallon bar - The Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue. The food was as extravagant as it was tasty. Now that I'm seating back home in my apartment with no dinner, I remember leaving a whole rib and fries on my plate yesterday, lol! In the early evening however Mark (travelman727) had surprised us with his band playing great music at the CLASSIC CUP CELLAR. I didn't know he sung, but boy does he have a voice. The band comprised him and his buddy Mark (TheOriginalMC) who brought his family with him.

THURSDAY WELCOME DINNER FOR YADI
Westport Area

Jerusalem Café
431 Westport Road
(816) 756-2770

Five of us met at Jerusalem Café in the Westport District to celebrate Yadira’s (Yadillita) arrival in Kansas City. Yadi came all the way from Lima, Peru to attend the TravBuddy festivities. We picked this restaurant because she likes Greek food and veggies; Jerusalem Café specializes in authentic Middle Eastern, Greek and Vegetarian Cuisine. 

Afterwards, we walked across the street to Kelly’s Westport Inn, the oldest remaining building in Kansas City. There, we met a wonderful woman who told us about the “squirrel’s table.”

She related that a group of friends have been meeting almost every morning at Kelly’s for the past 20+ years. They always sit in the same place. One day, a gregarious stranger came into the bar and quickly befriended the a.m. gang. He nicknamed the table because “you have to be squirrelly to hang around with these nuts.” 

OUR FIVE WELCOME DINNER ATTENDEES

1. kirkeedoo – Kirk, Kansas City, Missouri.
www.travbuddy.com/kirkeedoo

2. pearcetoyou – James, Missouri.
www.travbuddy.com/pearcetoyou

3. tali08 – Natalia, Kansas City, Missouri.

www.travbuddy.com/tali08

4. travelman727 – Mark, Overland Park, Kansas.

www.travbuddy.com/travelman727

5. yadilitta – Yadira, Lima, Peru.
www.travbuddy.com/yadilitta

SATURDAY, JUNE 21 TRAVBUDDY MEETUP
Kansas City, Here I Come

KC Sightseeing Tour

10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Liberty Memorial & World War I Museum

The Country Club Plaza

Lunch at Classic Cup

Nelson Atkins Museum of Art

The same 13 that finished up Friday began Saturday morning by car pooling for a short sight-seeing trip around Kansas City.

Our first stop was the Liberty Memorial & World War I Museum. While there, Sal and Erin became TravBuddy husband and wife; Melanie was the maid of honor and Will was best man.

Next, we went to the Country Club Plaza. After taking over J.C. Nichol’s fountain and taking over the Plaza sculptures, we had brunch at the Classic Cup.

After filling our stomachs, we made one last visit to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Then, most TravBuddies cleaned up back at the hotel while Tim and Shawn picked up bicycles for Sunday’s KC bike tour.

KC Country Club Plaza Party

3:00 p.m.-5:20 p.m.
Classic Cup Café Cellar
301 W 47th St
www.classiccup.com
(816) 753-1840

We enjoyed a private room in the cellar. The Classic Cup provided an open bar with a good wine selection and café/cappuccino. Mark (TheOriginalMC) and I provided music entertainment.

5:30 p.m.-7:10 p.m.
Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbeque
4747 Wyandotte St
www.jackstackbbq.com
(816) 531-7427

Next, we strolled over to KC Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbeque. This Kansas City landmark serves a wide variety of tasty dishes.

7:30 p.m.-9:15 p.m.
Granfalloon Bar & Grill – Fireside Room
608 Ward Parkway
www.thegranfalloon.com
(816) 753-7850

Then, we walked down to the Granfalloon Bar & Grill. On the way, we posed in front of a Plaza fountain for our group photo. Wouldn’t you know, you can’t see any of the fountain.  The Granfalloon gave us the Fireside Room to ourselves. Some of us shot pool while others gabbed up a storm. Later, Yadi (Lima, Peru) was awarded furthest TravBuddy to attend. Then Melanie was officially crowned “Queen CW”. She knighted the first four members of her round table: James, Sal, Will and RJ.

