Would be nice if this was passed down within the family of those that would take care of this…read moreplace. Being part of Sauer, sadly most of my mom's side of the family is still racist. Wasn't able to take part of both my grandparents funerals due to my race. Mostly the men in the family but regardless of the facts. This castle isn't being taken care of and up for sale with an ridiculous price. We also have a Castle located in Germany, along with family crest. Kind of unique to be apart of a family history but not really accepted.

Sauer Castle is in the National Register of Historic Places, it's a Kansas City must-see if you've…read morenever taken the haunting trip to the top of the bluff where this mansion sits undisturbed for decades. In high school, from Miege to St. Teresa's Academy, crossing state lines, the rumors about Sauer were EPIC and very popular to tell around Halloween. Sauer castle is haunted, according to the ghostly experts and as the story goes... During the Civil War a man leaves his wife to go fight. She waits for him for years, longing for his return and reading his infrequent letters home. Towards wars end, she receives his final letter stating that he is coming home on a certain day on a certain ferry and requesting that she wait for him. When he never arrived, she believed he was dead and frenzied, she hung herself in the infamous bell tower. Her husband, alive, missed his ferry home and later arrived to find his wife dead. It is said that in the front yard he shot himself. Sauer Castle was built by the German immigrant Anton Sauer and has remained in the family for 5 generations - in which the castle has seen many more deaths of natural and unnatural causes. Legend has it that treasure is buried here (however sources say this rumor began from the original fact that the house was built over an antique storage of wine.) Other legends include there is a secret tunnel leading to the Kaw River (others distort this rumor to make it a slave tunnel), or that the ghost of Mary Sauer stands in the windows of the fourth floor looking out onto her property at night. There was a man who died of tuberculosis here, a baby died as well within these walls, and a child was drown. Perhaps what solidified its eerie persona is the foreboding sign in the front that reads: PRIVATE PROPERTY, TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED! BEWARE OF DOGS! Here's where I come into the story: I was young and stupid, it was a boring Friday night and my friends and I thought it would be something to talk about on Monday if we somehow got into Sauer Castle and checked out if it were haunted for ourselves. With my two other good friends, we set out on the property while two other friends waited in the car for our return. What we weren't aware of was that three guard dogs that could have well ripped me apart were stationed around the house. I was only cognizant of one, chained to a large radius of land towards the front of the house, but in truth there were two more. We steered clear of this one dog and kept to the side of the house until we came upon the old slave quarters behind the property. It was here we saw a small window opening to the basement of Sauer Castle...STUPID, STUPID me...I went in (after my two friends.) And what we saw was no different than the last scene of the Blair Witch Project, an empty stone basement with nothing in it but AN ACTUAL STONE WELL in the very center...creepy as all hell. That's when we saw the caretaker with a flashlight and rifle coming towards us. My two dear 'friends' climbed out of there first leaving me with no cell phone light, no knee to climb on. I had to scratch my way up with them pulling on my arms as I had been entirely alone in Sauer Castle. Finally, the three of us hauled ass to the car and sped off before we were caught as trespassers and prosecuted!!! Oh, what a night...something I will NEVER do again and a story I will NEVER forget. Is Sauer Castle haunted? From the fright of feeling trapped in the stone basement with nothing beside me but an old well...I would say yes.

Christmas In The Park is an annual family Christmas tradition for us! We go at least once or twice…read morea year! They add more lights and attractions each year. The wait and car lines are always long, so I would advise getting there early and not going during the weekend. Try to go during the week if at all possible! Whether you live in Lee Summit or outside the area, it is definitely worth the trip to experience this wonderful lighting display! Personally, our family brings hot chocolate and we tune into the station provided by the park, and sing holiday sounds during our weight and the drive through the park. This is a Christmas time must do item!

It's a tradition that I'm very excited to finally get to start with my own family and it's always…read morefun and cute. Grab some hot chocolate turn on Christmas songs and ride around with the family,your spouse or friends and it's a wonderful experience.

Great bridge to run or walk across for some pretty views of the Missouri River!…read more I appreciate that they have an elevator as well as stairs so it's more accessible. This reminds me of running along the Schuylkill River in Philly!

Came here because I was so close from being at the City Market because I wanted to see the view. It…read morewas a pretty short bridge to the river and the views were nice but I'm not going to call it spectacular because all you can really see is the river and a couple of bridges. The area is pretty industrial. You can also go downstairs which I didn't really have time to but there's paths where you can walk and run and also get a different view. Overall a quick stop if you have some time. A good escape from a busy area to sip a coffee or something (which is what I did...)

