Recently I had the opportunity to visit Kansas City, Missouri for the day. I enjoyed my trip and wanted to share a few of the highlights.

First, the reason I was able to go is that my Mom is a flight attendant for Delta. Thanks Mom! She had told me I should fly more earlier this summer, so I looked at the Detroit Tigers’ schedule to see what teams they were playing on the road. When I figured out I didn’t have to work and the Tigers were playing a day game against the Royals in KC, I figured I should go.

I got into town a few hours before the game. I got settled in at my Airbnb and took a walk through the Waldo Neighborhood to grab some lunch quick at McLain’s. From there I got a ride to Kauffman Stadium.

The park is not downtown at all (the old Royals’ stadium was I guess) but it was about 20 minutes from where I was staying. It’s very much built on/at a stadium complex with Arrowhead Stadium located right next door. The K (as they call it) is an older park, being built in 1968. It’s a sprawling stadium but it seemed pretty intimate as I walked around.

I visited the Royals’ Hall of Fame in left field which was very cool. There was a lot of baseball and Royals’ memorabilia including the Royals’ World Series trophies which is exciting for a sports nerd like me. It was a great way to learn a little more about the franchise’s history.

Looking out over the fountains from center field. 

The fountains are an obvious highlight of the park and walking around the outfield you get a sense of how big they are. According to the Royals, when the stadium opened the fountains at Kauffman were the largest privately owned fountains in the world.

The game wasn’t so great for the Tigers. Michael Fulmer pitched but did not have his best day. He gave up a few home runs and the Royals cruised to an easy win. It was still entertaining though!

After the game I figured out where I should eat. I tried to ask people I met and use apps like Yelp to find a good spot. I settled on Q39, a place that lauds its competition style barbecue. I know as a Michigander I might not be the most credible BBQ critic, but it was really good. I went for the burnt ends and brisket combo and it didn’t disappoint.

My dinner at Q39. It was amazing. 

After dinner I headed to Boulevard Brewing Company’s Beer Hall which is located right next to their brewery. It was a very cool space with multiple levels, the first floor being a gift shop/store area and the second floor being the taproom. I grabbed a flight and a seat outside and enjoyed the atmosphere looking out at the city.

My flight from Boulevard with downtown KC in the background.

Next, I walked over to the World War I Memorial. The memorial provides a great view of Kansas City as you can see from the featured picture at the top. I wish I would’ve had more time so I could’ve went to the museum but I’ll have to do that next time.

The memorial monument.

Then I walked into town to a jazz bar for a cocktail and to enjoy the music. I never seek out live music but I figured I should since jazz is a Kansas City thing. The place seemed straight out of a scene from La-La Land and I really enjoyed the three piece band.

Last but not least I stopped in at Casual Animal Brewing Company for a last call beer. Shoutout to them, and thanks for the stickers guys!

Well, that’s about it for my trip to KC. In my opinion it felt like a nice Midwestern town. I would definitely go back to see another game (maybe the Chiefs this time) and check out the city some more.

If you like this kind of blog let me know! I plan on doing some more of these, if and when I take another trip. Thanks for reading.