Another trip I was supposed to take in 2020 that was cancelled due to the pandemic was to Kansas City, Missouri. My best friend from childhood, Shelly, moved to the Midwest from Maine for grad school. Shelly is one of the most knowledgeable and interesting people I know. I’ve learned so much from her over the years and I know any time I’m with her I’m going to learn something new and fun. Plus, we’ve been friends for more than 20 years so we’ve literally grown up together! Her husband had reached out to me late 2019 and asked if I’d want to come visit and surprise Shelly for her birthday in March 2020. I booked my flights to go, but my departure was in the very height of the pandemic and I had to cancel the trip. When 2021 rolled around and people were starting to travel again, I rebooked my trip (which she now knew about it) for August.
I had no idea that Missouri in August would be such a hot fiery inferno but it definitely was 🥵 The first stop Shelly and I made after she picked me up from the airport was Boulevard Brewing. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend doing the brewery tour if you have the time. The two tour guides were so funny and knowledgeable. I learned so much more about beer on this tour than any other brewery tour I’ve done in the past. There is also a lot of history in the building. The brewery was huge and they had a lot of interactive information you could read if you chose not to do a tour. Their merchandise area was well-stocked and I spent too much time trying to decide what to buy. We got an appetizer of pretzels before we left and they were great! I’d say this is a must do activity in Kansas City.
To start the second day of my visit, we went to the Nelson-Atkinson Museum of Art. We were here for the majority of the day. It’s a stunning museum with a variety of art genres, history and outside sculptures. It’s known for the giant shuttlecocks on the lawn.
After the museum we went to Betty Rae’s Ice Cream and I was OBSESSED. I couldn’t decide if I wanted ice cream in a homemade cone or on a chocolate chip cookie sandwich. I was so torn. Shelly told me to get one and we could go back the next day for the other, so I went with the cone first. After Betty Rae’s, we got take out from the famous Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque. It was an intense experience – you have to be prepared to tell them exactly what you want, no indecisiveness or you’ll get yelled at. The line is too long for being slow with your order! The food was worth it though.
The following day we went to Shoal Creek Living History Museum at Hodge Park. It was so hot but still a beautiful day to be outside. I always love seeing historical sites, mostly for the architecture. On the day we went there were no reenactments happening but we did a self-guided walking tour and had a picnic lunch. We were hoping to see the bison that live at the park but unfortunately we didn’t.
Later that day Shelly and I left her husband and kids at home and went on a little friend date to Char Bar, a barbecue restaurant in the Westport neighborhood of Kansas City. It was so good! The drinks were fantastic as well. It had a great atmosphere. We sat outside and watched people play corn hole and other games. Definitely a fun spot to go in the city.
2. My dinner at Char Bar
On the day I was supposed to fly out in the afternoon, I got a notification that my connecting flight had been moved to the next day and I’d either have to take my first flight and spend the night in Baltimore or stay another night in Kansas City and catch a very early flight home the next morning. Obviously I chose the latter! It was nice having a full bonus day with Shelly and her family. Her and her husband are both scientists and love the nature so we took the kids to Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary in Liberty to go rock and fossil hunting in the creek. I learned a lot and we spotted a lot of interesting rocks!
After we left the park, Shelly took me back to Betty Rae’s like she promised so I could get an chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich. It was one of the best desserts I’ve ever had – I still think about it to this day.
The rest of the visit was spent reading notes and letters from when we were in middle and high school, laughing at old pictures and reminiscing about our childhood in Maine.
While Kansas City may not be high on people’s travel lists, I had a great time my weekend there! Have you been to KCMO? If so, what did you think? Tell me below!
📍I acknowledge the lands mentioned in this post are the ancestral lands of the Kaw / Kansa, Osage, Očhéthi Šakówin and Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo) people.
The Adventures of Suze 
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