I'm told that every first Friday weekend in the West Bottoms (Fri.-Sun.), a historic district comes…read morealive and is home to antiques and boutiques which are open late. We weren't so fortunate to be there on those days however but still managed a couple of trips to this industrial district. I'm an amateur shutter-bug and places like this intrigue me. The empty streets, abandoned buildings, railroad tracks and rawness appeals to me and the fact that this was the heart and soul of Kansas City back in the day feeds my desire to learn about the history of this beautiful city. We came late in the afternoon and just walked the streets. A few shops were open but the majority of them were closed. Best way I can describe the place is it's pretty-ugly. Not everyone can appreciate the beauty in worn out, dilapidated buildings. I loved it! Stockyard warehouses with the broken glass windows, fire escapes that precariously dangle on the sides of buildings, thistle laden lots, the painted signs on the sides of brick walls - everything was a photo op. My biggest faux-pas? I didn't pack my "good" camera and it was amusing to walk around fairly unplugged with only an i-phone to shoot with (and to top it off, my storage was full LOL!!). I guess that was a sign from the universe allowing me to experience the West Bottoms. Some blocks of the Bottoms was so quiet it was eerie! I could sense something or someone watching from above or somewhere. Loved it all! Beautiful and would certainly come back again. We saw a few homeless people walking around with their shopping carts but overall, felt safe. I would hate to see this place excessively commercialized and I'm so happy to see that tenants are filling the empty warehouses and embracing KC's historical past and merging it with the new.

I have a strange fascination with the West Bottoms district. I'm surprised no one has reviewed the…read moredistrict as a whole. I realize the most blatant businesses, the seasonal haunted houses occupy this often uncharted area, but there's so much more. During the day (the foggier, the better), take a walk throughout this area. Lavish in the weird mixed up toons that you can't psychically hear, but if you listen for the echo, coming from both the jazz and bars that used to occupy this area in the early Kansas City era, and the stockyards and even railroads, still used. Look at that one doorway, or archway, the cracked stained glass or brick designed into the buildings on purpose, still standing and built in the early 1900's. There is also a small, if not minute homeless population in this area, but it's for them as well. It is amazing for photography, and chances are, you'll see photographers out, walking around with their DSLR's photographing old dilapidated structures. Knowing that, something happened here, you can sense it in the air. It's partially empty, but partially alive. It's vague and quiet and still but a sliver of life is in this area. Maybe that is cause it used to be. As for the shops, there are some. Good JUJU is one of the few. But as for the area, as uncharted, it's there. Once you walk around there with a couple of friends, on a foggy Saturday afternoon, you'll get it, and know, this is what Kansas City used to be about.

Bacon. Tons of bacon. Bacon popcorn. Bacon brownies. Bacon Mac & cheese. You get the point…read more With admission to Bacon Fest, not only do you contribute to charity, you also get tons of bacony samples and lots of AmeriBrew pub beer. With 10 vendors providing food samples, you really get to try a lot of different things. My favorites were the Lucky bakery scones and the Funky Monkey popcorn. We didn't partake in all you can eat bacon contest ($10) but watched, and it was pretty entertaining. The beer samples were good, including the pale ale, dark lager, and blonde. The event was held in the parking lot at the Ameristar Casino, not too much shade but thankfully the weather was nice today for the event. Enjoying the food beer and people watching. A fun way to celebrate a Midwestern staple.

Loved all the bacon-inspired food samples: bacon-wrapped pork belly, bacon covered brownies, bacon…read morescones, bacon popcorn, bacon soda, & more. Great idea to have the ticket bands to coordinate stations. It helped us keep track of what we'd tried & where each was located. I had more blonde than expected as I'm more of a sour drinker (hint, hint). My only complaints were having nowhere to set anything down; it made eating samples & drinking difficult. Also, a few tents or some kind of shade would have also made a world of difference. If not for the wind, the excessive sweating would have sent me home after our last samples. If a little better set-up, or a kinder day, this is an event I would love to taste again.

Wow, such a fun experience. These 2 "characters", Benny "The Bull" and I never caught the main…read moreguide's name were just dialed in! They had that presentation memorized down to the second. Even with unknowns like getting stuck in traffic and stop lights they managed to keep everything flowing. If any family members or friends come into town, I'll gladly recommend this tour over and over again

We really enjoyed this tour! The actors play off each other with corny jokes and accents, it's so…read morefun! The tour was about 90 min, kind of educational, more interesting to us as we like to learn and read about the gangster eras. It's on a short bus, I wouldn't go with a large group, it's two by two seats and one long seat in the back for about 4-5 people. You can't always see out the window but they describe what happened at that area. It's something different and fun to do, worth the $30 something we spent.

Food was amazing and service was spot on. Loved the old school trattoria atmosphere. Don't be put…read moreoff by the strip mall front--it's truly fantastic.

My fiance and I were craving some Italian after church and we found Bella's only a few miles away…read more We are new to the area and have never heard of it so had no idea what to expect. Ambiance was cool - it was low light, lots of wood and interesting architecture. Definitely felt "old school" in a good way. Not what we were expecting from the outside which is not particularly unique as far as the build out. We waited at the host stand for a bit but it was clear every worker was in the middle of a task (we saw a very large party and it seemed like food for every table was Just coming out). One thing I really admired was that every employee that walked by (running to a table with a tray of food, turning a ticket in, etc.) made eye contact with us and acknowledged our presence and apologetically said, "We will be right with you!" We didn't wait long at all and we didn't care even if we did, but I just thought that was so kind compared to some joints where employees who are busy just pretend you are not there. We were met with kindness at the door and that meant more to me than the great service and great food. The rolls are SO good and they come out warm. I had the Murphy which was very flavorful and on the spicy side, while my fiance had chicken Alfredo. We both left full and happy! We will definitely return!

