From Texas to Beyond

Local, Near and Far: Our journey of exploring the world.

Tag: Kansas City (Page 1 of 2)

In Case You Missed It…Kansas City, MO

September 26, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Every couple weeks we’ll be collecting links from past posts grouped together by location; we thought it handy to have everything in one convenient location as you plan your upcoming travels. Not long ago, we featured a series on Kansas City, MO so here’s your recap:img_1304

Kansas City, MO Overview: Explore my (Rachel) hometown of Kansas City, MO with us on our series that features this quintessential Midwestern town.

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The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: One of the most amazing museums in the country, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has some of the finest pieces you will find anywhere

 

 

Gates Bar-B-Q: Gates Bar-B-Q is dedicated to family traditions, friendly customer service, and delicious sauces, meats, and
barbeque in Kansas City.img_2076 copy

Kansas City Union Station: Kansas City Union Station is full of history, beautiful architecture, and is definitely worth the stop to marvel at the grandeur of this iconic Kansas City building.

IMG_1233Harley-Davidson Factory Tour: A great way to spend time in Kansas City is by exploring the great tours offered by the Harley-Davidson Factory.

Country Club Plaza: “The Plaza” in Kansas City is a swanky district known for its fine dining, upscale shopping, chic hotels, and location for many annual events.

National World War I Museum & Memorial: The National World War I Museum & Memorial is a beautiful piece of Kansas City history and architecture built to honor those who gave their lives in the Great War.

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National World War I Museum & Memorial

September 7, 2015 / / 0 Comments

WW1-1As we wrap up our series on Kansas City, we have to feature a post on the National World War I Museum and Memorial; this beautiful structure and Museum has been recognized by Congress as the nation’s official World War I Museum and designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Shortly after World War I concluded, a group of leaders in Kansas City formed the Liberty Memorial Association and sought to commemorate a lasting memorial to those who had served in the war. In 1919, money was raised by this group to start construction on that memorial, and in 1921, the site of the memorial was dedicated by five supreme Allied commanders.  Once construction was complete in 1926, the Liberty Memorial was dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge.

In 1994, after concerns over safety and the deterioration of the Liberty Memorial, it was closed. However, in 1998, Kansas Citians gathered together yet again to raise funds for restoration and to build a space for the showcasing of various World War I items that had been collected. The World War I Museum opened in 2006. In 2014, the Museum and Liberty Memorial were officially recognized as the National World War I Museum & Memorial.

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The most prominent features of the Memorial are the 268-foot tall Liberty Memorial Tower, four 40-foot tall Guardian Spirits that sit atop the Tower, two Assyrian Sphinxes, Memory Hall, and Exhibit Hall. Each piece of the Memorial have special significance, honoring the fallen from World War I. You can learn more about that here. The museum itself is a great way to learn about World War I, with exhibits that feature life-size trenches, a Renault FT-17 tank, and a crater that allows the visitor to see the destruction incurred from a 17-inch howitzer shell.

Planning Your Visit: The Memorial grounds are available to visitors to walk through at no charge. The Museum does have an admission fee; it includes a 2-day pass that comes with access to all galleries, and a visit to the top of the Liberty Memorial Tower over two consecutive days. Prices vary based on age. Museum hours vary seasonally, but regular hours the Museum is open are Tuesday-Sunday, from 10:00AM to 5:00PM although be aware that some exhibits close early. Parking is available on the south side of the Memorial in the U-shaped drive, or at visitor’s parking on the west side of the Memorial. If you’re up for the hike, there is also street parking available on Pershing Street.

Seeing the World War I Memorial was definitely on our list of things to do while in Kansas City. The Liberty Memorial Tower is an iconic piece of Kansas City skyline and it is steeped in history. There is an aura of sacredness, humility, and reverence on the grounds and as you walk the campus, thinking about those who gave their lives; what a beautiful way to commemorate the sacrifices that were made.

Country Club Plaza

September 3, 2015 / / 0 Comments

The Country Club Plaza, better known as “The Plaza” in Kansas City is a swanky district known for its fine dining, upscale shopping, chic hotels, and a place where a number of annual events take place that draw in hundreds of thousands of Kansas Citians each year.

IMG_1318The Plaza is a 15-block district that has over 150 shops and restaurants as well as beautiful architecture and fountains. The availability of fine dining attracts a variety of palates, cuisines, and atmospheres whether you’re looking for a night out or a quiet brunch. The shopping available is remarkable boasting a selection of both high end brands and boutiques. If you’re staying in Kansas City, The Plaza is certainly known for its centrality, making it a convenient place to find a hotel during your stay.

Some of my favorite things that The Plaza offers though, are its annual events. When we made our trip to Kansas City in October, we happened to be there the same time as the Waterfire Festival. Although this festival is relatively new to Kansas City (it started in 2008), it is a beautiful and unique experience featuring fire, water, and music. As The Plaza sits along Brush Creek on the south side, it is in the perfect place to host such a festival full of floating bonfires. We had a wonderful time catching up with some of my friends from college and enjoying the show; this was certainly a highlight of our time at The Plaza!

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The Plaza at Night, courtesy of Wikipedia

Other annual events include the Plaza Art Fair, which is a stunning display featuring over 240 artists, stages for music, and restaurant booths; this event usually takes place in September. And lastly, the beautiful KCP&L Plaza Lights. Since 1929, Kansas City Power & Light has illuminated the trees, buildings, and architecture of The Plaza for a beautiful light display reminding me that it is the Christmas season in Kansas City. Thanksgiving evening, thousands of locals gather to watch them “flip the switch” with a lighting ceremony and concert; the lights are kept on through mid-January for the holidays. I wish we had seen that too!

