So the secret is out, even though most of you already know that this is where I live. Anyhow, with our impending move out of the area, I've been thinking about all the things that I'll miss about this wonderful city (and of course, things that I won't miss).
Barbecue: Every time we returned to Kansas City after a trip out of town, the first thing we would eat was barbecue. We ate Jack Stack a lot because of convenience. And while it is so very good, our hands down favorite is Oklahoma Joe's, found inside a gas station. Mmm. So good. My personal favorites were OK Joe's Hog Heaven and Jack Stack's burnt ends. Thank goodness for mail order, although you can't package that wafting smell that you get when you drive into the parking lot. Oh mercy!
Frozen custard: Even though this can be found all over the country, there is none better than Sheridan's Frozen Custard. We have been going to the various locations throughout the metro ever since we moved out here ten years ago. We used to make our "calcium trips" with our good friends, who have since moved to greener (and I should add, "sandier") pastures. We made our last trip to the frozen dessert place this week. I almost wept as I drove away.
No traffic: The wide open spaces out here have lent themselves to two basic perks in the driving realm: no traffic and convenient parking. The parking lots and spots are spacious enough so that I rarely had to worry about dinging my car. And a Kansas Citian's idea of a traffic jam is a 15 minute delay at the peak of rush hour. Oh and the delays caused by the ongoing construction to widen the already W I D E highways. And did I mention all the people making left turns from the right lane, and right turns from the left lane? That is not why they are widening the roads, people!
The Plaza: This is where I used to work. And I loved being able to skip out of work and into the many bars and restaurants in the Plaza to drown my sorrows or celebrate milestones. The kids loved to walk around here and stop off for a special treat, or browse the stores, or just look at the fountains.
The Power and Light District: This is the new place to be. The Sprint Center does not have a "home team" so they have lots of great acts coming in, like Garth Brooks, Bon Jovi, The Police, Bruce Springsteen, and even High School Musical and Disney Princesses in Ice (oooh!). There are great restaurants and bars, and even a bowling alley. The bars all open up into a courtyard, where you can enter once you have been carded and stamped, then you can just hangout in the courtyard with your beverage of choice, and move from one bar to another. Pretty cool this time of year. Sorry we will not know you past your infancy, P&L. Best wishes to you and your drunken clientele.
The Royals: One of the worst teams in MLB history, it is the only professional sports team that our entire family will root for together. My husband, being a Red Cocks fan, and I, being a Yankees fan, we fought numerous times over what team our children would root for. Well, the children showed us, when at yet another losing game, our daughter went for a walk with Daddy, only to return to her seat with a brand new, pink Royals jersey and matching baseball hat.
The Jayhawks: The only other sports team that we all root for as a family. When we first moved out here, the Men's basketball team was supposed to win the Division I NCAA Championship. Now, ten years, two coaches, several chokings, numerous four letter words, and many triumphs later, they have finally done it. Best in the nation. We like to think of it as their parting gift to us. They most likely think otherwise.
Well, here's to a wonderful city that jump-started our marriage, gave us a wonderful place to start a family, allowed us to advance our careers, gave us an affordable cost of living, introduced us to a great group of friends, and taught us to keep an open mind (I'm actually starting to appreciate country music!). Thanks for the great memories! Now let's get the heck outta Dodge!