We had a fantastic walking food tour. A great mix of food and Kansas City history. We are not from…read morethe area and came for a long weekend and this was a fabulous way to learn about the city and enjoy the food!

Being an Independence resident, but knowing somewhat about the history of Kansas City (my dad…read moreworked for KCPL for 35 years, and used to take me up and down those streets), I was vaguely familiar with some of the history. It's quite fascinating. But the little bits and pieces I didn't realize were so deeply important. I'd only been to 2 of the locations on the food tour, Grinders, and Grunaer's. That is funny cause I thought I'd been to more places around the area. The American Royal Parade was going on, and parking was an issue, if I'd not found a spot in Grinder's across the street parking lot, I don't know what I'd have done. I never intend to learn to parallel park. It scares me to death. We met Rebekkah at Grinders, and she presented us with maps of where we were going, with facts on the pages. Frankly, it'd be easier to park kind of in the middle of the tour. That maybe something worth mentioning. I don't know the significance of the Crossroads itself, other than I am drawn to that area, as opposed to the Power and Light District which I try to avoid. There is alot of history in the Crossroads that is important, and it was touched upon in this tour. It also gave me an idea to keep an eye out for other city's walking food tours, as I travel sometimes for a month. I felt like I wanted to know more history. I wanted to dig deeper. I don't know why I feel this way. Maybe I want to know the very importance of the area, besides Tom Pendegrast, which is extremely interesting. The tour touched on a few restaurants along the way. There were a couple I wondered why they weren't mentioned, and I'd love to know the history of the Manny's Building, though Manny's isn't a favorite of mine, the building is interesting. And why is Town Topics just in this area? And Lulu's? Hammer Press as well, even though it's not a place to eat...oh well, can't cover everything...I thought there was something missed, but also alot of interesting history gained. As far as food, each place provided a very small amount. A variety was present and they were able to accomodate both vegetarians and meat eaters. There isn't that much food. I would tell someone that, as well. The places that stood out in my mind were Snow and Company, Grinders, Elbow's and Cafe Gratitude. Tons of walking to get back to our cars. We stopped back at Christoper Elbow Chocolate. Rebekkah created a customer out of me, and I will be eating at Cafe Gratitude and going to Snow and Company. With these thoughts in mind, I would recommend this to an out of towner if you were in the city for a while. But be prepared to eat afterwards. it's a great way to find out about Kansas city and what it has to offer. Knowing the history of Kansas City makes me appreciate it a bit more.

Our dinner at Cooper's Hawk was exceptional, and Zackary was a huge part of that. He greeted us…read morewith a great attitude, walked us through the menu like he really knew it, and gave thoughtful recommendations that ended up being perfect. He anticipated what we needed before we even asked and made the whole experience feel effortless. Servers like Zack are the reason we'll be back.

Some of our friends gave us a three month wine club membership to Cooper's Hawk for the holidays…read moreand we just got around to using it. I've always enjoyed the wines here and my wife and I enjoy the menu as well. We love the small menu section with healthy items for those who are watching their macros and calories. They also have a nice selection of various pasta dishes, proteins, and seafood. The servers snd staff here are always on point. We have been to a couple of Cooper's Hawk locations and so far this one is our favorite. It doesn't hurt that it's the closest one to our house in Lee's Summit. We make sure to grab our monthly wine bottle and if we are having chicken or fish, especially if it leans Italian, the unoaked Chardonnay is our go to.

This is said to be the most photographed doorway in Kansas City, and it's not surprise. Really,…read moreit's one of the most beautiful doorways I have seen anywhere. This house was designed by Kansas City's great Louis Curtiss. He was sort of the Frank Lloyd Wright of Kansas City, only with more Art Nouveau influences. Kansas City is full of beautiful stone houses with art glass doorways, but this one is the most grand. Today this old house serves as the admissions office for the Kansas City Art Institute. With a building this pretty, they would have me sold. According to KCAI's website: "The building was the home of mining magnate R. E. Bruner, who embedded mineral samples in the interior stone walls of his first-floor library, inspiring the name Mineral Hall. Dating to 1903-04, the structure is an amalgam of Art Nouveau, Prairie Style, Second Empire and Neoclassic architectural elements." Go ahead and take a pic, you know you want to. Come on, everyone's doing it!!

Mineral Hall houses the offices for the department of Continuing Education and Professional Studies…read morefor the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI). The building is formerly a house. The beautiful mosaic doorway at the front of the building is frequently photographed by visitors and passersby. The administrators are very friendly and helpful.