For a full list of the shops and restaurants available at The Plaza, check out their website. There is also information there regarding parking, which is available in several garages throughout the district or on the street.

Harley-Davidson Factory Tour

September 2, 2015 / / 3 Comments

IMG_1231One passion that began in my early years and has continued into my adulthood is that of motorcycles. I have been so fascinated with them and have always desired to have one. Due to many reasons, I have never been able to actually own a motorcycle. In addition to my motorcycle passion is an interest in how things are made. So when Rachel was planning our trip to Kansas City, we saw that the Harley-Davidson Factory Tour was high on several lists of things to do. I had no idea there was a factory in the area but immediately upon seeing this information, I knew I wanted to go.

The Harley-Davidson factory in KC is called the Vehicle and Powertrain Operations Facility. This factory produces, from fabrication to finish, the Sporster, Dyna, Street, some Softail models and my personal favorite, the V-Rod. They also make some of the Revolution and Revolution X powertrains for the V-Rods and Street families.

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The factory offers two different types of tours, a free one and a “Steel Toe” tour that cost $35 ($30 if you are a member). The free tour is a first come, first serve tour that goes from 9:00AM to 1:30PM Monday thru Friday. It is a general tour that has a limited view of the assembly line and certain fabrication areas. With this tour, you will walk the safe aisles of the production facility and seeing how parts of the bike are assembled or made, like the frames and fuel tanks. The tour lasts about an hour. These tours fill up pretty fast so by the time you arrive, you may have to wait for a while. When we went, we had to wait for about 30 minutes for the next available tour. But, since the tour starts in the gift shop, you have the chance to buy any gifts that you may want. Also, the gift shop shows a high level overview of the manufacturing process of the motorcycles being built. It gives the visitor a chance to look inside the engine and some other components that are generally not available. You can also sit on several current production bikes to get a feel and take some snazzy photos.

The “Steel Toe” tour is for the more hardcore Harley enthusiasts or those that enjoy the manufacturing process. This tour gives the visitor a chance to get up close and personal with the bikes and takes the visitor through the entire manufacturing process, including the “employee only” paint and polish area. This tour goes more in depth and to more areas than the free one. The factory will provide the necessary safety gear like a vest, glasses and the steel toe protection, so there is no need to wear your steel toe boots. There are only two sessions that occur daily Monday thru Thursday.  They are not always available depending on the production time or model launch, so be sure to check the website. It is recommended to gets reservations to do this tour as they do sell out, but they can be reserved online.

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Since I have been around the manufacturing line a lot in my work career and we were on a short time table, we did the free tour. Depending on your love for HD, it will depend on if the $35 pricetag is worth it. The free tour is still wonderful and allows the visitor to see a lot of the factory and how things are made. The tour guides are great and except for a few noisy spots, the information is easy to hear. Overall this was a great experience for us and highly suggest doing the tour. Please note, that children under 12 are not allowed on the factory tour so if you have kids, you may want to check with the factory before getting tickets or signing up.

Gates Bar-B-Q

August 27, 2015 / / 0 Comments

“Hi, may I help you?” are some of the finest words spoken to every customer at Gates Bar-B-Q. During the lunch rush and shouted across the dining area, you know you’re in my personal favorite Kansas City barbeque restaurant.

We of course can’t have a series on Kansas City without taking a break to discuss the barbeque. Just like our other posts on Tex-Mex, breweries, and Texas barbeque, you’ll find that a variety of opinions exist about what constitutes good Kansas City barbeque. K.C. Masterpiece is often hailed as the finest in the land, and I have nothing against them (except that I don’t particularly care for sweet sauce), but my heart belongs to Gates (and Matt).

Founded in 1946, by the Gates Family, Gate’s Bar-B-Q was initially successful because of their sauce; as the business and name grew in popularity, so did the demand for the sauce and in 1975, the decision was made to market the sauce in local grocery stores. Since 1982, Gates has been on a quest (and been successful) to get their brand into many large national markets. In addition to their sauces, Gates also markets a variety of rubs and seasonings so customers can take the taste of Gates home with them. Gates is dedicated to the exceptional service–they do depict a dapper gentleman in a tux on every bottle–friendly customer relations, and quality products.

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So, on our trip to Kansas City, I had to take Matt to Gates. He needed to experience the meats, the sauce, the ambiance, and service and then finally admit that maybe Kansas City barbeque is legit. Let me make a note here, that Matt had previously tasted Gates because yes, my parents purchase it and have it shipped to them, but he had yet to get the full experience. My all time favorite thing at Gates has been and will most likely always be, burnt ends. You see, burnt ends are a Kansas City tradition, and in case you aren’t familiar, they are the pieces of meat cut from the point half of a smoked brisket. Flavorful and with lots of ‘bark’, the pieces of meat are usually chopped and served cubed over a piece of toast and smothered in sauce. Add pickles and onions if that’s your thing. Who even knows what Matt had when we went there, it wasn’t the burnt ends, that’s for sure!

Gates, as I’ve mentioned before, is known for their sauce, which I’ll do my best to describe. The taste of the Classic flavor is smokey, peppery, and spicy, with a perfect blend of tomato and vinegar for the base. The consistency is my ideal: it stays on the meat, doesn’t run down your arms, and yet isn’t gloopy. It tastes excellent with beef and pork, and complements chicken well, although not as well as others. As I’m describing the sauce, my mouth is watering and I’m reminded that we’re running low. I better give my brother a call and have him send us a couple more bottles!

 

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