We are honored to have so many of you follow us on our journeys, and enjoy all of the interaction we have with people. While traveling can be exhilarating, we try to have just as much fun when we are at home in Kansas City. There are so many options to enjoy in our city, which makes new date options limitless . It is easy to develop a plan that will fill an entire day, and we try to do this quite often. Here is a day of exploring we did on the KCK side of the metro.
It’s Okay To Wine A Little
We like to visit local wineries when we visit cities, and our city is no exception. While our go-to winery is Holyfield, it does sit in Basehor, which falls just outside of KCK. (You can read about Holyfield Winery here>) On this particular day we decided to stop in Rowe Ridge Winery, which is located at 11255 Leavenworth Road. Marc and Pamela Rowe started this local vineyard with 1000 vines in 2005. Of course, the plants do not start producing immediately, so their first bottling began in 2007. These days the vineyard holds about 2900 vines, which produce eight varieties of grapes.
The tasting room has ample seating for a nice get together, and they do rent out the space for special events. During our visit, Pam was the one to assist us with the tastings. On this particular day she had 2 white wines, 4 red wines, and a couple of fruit varieties available. Each one has its own unique flavors, and we slowly narrowed our choice to one. We chatted with Pam during our visit, and it was obvious that the couple has a love for what they do, which shines through in the quality of their wines. Rowe Ridge may not be the oldest winery around, but they are making a big splash in the region. We purchased a bottle for later, and bid our farewell.
Legendary Enjoyment
As we headed east, we stopped by the Legends Shopping Center for a little retail therapy. (One of our favorite past-times.) For so many years we were limited on our entertainment options in KCK, but that has all changed. To this day we still are amazed at the transformation that has taken place in our corner of the world. We strolled around the center, and mostly just window shopped. One of our favorite activities is people-watching, and this place is perfect. Just sitting by the fountain can be quite calming, and entertaining all in one. With dinner time looming, it was time to get up and start moving again. We did pop into Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for a couple of after dinner treats, before heading to the car.
A New Favorite
From the Legends it was not far to dinner at The Mason Jar. This locally owned eatery has a good selection of dishes, and we have enjoyed everything we have sampled. We have visited this place on multiple occasions, so we are becoming quite familiar with it’s menu. (You can read more about Mason Jar here>) On this day we both decided to try something different. We started with the CCQG, which is their version of Queso dip. It is quite flavorful, and the addition of a serving of guacamole is a definite bonus. We munched on this while we perused the menu.
Cluck, Cluck
We both really like the burgers at Mason Jar, but we wanted to explore the menu a little further. Crystal decided on the Grilled Chicken, which comes with roasted garlic Gouda mashed potatoes. She also got to choose one side vegetable, and her choice was the spinach. The grilled chicken was good, but nothing special, while the sides certainly stole the show. The potatoes were absolutely delicious. The combination of flavors was very inventive. She also enjoyed the sauteed spinach, which is accompanied by tomatoes, and topped with fresh Parmesan cheese.
In the past I have tried the Fish & Chips, which was quite satisfying. When I noticed the Fish Tacos I started leaning that way. After discussing it with our server, Ruby, I changed it to the Steak Tacos. What I received were two flour tortillas filled with diced ribeye steak. These are sprinkled with pickled onions, avocado slices, fresh cilantro, and Cotija cheese. The dish includes some salsa, as well as a bowl of seasoned black beans. The tacos were terrific. The flavors melded together, and the choice of using a good cut of meat makes them quite enjoyable. We chatted about our day, while we finished our dinner.
Rolling Thunder
Our plan was to finish our evening with a drive around Wyandotte County Lake. This is a popular route that offers some beautiful scenery. The goal was to enjoy a sunset view from the spillway, but a thunderstorm was making it’s way to the west side of town. Being adaptable, we instead lounged on the wall, while we watched the lightning roll across the sky. We enjoyed the view for quite a while, but as the sky darkened, it signaled the time for us to head home. Our day had been filled with leisurely activities, and each one would be pleasurable on its own. Put together, it made for a fun filled day just enjoying our hometown. What are some of your favorite things to do in KCK?
*We want to thank the Visit KCK for hosting our day. Rest assured that the opinions are all our own.
