Kansas City Detour

My Midwest tour starts in the one and only Kansas City, Missouri.  The City of Fountains.  KC displays over 200 fountains and claims to have the second most in the world, just behind Roma, Italia.  

J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain - The Plaza.  Happy to be back on the travel train.

The one and only Andree was oozing with Midwest pride & proudly shuffled me around her hometown.

Let's get eating.  KC's food scene:  BBQ!  There are over 100 barbecue joints in town to keep your taste buds happy.  Our pick was the one and only Arthur Bryant's.  His world-famous tangy vinegar based sauce dates back to the 1930's.

http://www.arthurbryantsbbq.com/index.htm

Notable diners include the following: Sally Field, Steven Spielberg, Jimmy Carter, Jack Nicholson, Melanie Pensak, & Andree Volin.

Burnt Ends, baked beans, & one Boulevard beer

KC's music scene:  Jazz and Blues.  The intimate Blue Room on 18th and Vine in the Historic Jazz District frequently hosts local and national musicians.  

http://club.americanjazzmuseum.org/

Stop by for free entertainment throughout the week, or bring your own instruments to participate in the Monday Blue Jam. 

KC's coffee is hot at The Roasterie.  This roaster is celebrating year 20 and air-roasts the beans to highlight the origin flavor.

http://www.theroasterie.com/

Free morning tours run weekly at @ 10 AM and on the weekends @ 9, 10, or 11 AM.

What a find! $3 burlap coffee bags for sale inside.  Can't wait to get crafty and turn this Columbian sack into wall art upon my return.

I highly recommend the FREE first come first serve beer tours at the Boulevard Brewery which includes a taste of The GABF® Gold Medal-winning Unfiltered Wheat Beer.   

http://www.boulevard.com/wp-content/themes/boulevard960/ageverify.php?r=http://www.boulevard.com

The Midwest's largest specialty brewer now produces 600,000 barrels per year.

The Boulevard’s ales are bottle conditioned.  This is an old-world brewing tradition that creates a secondary fermentation in the bottle, resulting in a beer that tastes fresher longer.

Cheers to an enjoyable detour in KC and to reuniting with an inspiring world traveler. Time to shove off to Chi-town tomorrow!