Kansas City Things to Do

Sitting on a hill above the Kaw (Kansas) River valley is a brick home built in 1857, one of the first in Kansas. Its original owners were Moses Grinter, operator of the first ferry service in the territory of Kansas, and his wife Annie, a member of the Delaware tribe. The home's interior is furnished just as it might have been 150 years ago.

Open for tours Saturday afternoons from 1-5 only due to cutbacks in state funding. My visit was on a cool early spring day when I was the only person there. The state historian on duty was most informative and generous with his time.

For additional pictures and comments, see my Grinter House Travelogue.

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The Lewis and Clark Expedition camped four nights at Kaw Point in what is now the West Bottoms area of Kansas City, Kansas. This site is the confluence of the Missouri and Kaw (Kansas) Rivers. Captain Clark wrote that "the Countrey about the mouth of this river is verry fine," and the explorers recommended a fort be built there at some future time. (Obviously they were not aware of the periodic floods that inundate this area.)

The skyline of Kansas City, Missouri can be see behind the explorer silhouette, on the opposite side of the rivers. Visitors can take advantage of several walking trails, and view historic memorials.

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While looking for a small town in Kansas we made a wrong turn and at a distance we saw rows of cars, horse trails causing traffic. At these point we were at HWY 35, we stopped and looked for a parking lot amogst others. Got of the vehicle and just followed the crowed and found an "auction place". Horse can be bought between the price of five dollars on to about five hundred dollars or more. Here are photos which will give you idea how auctions run.

Knowing how expensive it would be to get a massage in the US, I was thrilled when my best friend, EI found a reasonable place to get a massage for US$39. Now, this is still pricier than back home in Malaysia, but hey, the spa queen desperately needs her massage on a regular basis.

Massage Envy is the place. With branches spread out across the US, they are pretty accessible. Of course, the pricing above is only for 1st time visitors and you can still enjoy this rate if you sign up for their package.

Everything runs like clockwork in the States and so is this establishment. During your 1 hour session, you get 5 mins to choose your massage, 5 mins to change out of your clothes and 5 mins to put them back. In essence, your massage is only 45 mins.

Therapists here are pretty well trained and don't forget to tip them if you're happy with their service.

Ambience is basic but comfortable. Would I go back? Well, this is what I can afford in the US.

300 acres with
- 30 acres of gardens and turf
- 70 acres of prairie
- 200 acres of wooded natural area
- nearly 5 miles of paved and wood chip hiking trails

Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens offer unexpected pleasures to everyone of all ages, in all seasons.

We came here in mid Oct'07 hoping to catch the trees dressed in its fall glory but the warm weather this year delayed autumn's arrival.

Still, it was fun to walk around this spacious place with beautiful flowers, shrubs, tress, water features, sculptures etc to enjoy. We wondered on the hiking trails meandering next to Wolf Creek, taking pictures, enjoying the sun and what nature has to offer.

Great job Mother Nature!

Check out Overland Park Arboretum travelogue for pictures of this beautiful place.

Open seven days a week
8 a.m.-7:30 p.m., April 10-Sept. 30
8 a.m.-5 p.m., Oct. 1-April 9
Closed Christmas Day

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At the very least, tens of thousands of people see this KCK landmark every day, as it is quite visible from Interstate 35. It sits high on a bluff above I-35, the Kansas River valley, and the massive railroad yards. Yet few people know what it actually is, why it exists, or have made their way to the arch itself.

Rosedale was one of those communities that became part of Kansas City, Kansas. In 1923, this arch was dedicated to those from Rosedale who served and sacrificed during the Great War, now known as WWI. It was designed by a local resident who apparently liked Paris' Arc de Triumph. In recent years, a smaller monument has been placed between the pillars of the arch to honor America's soldiers in other wars.

In the second photo (in landscape format), you can faintly see the skyline of Kansas City, Missouri, in the background, as well as a grain elevator below and to the left, a reminder of KC's economic dependence on agribusiness.

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I'm not normally effected much by visiting cemeteries, but a walk through the Huron Indian Cemetery and being aware of its sad history did impact me.

More than 400 members of the Wyandot tribe are buried here, most in unmarked graves. A large number of those died after the forced relocation of the Wyandot nation from Ohio to Kansas Territory, victims of typhoid fever and cholera. In the 1840s and 50s, this sacred burial place was on a high point overlooking the junction of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, but in time became prime commercial land in the heart of downtown Kansas City, Kansas. An attempt to sell the acreage to developers led to a long, drawn-out legal and political battle. According to Marci Penner's "The Kansas Guidebook for Explorers," Eliza and Helena Conley established their own fort (a shack over their parents' graves) in which they endured the elements for three years to protest the sale of the cemetery. In In 1910, Eliza argued the case before the US Supreme Court, the first Native American woman to do so. She lost her case, but in 1913, Kansas Senator (and Kanza Indian) Charles Curtis persuaded Congress to strike down the sale. One of the attached photos shows the modern headstones used to mark the Conley graves.

Even in recent years, use of this land has been central between court battles between the tribe and the State of Kansas, this time over the Wyandot's use of a building adjacent to the cemetery as a casino. At this writing, the state holds the upper hand.

Sadly, many of the headstones are damaged or missing, such as that marking the grave of Wyandot Chief George Clark. I suspect that much of this is due to vandalism, not the ravages of time. Sad, sad, sad.

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Argentine, another neighborhood with its own identity and history, was an independent city until it was incorporated into Kansas City, Kansas, in 1910. It's name is derived from a prosperous silver smelting plant, now long-closed. One part of Argentine is still known as Silver City. Prior to that, the land was part of the Shawnee Indian reservation, and the grave of the great Shawnee prophet Tensquatawa is located on private property within the city.

This amazing mural traces the history of Argentine from the Hopewells, the earliest known Indian tribe in the area, to contemporary times. The mural is 200 yards long (equivalent to two football fields), and varies slightly in height according to the terrain of the hill behind it, but for the most part is 30 foot tall. I was shocked when I first saw it, not expecting anything so overwhelming in size and scope.

Jesus Ortiz served as art director for the project, assisted by a team of six artists from Kansas City and Mexico. It was dedicated in August of 1998.

In addition to the photos here, I have entered a travelogue with photos of the wall, including some details. Whenever possible, I have entered an explanation of the photo.

Sitting high on the bluff overlooking the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, this church is the spiritual home of the Kansas City, Kansas, Croatian community.

There is a marvelous view of the Kansas City, Missouri, skyline from the mini-park across the street.

A tranquil refuge in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, located next to the historic Huron Cemetery. Pictured here on a cold, blustery St. Patricks's Day after the daffodils and hyacinths have already bloomed. Two days later, these flowers will be covered with snow.