Road Tripping To Kansas City

Ah, Kansas City! Home of good barbeque, baseball history, and great attractions.

Now, there may be some people who say that Kansas City is not exactly a good summer getaway destination because of the weather that the midsection of the country usually encounters. However – and let’s be real for a moment – the entire world is experiencing some sort of climate anomaly.

For now, put that aside and let’s talk about why you should take a road trip down to Kansas City…shall we?

The largest city along the Missouri-Kansas border is a six-and-a-half hour drive down Interstate 35 from the Twin Cities to almost the center of the country. It has plenty to offer an LGBTQ+ traveler, as well as to fulfill many interests. Sports is a huge attraction, along with the primary culinary attraction – Kansas City barbeque.

At its core, Kansas City-style barbeque is defined with its thick, sweet sauce over slowly smoked meat. Across the city, you have over 100 places to enjoy this local delicacy. You could go over to Joe’s (3002 W 47^th Ave., Kansas City, KS) – especially the former gas station on the Kansas side. It is worth the wait to get your taste on.

Or, you can venture onto some of the lesser known places on the city’s East Side – east of Troost Avenue. To get an immersive experience, find yourself in the 18^th & Vine District where the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum are located.

Kansas City-style barbeque is not the only culinary game in town. If you venture past the Power & Light and Crossroads Districts along Southwest Boulevard, you can sample around 30 Mexican restaurants for some authentic cuisine in the heart of the city’s primary Latino community.

Further south is where the LGBTQ+ community has its heart – Midtown and Westport.

Obviously, you’ve heard of Hamburger Mary’s (3700 Broadway Boulevard, Kansas City, MO). It is the primary place for LGBTQ+ Nightlife. However, there are other places to explore, such as Missie B’s, Woody’s, Sidekicks Saloon, and, opening this fall, Q Kansas City. To add to your culinary exploration, Bistro 303 (303 Westport Rd., Kansas City, MO) is an LGBTQ+-owned restaurant and cocktail bar.

There are plenty of places that offer the heart of Kansas City. One is downtown, along with the Power & Light and Crossroads Districts. The second is south along the Kansas City Streetcar down to Crown Center where Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial are located. The park on top of the hill overlooking Union Station makes for a spectacular view of the city.

However, one heart of the city that is close to the LGBTQ+ community is Country Club Plaza. Designed in 1922 with a mix of Spanish architecture and European art, this open-air shopping hub offers 70 stores and 20 places to eat – 45 of which are locally owned. One such locally – and LGBTQ+ – owned place to eat is Cafe Trio (4558 Main St., Kansas City, MO) nearby to the Plaza, Westport, and museums. They’re only open for dinners, so plan accordingly.

After a shopping excursion – and possible brunch – at the Plaza or in Westport, take a leisurely drive along Ward Parkway. The lawns, the trees, the homes…there’s no need to rush. Just cruise and enjoy. If you go past the Ward Parkway Shops, you’ve gone too far.

As for a place to stay, there are plenty of accommodations across the city and region that are friendly for LGBTQ+ travelers. However, there is one that is LGBTQ+-owned – the Truitt Hotel (4320 Oak St., Kansas City, MO). This boutique hotel is a walk from the Plaza and nearby museums. After that long drive down, rest assured that there is complimentary parking on the property.

Since some of us are sports-minded, check out the latest team in town – the Kansas City Current. This professional women’s soccer club is owned by Patrick and Brittany Mahomes – one of which happen to be the quarterback of the reigning Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. They play at CPKC Stadium near River Market – a brand-new soccer-only facility. If you want to see our Minnesota teams on the road, there’s plenty of choices to the east and west of downtown with the Chiefs and Royals at the Truman Sports Complex and Sporting KC out in Village West on the Kansas side.

After driving down to Kansas City – and all-around town – you may want a break from the hubbub of it all. RideKC operates a Streetcar line connecting River Market with Union Station. The best part is that rides are free. By 2026, the line will be extended to new north to the Berkley Riverfront Park and south along Main Street towards Country Club Plaza. All of this is to link its growing service towards covering more attractions within the city.

These are just a few great ideas to make your road trip to Kansas City a fun one. We’re just scratching the surface here. In putting this altogether, I recalled a couple of journeys I took to the City of Fountains in recent years to piece this altogether.

One was a 24-hour run with a group of automotive enthusiasts back in 2018, that consisted of a Waffle House breakfast in Liberty, Missouri, a car meet out near Olathe, Kansas, a stop at Boulevard Brewing Company, back into Kansas for some good barbeque at Joe’s, and to grab some Krispy Kreme donuts on the way back onto Interstate 35.

Then, I took a solo drive down there in 2020 – a few months into the COVID-19 Pandemic. Things were somewhat open with restrictions, but it was worth the risk. I spent a couple of nights in Kansas City during the Independence Day weekend, tooling around town and hitting some notable stops that I missed that first go-round.  Not to mention, a great view of the fireworks going off near Union Station.

Planning any road trip requires a lot of research and planning, along with getting the logistics and budget just right to have as much fun at your destination. My tip is give yourself some time for your exploration of Kansas City and don’t rush your time while you’re there. You just might miss something.

Pack up the car with your significant other, group of friends, or your emotional support [fill in the blank] – and bring your whole self to Kansas City. It’s just six-plus hours away down Interstate 35. When you get there, just enjoy the City of Fountains and soak it all in!

www.visitkc.com/lgbtq