After back-to-back trips to Fredericksburg, Chattanooga, and Chicago, I was looking forward to some downtime close to home. Fortunately, a chance to explore my own backyard presented itself.

June 2-4 I’ll visit Kansas City, KS, and enjoy many activities that, even as a lifelong resident, I’ve never tried. Sporting activities like Kansas City T-Bones, Sporting KC-Soccer Stadium, Frontier Justice, and Kansas Speedway; and, outdoor adventures like kayaking the Kansas River with Kansas City Kayak & Canoe and a Ninja Training Tour. Plus lots of authentic KC foods including BBQ at Slaps BBQ in the Strawberry Hill area.

I feel a KC (Kansas) travel guide (to complement my Best of Kansas City: 3-Day Itinerary about Missouri) is in my near future, haha. In the meantime, the experience will make for a great article in the July Evolving Magazine that will have our Summer/Fall Events Guide. Be prepared to read about some amazing adventures close to home this summer!

Itinerary

Saturday, June 2
Check in to Homewood Suites by Hilton Kansas City Speedway

This brand new property features all-suite accommodations and brings you the comforts of home and the convenience of the office. Enjoy complimentary hot breakfast, evening reception, a full kitchen, indoor pool, 24-hour fitness center and more.

6:30pm – 9:30pm–Kansas City T-Bones 

Get an in-depth look at the T-Bones Stadium, home to the Kansas City T-Bones minor league professional baseball team. Enjoy ballpark fare and beverages while watching the T-Bones in action.
The family-friendly intimate ballpark featuring between-inning fun, nightly promotions, free parking and most tickets priced under $10.

Sunday, June 3
8:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m.– Kayaking the Kansas River
We will begin our morning with a two-hour float up the Kansas River for a unique and scenic perspective of the city. KC Kayak and Canoe offer guided trips on the Kansas and Missouri Rivers and provide all the necessary equipment for a fun float trip.

The Lewis and Clark Park at Kaw Point, the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers is the very spot where the Lewis & Clark expedition arrived on June 26, 1804. They camped at Kaw Point for three days to rest, repair their boats and explore the surrounding area. Located along the river, the 10-acre park provides walking/biking trails, outdoor amphitheater, interpretive signs and access to the river.

11:30 a.m.—Slap’s BBQ
A hidden gem tucked away in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood, Slap’s BBQ serves up Kansas City’s finest award-winning ribs, burnt ends, sausage and more! Slap’s has been featured on the Food Network along with several other networks and publications, and recently teamed up with Heinz to create the KC Sweet & Smokey BBQ Sauce.

1:30 p.m.—Frontier Justice
Tour & FJ Simulator/ Range
Frontier Justice features more than 30,000 square feet with 18 shooting lanes, extensive firearms retail section, and a fashion boutique. Hone in on your accuracy in the simulator room or the shooting range.

3 p.m.—Zip KC
Ninja Training Tour
Be prepared to get down and dirty! This guided hike is approximately 2 miles long with various obstacles such as The great walls, bus cargo climb, balance beams, hurdles, rope climb, tractor tire jumps, walk across teeter-totters, A-Frame, slack lines, tire toss, high knee tires, 7 story stairs, bear crawl, gravel bluffs, tube crawl, peak jumps, the famous vertigo bus and many more.
6:30 p.m.—Sporting KC
Tour, Dinner & Game
Welcome to the Soccer Capital of America! Enjoy a behind the scenes stadium tour of Children’s Mercy Park, home to MLS team, Sporting KC. See the 2017 U.S. Open Cup champs in action while fueling up on food that’s fitting for champions.

Voted one of the most intimidating stadiums to play in the MLS, Children’s Mercy Park is a state-of-the-art venue that hosts 18,500 fans under a canopy roof that covers every seating section. All of the non-stop action is delivered on a 2,016-square-foot HD video board on the south end and the 550-square-foot HD video board on the north end.

Monday, June 4
9 a.m.–Kansas Speedway
Tour
Get a behind the scenes tour of Kansas Speedway. Walk through the infield, peek into the garages and Victory Lane and enjoy a panoramic view of the track from the President’s Suite.

Kansas Speedway features a 1.5-mile racetrack and a road course is a host to two NASCAR Spring Race Series, NASCAR Racing Experience driving school as well as many other events throughout the year.