Kansas City, A Friendly City

From 2011 0628 Kansas City

"Gotta find a friendly city
And that's the reason why,
I'm going to Kansas City
Kansas City here I come"
-- Wilbert Harrison

Visiting Kansas City for just one night, what do you do? We had to try the barbecue at Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue in the Country Club Plaza. We ordered the Roundup Dinner for Two (sliced beef, pork, ham, and pork spare ribs). Sublime.

But the song says Kansas City is a friendly city, not a tasty city. Did it live up to the lyrics? In the morning, we did a walking tour of KC's art museums. We started at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, then walked past the Kansas City Art Institute and ended up at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. But it was Tuesday. Due to budget constraints, the museum is now closed Mondays *and* Tuesdays, except for groups. Oops. Not to worry. Kansas City is a friendly city, right? Telling the friendly man at the door that we were from Texas, in town only for that one day, he got out his walkie-talkie and confirmed that one of the guides inside had a little free time to give us a personal escort. We were in! A quick look at the ancient art collection, then the Impressionists and post-Impressionists, concluding by private access to the special exhibition of Monet's Water Lilies, an enormous triptych assembled and on display together for the first time in a generation. Sublime. Kansas City deserves its reputation as a friendly city, indeed.

For more photos, look here.