Feeling frisky, we traveled back to the downtown Power & Light District for an encore.

23 TRAVBUDDY MEETUP ATTENDEES

1. Africancrab – Harriet, Tucson, Arizona.
www.travbuddy.com/Africancrab

2. Bradley – Kansas City, Missouri.
Melissa's son

3. Dan – Kansas City, Missouri.
kirkeedoo's friend

4. geerbox – Shawn, Holdrege, Nebraska.
www.travbuddy.com/geerbox

5. Julie – Minnesota.
TheOriginalMC's friend

6. kirkeedoo – Kirk, Kansas City, Missouri.
www.travbuddy.com/kirkeedoo

7. mellemel8 – Melanie, Las Vegas, Nevada.
www.travbuddy.com/mellemel8

8. Melissa – Kansas City, Missouri.
TheOriginalMC's daughter

9. NinjaFer – Jennifer, Springfield, Missouri.
www.travbuddy.com/NinjaFer

10. o_dog – Sari, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
www.travbuddy.com/o_dog

11. pearcetoyou – James, Missouri.
www.travbuddy.com/pearcetoyou

12. poohstanggt – Erin, Sacramento, California.
www.travbuddy.com/poohstanggt

13. RJ82 – RJ, Las Vegas, Nevada.
www.travbuddy.com/RJ82

14. sincitytraveler – Sal, Las Vegas, Nevada.
www.travbuddy.com/sincitytraveler

15. tali08 – Natalia, Kansas City, Missouri.
www.travbuddy.com/tali08

16. the_bill – Bill, Chaska, Minnesota.

www.travbuddy.com/the_bill

17. TheOriginalMC – Mark, Minnesota.
www.travbuddy.com/TheOriginalMC

18. travelman727 – Mark, Overland Park, Kansas.
www.travbuddy.com/travelman727

19. TYoungTX – Tim, Austin, Texas.
www.travbuddy.com/TYoungTX

20. w_clemmons – Will, North Charleston, South Carolina.
www.travbuddy.com/w_clemmons

21. yadilitta – Yadira, Lima, Peru.
www.travbuddy.com/yadilitta

22. yekcoh – Eric, Traverse City, Michigan.
www.travbuddy.com/yekcoh

23. zoolking – Andy, Duluth, Minnesota.
www.travbuddy.com/zoolking

There are several brilliant blogs about our Kansas City weekend. Make sure to check out:

1. Africancrab – Harriet
www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/35462

2. mellemel8 – Melanie

www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/32409

3. pearcetoyou – James

www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/35240

4. poohstanggt – Erin

www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/35221

5. RJ82 – RJ

www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/35263

6. the_bill – Bill

www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/35473

7. TYoungTX – Tim

www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/35363

8. w_clemmons – Will

www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/35923

9. yadilitta – Yadira

www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/35685

10. yekcoh – Eric

www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/35656

I took several snapshots on Thursday and Friday. However, I decided to play host on Saturday and forego taking pics. I want to thank each of the above TravBuddies for letting me steal some of their photos to illustrate the night’s festivities J

FRIDAY, JUNE 20 PRE-PARTY

Downtown KC New Power & Light District

2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Raglan Road Irish Pub
170 E 14th St
www.raglanroadirishpub.com
(816) 994-9700

We started Friday’s fun by gathering by taking over a section of the Pub. Most of us decided to have lunch before heading across the street.

3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Sprint Center College Basketball Experience
& National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame
1401 Grand Blvd
www.collegebasketballexperience.com

We strolled over to the Sprint Center College Basketball Experience, a one-of-a-kind interactive place to pretend you’re Kareem Abul Jabbar (Melanie’s hero) or Doctor J (instead of Doctor Sal).

5:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Howl at the Moon
1334 Grand Blvd
www.howlatthemoon.com
(816) 471-4695

Next, we helped open Howl at the Moon. There’s no way to adequately describe the marvelous mayhem that took place at this dueling piano bar. Suffice to say, you’ll just have to look at the pics J

7:45 p.m.
Vinino Bistro
1329 Grand Blvd
www.vininokc.com
(816) 221-8466

After an interesting Italian dinner, we play it by ear and explored the Power & Light District.

OUR 13 PRE-PARTY ATTENDEES

1. Africancrab – Harriet, Tucson, Arizona.
www.travbuddy.com/Africancrab

2. geerbox – Shawn, Holdrege, Nebraska.
www.travbuddy.com/geerbox

3. mellemel8 – Melanie, Las Vegas, Nevada.

www.travbuddy.com/mellemel8

4. pearcetoyou – James, Missouri.
www.travbuddy.com/pearcetoyou

5. poohstanggt – Erin, Sacramento, California.
www.travbuddy.com/poohstanggt

6. RJ82 – RJ, Las Vegas, Nevada.
www.travbuddy.com/RJ82

7. sincitytraveler – Sal, Las Vegas, Nevada.
www.travbuddy.com/sincitytraveler

8. the_bill – Bill, Chaska, Minnesota.

www.travbuddy.com/the_bill

9. travelman727 – Mark, Overland Park, Kansas.
www.travbuddy.com/travelman727

10. TYoungTX – Tim, Austin, Texas.
www.travbuddy.com/TYoungTX

11. w_clemmons – Will, North Charleston, South Carolina.
www.travbuddy.com/w_clemmons

12. yadilitta – Yadira, Lima, Peru.
www.travbuddy.com/yadilitta

13. yekcoh – Eric, Traverse City, Michigan.

www.travbuddy.com/yekcoh

Early on July 2, 2008 a six member team from Riversideside Church met at the Kansas City airport.  We were so excited and full of anticipation for none of us had been to Africa or a third world country. 

We were concerned about bagage transfers, flight connections, and general wellness.  As a group we prayed that God would watch over us and our belongings. 

We easily made our connecting flight in Atlanta and then met up with a larger group (over fifty in all) in Washington, D.C.   

Worldhelp.net orchestrated the trip from then on and they did a wonderful job.

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is way better than the Golden Arches. It is so neat. You can go inside of it!!!

You ride this little elevator pod up the arch to the center where you can look outside. In the base of the arch (actually called the Jefferson Memorial Gateway Arch of St. Louis) has 2 museum displays:

One is about westward expansion, Louis and Clark and the Louisiana Purchase, hence the historical significance of St. Louis as a major cross-roads in westward expansion and intra-national commerce.

The second is to the construction and design of the arch. Its exterior is 100% stainless steel so it never rusts and doesn't need painting ... until taggers and graffiti artists started to defile it and now it takes quite a bit of money to maintain it. Grrrrrrr.

It's 630 feet up in the air and you can see all of St. Louis, including the courthouse where the Dred Scott decision was handed down!

We were very fortunate in that the day we visited, the parking structures and park surrounding the Arch had just been cleaned up. Just the week before, it had been partially submerged with the flood waters of the Mississippi River.

P.S. - The Mississippi River, while amazing, is absolutely ugly. It is a big brown river. Murky and very dirty looking. But it doesn't smell, so I assume the water is actually clean, but there's no way I'd ever get in that water. I hear there are snapping turtles.

BUDWEISER!

Then we went on the free tour of the St. Louis Anheiser-Busch brewery - the largest of the 12 North American Anheiser-Busch breweries. It was an OK tour. It had the potential to be great, with lots of history and explanation, but unfortunately the tour-guides (and patrons) weren't really interested in the science of brewing or the history of the company. So it was really surface level.

To appease us, they gave us 2 free beers at the end of the tour!

Also, this was our most uncomfortable day thus far in the trip. It was 98 with very, very high humidity. Yuck. At one point on the tour, we entered brewing room that was 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature because of the process the beer was entering. Needless to say, I had some gnarly sweat rings.

