Kansas City may not be the first place you think of when planning your summer vacation, but we have taken the time to compile a list of seven reasons why it should definitely make the cut.
- Worlds of Fun amusement park features Prowler, a wooden roller coaster with 200-foot drops and sky-high loops; Prowler’s secret weapons are speed, twists and turns. Ride it once and you’ll realize it’s not just the best coaster in the park, but one of the best in the world. Prowler was named “Best New Ride in the World” in 2009 by Amusement Today. It is 85 feet high, 3,074 feet long and has a ride time of 2 minutes, 30 seconds.
- The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is a two-part museum experience, and one of the nation’s largest encyclopedic art museums. This summer, for a limited time only, the museum has reunited the three panels of a Monet Water Lily Triptych, which is one of only 2 Monet triptychs in the U.S. These 3 panels are being reunited for the first time in more than 30 years. You can take a free pedicabs to/from the Country Club Plaza. This exhibition will run through August 7th, so don’t wait!
- Schlitterbahn Kansas City, the nation’s largest waterpark, features the world’s longest tidal wave river. You can enjoy riding on tubes, coasting through the 1,800 feet of waterways. The best part? This ride’s design prevents guests from having to wait in line. The park is also debuting the region’s only surf ride, plus several other new slides and attractions this summer.
- Have you been searching for a new and exciting ice cream flavor to enjoy this summer? Well, Kansas City might have your answer: roasted beet and goat cheese ice cream! No, we’re not joking. Christopher Elbow’s ice cream shop, Glacé, asked their fans to “Come up with an inspired flavor and [we’ll] find a way to make it.” The result was roasted beet and goat cheese ice cream, a strangely incredible balance of sweet and savory that you won’t find anywhere else. Glacé was even named one of Food & Wine’s top 25 ice cream spots in the U.S. Other ice cream flavors they feature include: bananas foster, peanut butter and jelly, and cream cheese and cherries.They are located off the Country Club Plaza in KCMO and also at One Nineteen in Leawood, Kansas.
- KC has no shortage of BBQ and one of our absolute favorite spots is Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue, which serves not only the biggest rib, but also one of the best. It’s called the crown prime beef short rib. There are four locations in the Kansas City metro area, but we recommend the original, located in Martin City. Some of our other favorite items on the menu include: baked beans, spare ribs and cheesy corn bake.
- Have you always dreamed about having a ten-course dinner? No we hadn’t either, but we’re sure happy it exists! Bluestem, one of Kansas City’s best restaurants, offers their guests the opportunity to eat 10 courses of delicious food. Their 10 courser comes with “surprises”, and by surprises, they mean yet more courses. Just so you know, each course is between three and four ounces and the menu consists of four to five hot and cold “appetizers”, three to four meat and fish courses, and two or three desserts. Bluestem chef, Colby Garrelts, was a Food & Wine Best New Chef and a five-time nominee for James Beard’s Best Chef: Midwest award.
- You don’t need to go to France for delicious cheese. Weston, MO is a 45 minute drive from KC and once you’re there, you can watch the artisans at Green Dirt Farm make up some amazing cheese. They offer farm tours, by appointment only, which start in the field and end in the kitchen. You can purchase a cross section of cheeses at the Green Dirt Store and learn to pair a variety of cheeses with beer and wine at their cheese appreciation events. If you are interested, you can even learn to make cheese at a cheese-making workshop, which is held off site.
Now, if that doesn’t sound like a summer vacation you’re interested in taking, you must be impossible to please. Kansas City offers amusement parks, water parks, and an over-abundance of good food - what more could you ask for?
