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Kansas City: The Ultimate Teddy Graham Destination

January 5, 2009 at 4:30 PM | by | Comments (0)

Everyone enjoys Teddy Grahams, but does anyone ever say, Hey, I'm going to go to the store to buy Teddy Grahams? No, they make late night runs for Peanut M&M's or Oreos--or more booze. Jenna from HotelChatter explains how KC is the same as a they're-pretty-good box of cookies.

When Kansas City was named one of Smarter Travel's 5 Destinations to Watch in 2009, I--much like you--was a little bit... confused. Certainly I'd agree that there's nothing wrong with Kansas City--I'd gone once before and found it to be perfectly lovely (and the November foliage was spectacular)--but suffice it to say ol' K-C-Mo wouldn't be the first destination to dance into my head if I were fantasizing about my next getaway.

But it just so happened that I had another trip to KC scheduled for New Year's Eve--the crowds and the cold on the gritty NYC streets had gotten the best of me by year's end--so I headed into the great Midwest with an open mind and a pleasant attitude in tow, ready to embrace all the supposedly up-and-coming destination had to offer an East Coaster.

First up, I gotta give some love to the cost: Going from LaGuardia to MCI directly on Midwest was in the low 200's on a holiday, and, yes, I got those free ooey-gooey chocolate chip cookies on the flight.

If you're into shopping, KC offers just as much as any other major city. (But there was nothing I couldn't find there that I couldn't also find in Dallas, my favorite shopping destination.) Oak Park Mall could stand up to any in Big D, but my personal favorite was the upscale Country Club Plaza. From Tiffany and Burberry to a North Face store and a Brooks Brothers, the outdoor shopping area was all I could've wanted--and the Christmas lights all around the area gave the whole place a bit of a magical feel at night. Magic in Kansas City? Guess so.

The city's brand new Power and Light District makes for a surprisingly kick-ass nightlife scene, making it the area for trendy restaurants and places to see and be seen. Gung-ho club-going types should report directly to Mosaic.

Overall there were lots of pleasant chains and pleasant people who smiled at one another for no reason--a big change from New York--and the downtown area is, without a doubt, on the upswing. Almost everything looks clean and new, and for an NYC dweller, a jaunt to Kansas City is a breath of fresh air in more ways than one. But would it be my first choice for a vacay? Probably not, and in terms of destinations to watch, I still don't get why Smarter Travel gave KC the distinction. Consider it a contender for the "Most Improved Player" or "Shiniest Midwest City" or "Most Pleasant Place to Spend Three Days" award. But stacked up against Vilnius, Peru and Vancouver, KC's the Teddy Graham of the bunch.

Related Stories:
· Missed Connections: Kansas City, Here I Come [Jaunted]

[Photo: timsamoff]

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