Review A Kansas City Vacation
Named after the Kansa Indians who settled along the Missouri River, Kansas City blends old and new, city and prairie. It’s often been called the “City of Fountains” since it boasts more outdoor water features than any other city, Rome excepted. Music flows freely, too, especially in the form of jazz. That legacy can still be heard at the famous 18th & Vine Historic District or at City Market. Architecture, most notably the sixty-plus examples of Art Deco styling, are also prominent. Other attractions include Science City at Union Station, the Kansas City Zoo, and the Arabia Steamboat Museum. For grown ups, Kansas City’s riverboat casinos are a huge draw, as are the city's hometown teams, the NFL Chiefs and MLB Royals.
With more than 200 aquatic displays, Kansas City boasts more fountains than any other city in the world, with the exception of Rome. Many of the city’s fountains are found at Country Club Plaza.
Prior to the founding of Kansas City, the area was known as Westport. The settlement, built along the Santa Fe Trail, served as an outfitting center for wagons heading west.
Who doesn’t love a Hallmark commercial? Headquarters for the world’s largest maker of greeting cards are based in Kansas City. The complex in which the company resides, Crown Center, also houses an 85-acre shopping mall and a covered outdoor skating rink.
Kansas City, here I come! A mecca for the modern jazz style of the 20s and 30s, Kansas City attracted musicians from across the U.S., thanks in part to the city’s stable economy. Jazz greats Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Big Joe Turner, Buster Smith and Jay McShann all have musical roots here. In the mid-30s, Kansas City had well over 400 night clubs, cabarets, burlesque houses and dance halls, earning it the nickname "Paris of the Plains."
Many of Americans’ favorite things were invented in the Heart of America, including Teflon, Eskimo Pies, Rival Crock Pots, the candy coating on M&M’s, the wax coated ice cream container, Wishbone salad dressing, and the McDonald’s Happy Meal. Thanks, Kansas City! You’ve made life much easier and more enjoyable!