![\"tornado\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/tornado.jpeg\")
<\/a>I swear this is what the wind felt like<\/p><\/div>\n
Never let it be said that Mr. Hammerstein wasn’t the very essence of understatement. \u00a0Hays, Kansas was the next stop on our journey to Kansas City. \u00a0It is the largest city in western Kansas, boasting a population of over 20,000 hearty people and no Starbucks. \u00a0As we drove up to the hotel we made the “rookie” error of facing the car into the wind. \u00a0As it turns out, there was a tornado watch in effect. \u00a0I had to use both arms to push the car door open, and then attempt a quick exit before the door could swing back and crush me. \u00a0Welcome to Kansas. \u00a0Once in the lobby, my husband casually asked the clerk if the hotel had a storm shelter. \u00a0“Well, no,” she chirped, “everyone just crowds into the laundry room.” \u00a0My husband paled. \u00a0“So..”, he asked, “you must not have many guests staying here tonight.” \u00a0After a quick consult with her computer she looked up and said brightly, “Well, actually we’re almost full so if we do have a tornado some people will just have to take shelter under the stairwell.” \u00a0We slept with one eye open and one foot on the floor. \u00a0In the event of disaster we were going to be the first people wedged between the washer and dryer.<\/p>\n
As we left Hays the next morning, bleary-eyed from our own “tornado watch” and no Starbucks, we were dismayed to see that the scenery had not improved overnight. \u00a0I could write about how very boring the drive was but then that would make for a pretty boring post. \u00a0Let me just leave it at this: \u00a0If ever you get the wild idea to drive through western Kansas – DON”T.<\/p>\n
Luckily, 90 minutes down the road is the city of Salina, which not only HAS a Starbucks but is the demarkation point for where the terrain changes. \u00a0I don’t think those two things are related but you never know. \u00a0Within the space of a mile, suddenly the flat, dry plain became luscious, rolling \u00a0green hills. \u00a0As we made our way toward Kansas City the vistas became more beautiful, until we finally arrived at our destination – Leawood, Kansas – home to our newly-relocated family.<\/p>\n
<\/a>A typical neighborhood fountain<\/p><\/div>\n
We set out immediately to get to know the area. \u00a0First of all, Kansas City is known as “the city of fountains”. \u00a0This picture (right) is on our daughter’s home street and is pretty typical of the neighborhood fountains. \u00a0Both my husband and I come from California and have seen some pretty fancy neighborhoods but we both agreed that we have never seen so many contiguous miles of beautiful homes. \u00a0These places were so big they would make Donald Trump happy. \u00a0There are parks everywhere and wide boulevards with medians filled with huge trees, colorful flowers and, yes, more fountains. No less a journalist than\u00a0Edward R. Murrow\u00a0<\/strong>once described Kansas City as “the Paris of the Plains”. \u00a0Alas, that was not due to its beauty or the meandering river that runs through the center of town. \u00a0He was referring to the fact that during the heyday of Prohibition, Kansas City had a\u00a0\u00a0reputation for debauchery. \u00a0Thanks to its corrupt police commissioner,\u00a0not a single citizen was convicted of manufacturing, transporting, selling or even possessing booze during the 13-year period when alcohol was banned nationwide.The wide-open party town attracted both the criminal and the creative, including jazz musicians who made the city one of the most exciting of the time. At the height of Kansas City\u2019s heyday in the 1930s, there were more than 100 jazz clubs hosting performances and jam sessions that would launch the careers of musicians such as Count Basie<\/strong> and Charlie Parker<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Plaza – bring your credit card<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Today things are a bit more sedate. \u00a0The crown jewel of the city is Country Club Plaza, or just “The Plaza”. \u00a0It was the first shopping center in the world designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile. \u00a0It was patterned architecturally after Seville, Spain, with wide streets, tiled roofs and, you guessed it, more fountains. \u00a0<\/strong>Even the chain stores and restaurants somehow look better here, which shows you what a good city planner can wrestle from a monolithic corporation. \u00a0For example, the outside eating area of the Cheesecake Factory<\/strong> is in a cobble-stoned courtyard, planted with fabulous flowers and of course, the requisite fountain. \u00a0I think the beautiful surroundings might make you forget that you’re ingesting a 2,000 calorie salad. \u00a0There is every store imaginable on The Plaza but one that is truly unique to Kansas City is Hall’s<\/strong>. \u00a0As in Hallmark Cards, which happens to be headquartered in Kansas City. \u00a0Hall’s is so upscale that their motto ought to be “where you care to spend the very most”. \u00a0The influence of the Hallmark corporation is everywhere and suffice it to say that every gas station and grocery store have displays of Hallmark Cards that would make one of our local Gold Crown stores weep.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0But the real reason to visit Kansas City is to eat some of its famous barbecue. \u00a0Our kids suggested that we go to Jack Stack BBQ,<\/strong> which\u00a0has been in business for over 50years. \u00a0“Diet” and “BBQ” do not intersect at Jack Stack. \u00a0We started with their baked onion rings. \u00a0“Baked” \u00a0means low-cal, right? \u00a0I further deluded myself into ordering the baby back ribs, on the theory there wouldn’t be as much meat on them as a half-pound burger. \u00a0Delicious doesn’t begin to cover it. Instead of the greasy, drippy ribs I’m used to, these were succulent and fall-off-the-bone tender with a smokey flavor. \u00a0I would have licked the plate if there weren’t so many people around. \u00a0Hell, I would have licked the plate with<\/em> so many people around but I thought setting a good example for our grandsons was paramount. \u00a0I discovered that Jack Stack has a mail order division that ships anywhere. \u00a0I think I’m in big trouble.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We left for home the following day, still longing to see more of KC, and with what can only be described as a “rib hangover”. \u00a0We’ll have to save further exploration for our next trip. \u00a0Which – make no mistake – we will do by plane. \u00a0We were thoroughly impressed by the city and its surroundings. \u00a0Although we have both traveled to most large U.S. cities for either business or pleasure, neither of us had ever heard of Kansas City as a place to visit. \u00a0As our son-on-law so accurately said, “Kansas City isn’t just below the radar, it isn’t even\u00a0on\u00a0<\/em>the radar.” \u00a0Whatever the reason, we were happy to discover this charming, beautiful city. As Dorothy once said, “we’re not in Kansas anymore” and we’re sorry we’re not.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson “Where the wind comes whistling down the plain” … Oscar Hammerstein.\u00a0 Never let it be said that Mr. Hammerstein wasn’t the very essence of understatement. \u00a0Hays, Kansas was the next stop on our journey to Kansas … read more<\/a>\n
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