About Kansas City, MO

Kansas City has the distinct classification of being two cities in one. The Missouri River runs through it, splitting the city into halves. Since the river also divides two states - Missouri and Kansas - the result is Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas. The Kansas City downtown area is in Missouri and the suburban areas are in Kansas.

Kansas City is the most centrally located large town in the U.S. Outside of the city is very rural with a majority of the land outside of town being used for farming. This makes for a lot of fresh meat and produce in the grocery stores and farmers markets, but you'll find a lack of fresh seafood. The main entre is barbeque, typically served in a sweet molasses tomato-style sauce served at the many outdoor concerts, movies on the lawn, fireworks shows, festivals, and other events.

Kansas City is very accessible by Amtrak trains which run in and out of the city during all hours of the day and night, and reaching every border of the U.S. For people coming from out of town into the city by train, the Union Station itself is a neat place to explore. It has an interactive museum named Science City, an extreme screen movie theatre that has a massive 80 feet by 53 feet screen, and various restaurants and souvenir shops.

Across from Union Station is the Liberty Memorial which is the only WWI museum in the country.

But perhaps the main attraction in Kansas City is the Kansas Speedway. The track is not only reserved for NASCAR drivers, however. You can also drive a racecar down the track through the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

The Country Club Plaza is where people go to shop. It's an area that encompasses 15 blocks which includes shops, restaurants, and a movie theatre. This is a popular destination around Christmas that is celebrated with buildings draped in Christmas lights that creates beautiful scenery at night.

The Power and Light District is another part of town that is gaining popularity due to efforts to restore it. It's another shopping and entertainment hub in the city and has been a revitalization project since 2008.

As you explore the different parts of town, you might notice some of the 200 fountains that early architects of Kansas City built in order to enhance the urban landscape with a more Roman feel. In fact, only Rome itself has more fountains than Kansas City!