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Kansas City
Kansas City is located on the Missouri River and crosses the state line, which divides Missouri from Kansas. The city is famed for it's juicy steaks, live jazz and stockyards and it is vibrant and diverse, a distinctly American city with a European flavour. It has Parisian tree-lined boulevards, parks, Spanish-style architecture, and hundreds of fountains reminiscent of Rome that are incorporated into the design of nearly every commercial building, giving it its nickname 'The City of Fountains'. Almost all points of interest to visitors are on the Missouri side of the city, while a sprawl of dreary suburbs occupies the section in the state of Kansas.
Kansas City was originally established as a trading post for fur in 1821 and became a convenient departure point for pioneer wagons that were heading west to Santa Fe, California and Oregon. Railroads and the construction of the Hannibal Bridge across the Missouri River established the city as a bustling business community and one of the world's leading cattle centres. Today the city is the nation's barbecue capital with more than 60 restaurants offering grilled specialities. After World War I Kansas City became the focus of jazz, where musicians like Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington played in the nightclubs of the 18th and Vine District.
Home to American's first daylight bank robbery, thanks to the outlaw Jesse James, Kansas City's frontier history is displayed at the Jesse James Bank Museum and in St Joseph, the birthplace of the historic Pony Express that tells the story of its riders who were recruited to 'face death daily'. More modern history can be traced in Independence, associated with the 33rd US president, Harry Truman.
18th and Vine District
The heart of the jazz scene in the region was located in the 18th and Vine Districts of Kansas City in the 1920s and today the museum complex houses the celebrated American Jazz Museum, the Blue Room Jazz Club and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The Jazz Museum honours jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker and visitors can experience the rich culture and history through dozens of exhibits and an interactive studio. The fascinating history of the Negro Leagues is documented in the Baseball Museum and exhibits, video presentations and memorabilia reveal stories about baseball stars like Buck and Paige.
Address: 1616 E. 18th Street; Telephone: (816) 871 3016 (Visitor Centre); Website: www.experiencekc.com/18thandvine.html; Opening time: Jazz Museum and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum: Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 6pm, Sunday 12pm to 6pm. Blue Room: Monday and Thursday 5pm to 11pm, Friday 5pm to 1am, Saturday 7pm to 1am; Admission: Jazz Museum and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum: $6, or $8 combined ticket. Blue Room: $5 on Friday and Saturday. Concessions available
Branson
Known as the 'Ozark Disneyland' and located amongst three enchanting lakes, the year round tourist town and the live entertainment capital of Branson is home to forty-nine theatres and more than 100 daily shows all firmly geared towards families, three exciting theme parks and family entertainment centres, it attracts thousands of visitors in search of a commercialised celebration of the American spirit. Over seven million visitors visit Branson annually, and added to the local population of 6,000, the town has gained recognition as the country's 'Biggest small town'. At night the main road, known as 'The Strip', becomes a huge parking lot that is crammed with cars lining the gaudy conglomeration of theatres and theme parks. Branson's best-known attraction is Silver Dollar City, a combination of craft village and theme park rides. Opening in April 2006, Branson Landing will introduce world class shopping, dining and living options along the waterfront and will also feature a nightly water show. The beautiful area around the lakes, particularly Table Rock Lake, and the hills and valleys of the Ozark Mountains, makes a peaceful escape from the town, providing excellent opportunities for fishing, hiking, camping and water-based activities.
