If you have not made a full walking tour of the River Market area, you need to! One of the many…read moretreasures you will find is this mural, located on the West facade of the River Market Antique Mall. Most Kansas Citians have seen it, but I feel that not too many have actually really looked at it. I personally think it is just grand. I mean, am I a history nerd? Yes! Am I a sucker for public art? Yes! Ergo, I think historical public art is just tops! Many, if not all, know that our area was one of many stops along Lewis and Clarks long journey to the Pacific Northwest. They used our own Quality Hill to survey the river, and I'm sure at some point our own river to relieve themselves. How historically amazing! This very grand mural commemorates the launching of that journey. These two fair men launching an expedition into the wilds of the American West. In the mural you can see how the landscape may have looked along the river before the Army Corps of Engineers set the Mighty Mo to its current course in the early twentieth century, doing away its meandering through our fertile flood plains. Sacajawea and her famous wrapped baby are in the foreground along with her French-Canadian husband, both not looking very historical at all. Weren't they the guides or at least helped with such matters? It seems our artist thought they mostly stared at the ground, pondering as to why in a god's name they were helping these white dudes bring on an onslaught of Western explores who would systematically destroy the world as they new it.....but I digress. My favorite part of this piece, with out a doubt, is our fearless explorer giving the largest thumbs-up sign he possibly could. He was one excited man, full of vigor and childish quandary as to what lay in front of him. History my friend...History!

Nice place to come for a bit of history! I love walking along the trail and watch the activities…read morein the Kaw River!

Not too shabby; this is the step-brother of over-achiever sibling, Kansas City. It is a little…read moreoasis in the middle of the leviathan KCMO.

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.

It's #FountainDay in KC, which to me, means the official, final stamp that we're as far away from…read morewintertime as possible. Music to my ears. This 'City of Fountains' really does a nice job of spreading out many iconic fountains across the metro, and I've always had a particular affinity for this one outside of Union Station. When it gets going, it's mesmerizing to watch. The view from the Liberty Memorial is one of the best views in all of KC, and right at the base of it you'll find this fountain performing all it's tricks and serve as a welcoming to the whole canvass. Cheers to spring and summer, and to watching all the fountains in KCMO for the longest amount of time until darkness, I mean winter, sets back in.

The Bloch fountain is probably the city's most elegant fountains. It stand between the Liberty…read moreMemorial complex, Crown Center, Washington Square Park, and Union Station. It is a simple reflecting pool of water with upwards flourishes of water creating forms. Unfortunately, poor planning has made the fountain somewhat isolated from pedestrian use. If the city got their act together and encouraged pedestrian use around the fountain and at the corner of Pershing/Main-- Kansas City could have a photo opp like few other cities. Right now, the Bloch fountain is a beautiful, architectural, graceful fountain in one of the most high profile locations in the region. People in/around it would make it more beautiful.

A friend lived here in high school. She was one of the "rich kids" and her life was different than…read moremine, her house had a lake in the front yard! I even tolerated her super aggressive brother, just to enjoy this slice of life. Cut to many years later, I return for an engagement party for another friend. I forgot how stunning this little oasis can be. This is not just a neighborhood, its like a mini vacation. The sound of the water, the rolling hills, the rustle of the leaves- all hypnotizing.

The Town of Kansas 1850 Mural is located on the western facing wall of the building group situated…read moreon the northwest corner of 3rd and Wyandotte in the River Market. I have to be honest, it is not my favorite mural in the city, or the Market for the matter, but I do have to claim myself as a fan just because of it size. When I first moved back to the Kansas City area three years ago, I did not realize that there were such huge tributes to our city's history tucked away in our urban neighborhoods. The Town of Kansas is what eventually grew and merged with other little towns to create the grand city we all now call home. As the mural depicts, only 150 short years ago (in relativity to our nations history or more importantly America's history as whole) our fair town was mostly grazing space. Riverboats roamed our snagged filled Muddy Mo, and we served as a trading outlet and as an exploration jumping off point. This mural serves as great testament to our areas rich history and should not be missed on any walking tour of my favorite, and very walkable neighborhood!

Love this mural!!! Drive by and pay it some love!!!!! It's a…read moregood one. KC has a burgeoning arts scene - it's a good one to see

Kansas City was full of murals and here's one that we enjoyed seeing for sure. We always try to…read morefind like welcome to this particular city public art when we visit cities. So this was nice to see in colorful it's located on the side of the building and all popular part of town.

Celebration at the Station was the perfect way to spend Memorial Day 2013. I got there super early…read more(3 PM ish) and was able to find parking along the street right next to the event. (About an hour later, parking was nearly impossible). A friend hooked me up with free tickets to the WWI Museum and the Liberty Memorial so I roamed around there for awhile. This event was FREE which is always a huge perk! All of KC's best food trucks were parked in front of Union Station to supply us with awesome dinner and drinks. Practically all of Kansas City was at this event; it was so much fun to people watch and enjoy the company of such a great city. I saw SO many people I knew from very aspect of my life. The entire expansion of the Liberty Memorial hill area was full of blankets, and picnics, and families. You got the opportunity to sprawl out on the grass with thousands of people and listen to a free symphony concert. Once it became dark outside, the beautiful fireworks started. The perfect way to spend Memorial Day; a must for anyone living in Kansas City.

Celebration at the Station is always a fun event and one of the best firework shows the area has…read moreall year. Parking will be a nightmare in every direction. Just plan on walking a distance. Bring blankets or lawn chairs and prepare to enjoy an evening of music against one of the most iconic backdrops of the Kansas City skyline. Being a free event, it fills up with tons of people, but with the huge space is not crazy crowded. The symphony puts on an excellent show ending the night with a fantastic firework display. This is a great yearly event for all walks of life. Bring a picnic, enjoy the food trucks lining the area, or stop and eat at one of the nearby restaurants on your way in or out. A great start to the summer!