After our tour, we returned to the motorhome and headed to Kansas City, MO.

During my first TB meet up I booked a room at the Holiday Inn Express on Westport. I figured since all the TB activities would be centered around the Plaza it would be just convenient to have a hotel room very near. Convenience is the word to sum up my short stay in Holiday Inn Express in Kansas City. The hotel is located just behind the Plaza area on Westport. The hotel is safe, has plenty of parking space at the back, has friendly staff at the front desk, and is overall very clean and cozy. I was very satisfied with my room. It was on the second floor overlooking Westport St. The king bed was cozy, the bathroom clean and fresh, and I was able to catch up on the EURO Cup semifinal between Holland and Russia on TV before heading off to the Cellar Cup where TBs met and my first meetup was going to be. Pros: check-in and check-out were a smooth process. Both just took me seconds if not, five minutes. Clean, overall nice hallways and rooms, making the Holiday Inn Express one of the affordable, comfortable stay in Kansas City. Cons: none that I know of. Everything was perfect.

I stayed here just for 1 night. When I just arrived to KC. During the Meet Up we stayed at another hotel in the center. If you are a sports fan, the location is the best, just 3 blocks away from Truman Sports Complex, Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium. But if you are looking for some fun in downtown, you might choose another hotel... I have heard this hotel has been recently renovated. I found it very good. They are still working in a new Starbucks hehe. The rooms are comfy and clean. The bed was very good too. There is a nice business center in the ground floor, with high speed Internet Access and Printers. They have a nice gym and 2 pools, one indoors and other outdoors. The restaurant serves a delicious food and the bar of the hotel has a good selection of drinks. The rooms has almost everything. What they are missing is a fridge in the rooms. We had to "invent" one, haha. All the rest was perfect! I would recommend staying here unless you want to be walking distance for downtown... anyway it's a great place to relax.

The Plaza is Kansas City’s premier retail, dining and entertainment destination, offering 180 shops and dozens of fine restaurants nestled within old-world architecture. The Plaza spends seven weeks each winter dressed up in jewel-colored lights. More than 80 miles of holiday lights outline every shop, dome and tower of the Spanish-inspired shopping and entertainment district. Lavishly decorated store windows, horse-drawn carriages and carolers provide the perfect holiday backdrop. (Thanksgiving-Jan. 13) Plaza Shopping If you are a shopper you will recognize fine stores like Anthropologie and Tiffany & Co. Original Kansas City stores like Halls and Tivol give local flavor to the Plaza’s reputation as a national fashion center. Starlight Theatre, the nation's 2nd largest outdoor ampitheatre.Pleasant surprises can be found along each block ��" from tiny shoe boutiques to delicious chocolatiers, couture clothiers, stylish salons and fine jewelry. Plaza Dining Contemporary American to Kansas City steaks, authentic Italian to cosmopolitan Mexican are all a part of the Plaza experience. Whether it’s the hot spot that caters to the late crowd or a quiet courtyard café, the Plaza restaurants offer an atmosphere that no other district can duplicate. Plaza Events The Plaza is kept lively with a year-round calendar of music and special events, including the famous Plaza Lights and the widely recognized Plaza Art Fair, ranked among the top five art fairs nationally. Outdoor Dining The picturesque views of the Spanish influenced background entice Plaza visitors to 18 outdoor dining venues. Crossroads Art DistrictClassic Cup offers a sidewalk café and a courtyard patio shaded by colorful umbrellas. Baja 600’s flowering patio adds California flavor to traditional Mexican favorites. The newest restaurant, Brio Tuscan Grille, offers the best view of The Plaza from its terrace. Live Music The Plaza isn’t just shopping and dining. Some of the area’s finest musicians grace the Plaza with their lively tunes. Catch a variety of music, from jazz to reggae to classical, at a number of establishments throughout the Plaza any night of the week. From May through September, enjoy live music in the Plaza’s charming courtyards during the annual concert series.