City of Fountains: Kansas City

Before travelling to Kansas City to participate in a weekend festival, my wife and I were unaware that the city was called the "City of Fountains". However, once we arrived, we saw numerous examples of the multitude of interesting architectural designs in fountains. Research told us that Kansas City is said to be the home of more fountains than any city in the world except Rome. This led us to stay an additional night in the city, because spending a day leisurely touring these stunning fountains certainly adds to the Kansas City experience.

Many of Kansas City's most famous fountains are found on the Country Club Plaza, including one fountain that dates from about 200 A.D., and is thought to have been one of the imperial baths of Rome. Other areas with spectacular fountains are the Crown Center, downtown Kansas City, and North Kansas City.

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Kansas City is also known for its large numbers of jazz and blues clubs, providing what many call an original American form of music. World-class musicians such as William "Count" Basie, Charlie "Bird" Parker, and Orin "Hot Lips" Page started their musical careers in Kansas City. Their tradition lives on in the local clubs.

The barbeque style in Kansas City is famed world wide; offering a sweet style of sauce that is a combination of the best parts of Texas and Carolinas barbeque. It is thicker than that found in the other sections of the country, also. There are more than 90 restaurants in the area that serve only barbecue.

If you still need something to do, visit some of the more than 100 historic sites in the area.

Best Way To Get Around:

A world-class airport is available in the Kansas City area. From their, taxis and buses can take you to almost any part of the city. My wife and I prefer to drive, though, since this offers the most effective method of visiting the largest number of places and see the most sites.

One of the unique experiences in dining is visiting the world-famous home of KC Masterpiece Barbeque. The city is famed for its barbeque style and the abundance of wonderful barbeque restaurants (over 90 restaurants in the city serve nothing but barbeque). KC Masterpiece is the most famous of these.

One of the first things that my wife and I noticed when we entered the restaurant was the attractive building, an inviting atmosphere that is clean, and the sense of being comfortable and aesthetically pleasing for every guest. We were seated by the hostess and waited only a few minutes before being helped by our waitress. For us, it is often difficult to choose from a menu that has so many different foods that we enjoys. So, my wife and I ordered the meal called "The Works!" This selection has enough food for two people, providing on one platter roasted chicken, beef burnt ends, spare ribs and pork. The food goes well with two side orders and some beer. Those who don't enjy barbeque can order sandwiches or salads. (but why go to this type of restaurant, if you don't want barbeque?) Ad=fter the meal we were offered the chance to eat one of the specialty desserts. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie looked good, so I ordered a serving of that for myself. It certainly added a lot to my overstuffed feeling when we left the restaurant.

This was a remarkable experience for me. The restaurants to which I had gone in the past served different styles of barbeque. This was our first time to enjoy the Kansas City style of barbeque. I know that we will return here on our next visit to the town.

An opportunity to hear a "unique American art form" was our goal. Kansas City is renowned for its style of jazz, heard in a large number of different venues in the city. One of our friends told us about the Majestic Steakhouse, so my wife and I decided to spend an evening there.

The Majestic is located at 10th and Broadway in the Historic Fitzpatrick Saloon Building in downtown Kansas City. The old Fitzpatric Building was originally a saloon and bordello built in 1911. During the liquor Prohibition of the 1930's, the basement was used as a speakeasy and a meeting place for many of Kansas City's business and political leaders. The building was renovated in the mid- 1980s to its former grandeur and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Now it is one of the nicest steakhouses in the city.

My wife and I were surprised that we could not see or hear the jazz ensemble that we anticipated during our meal. Instead, we were serenaded by a solo acoustic guitar. The menu allowed us the opportunity to eat either pasta or steaks. We were regaled by the waiter and were very impressed by the service and the food. The prices, though, were steeper than many of the similar restaurants at which we often dine, ranging up to $35 (USD) for a steak. Still we enjoyed our evening.

We were directed to the basement of the building to listen to the jazz music that was being played. A group called the Bram Wijnands Trio was playing there. We were able to spend the rest of the evening listening to the excellent music and enjoying a choice of beers and mixed drinks.

The experience at The Majestic Steakhouse was superb. We were surprised by the prices at the restaurant, but the meal was delicious and we were well attended to by the staff. However, the time spent in the basement, where the jazz is played on a nightly basis, was worth the experience. All true jazz fans should give the Majestic a try.

A visit to Kansas City cannot be complete without a tour of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. My interest in baseball compelled me to go to the museum and see what was offered.

Upon entering the museum, the first thing that caught my attention was a 10,000 square-foot multi-media exhibit. It included two film exhibits, two video exhibits, and 15 computer interactive stations. The centerpiece of the exhibit was the "Field of Legends" which featured 12 life-sized bronze cast sculptures of the most important players in Negro Leagues history.

After walking through the main exhibit, I took my wife to the Double Play Action Center, a sports entertainment showcase in the museum. This center features the Power Alley Interactive Batting System, a high-tech computer and film simulator that allows visitors to bat against today's modern day baseball superstar pitchers.

Finally, a visit to the museum store allowed us to purchase souvenirs to take home. I was impressed to learn more of the history of the game from a different perspective than that which we see at most modern ballparks.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9am-6pm and Sunday from noon-6pm. Further information about the museum can be obtained by calling (816) 221-1920.

When my wife and I visited Kansas City, we were given the name of the Phoenix Piano Bar as a place to visit. We parked downtown and took a short walk from the convention center to find the facility. Once we entered the bar, we were transported into the famous KC Jazz scene.

We were told that the Phoenix is the place to go to experience the city's famous jazz scene. It hosts live bands seven nights a week and charges no cover. The room is small and we were cramped once we found a place at a table. This only contributed to a festive feeling. Some time around 8pm a jazz ensemble came on the stage and began performing. I really don't know who they were, but they played many of the favorites that my wife and I know.

While we were in the bar, we decided to have a light dinner and some beers. This place served salads, burgers, chips, and other typical bar food. They had a full bar, but the beers were not my favorites. I eventually settled for a Budweiser. However, the food was not bad, it was just a short selection. We felt that the quality of the music outweighed the food and other inconveniences.

The Phoenix has been rated as the best spot in Kansas City to hear lize jazz for the last 10 years. My wife and I were very pleased with the spot as an entertainment venue. We certainly hope to return in the near future.