Kansas city Miss. or Kansas City, Kansas?

[OurTulsa]

If you want to avoid traffic stay out of the suburbs...with most of what has been offered up as far as attractions go you will be driving more and confronting more traffic if you stay out in the burbs.  There are very many many many nice and relatively inexpensive hotels around the Plaza District, Wesport, and downtown.  For the most part, my experience, if you stay off of the highways you won't encounter much mind numbing traffic.  Both Main St. and Broadway will get you back and forth between many of the attractions in KC.  The last time I stayed at a Residence Inn literally in the Plaza District for something like $109 a night.  The Hotel Savoy (downtown) was very reasonable with a very good breakfast included. 

You might also check out D'Bronx for pizza - it's at a funky little section of town on 39th St. and Bell(?) just north and west of Westport, cool little used book store across the street with a musical venue in the basement (or at least informal - there's been someone gigging down there the few times I've gone in). 

There's a BBQ joint on the opposite side of Union Station (north side of the tracks) that is fairly well known for their fare. 

If you're a fan of architecture and grand train stations you should visit Union Station which is on Main St. next to Hallmark's Hqtrs (Crown Center).  There is a mall at Crown Center as well.  I don't remember much more than typical shops but Hallmark has their Halls Department Store there and they have a really fun/free arts and crafts workshop intended for kids but I know adults (including me) that have gone in and seemed to have as much if not more fun creating stuff, it's call Kaleidoscope.  Union Station and Crown Center are halfway between downtown and the Plaza (47th St.) on Main St. (you can't miss either).

I would stay out of the burbs particularly if you're going on a week day.  You'll stand a good chance of getting caught in traffic hell.

+2 on the 169 route but make sure you go north on Hwy 59 at Gardner.  Route 169 gets real windy between Gardner and Olathe.  Hwy 59 will save you 20 - 30 minutes.

Have fun!

[bugo]

The Amusement Park and football/baseball stadiums are in a kind of East Tulsa like run down area to the east of the city.

Worlds of Fun?  I lived off Parvin just west of WOF and unless things have changed a lot in 7 years, that was a pretty nice area. 

[Bumby]

+3 on the 169 route -  it's not that bad anymore between Garnett and Olathe, I was pleasantly surprised a few years ago when I wanted something different than the 169/59/35 route. 

You will not regret a trip to KC.  I lived there for about 3 years and continue to go back once or twice a year.  Dallas, I only do about once every 10 years. (DFW stops don't count)

Stroud's is a must dine for me.

[sauerkraut]

Some-place in the state of Kansas is the world's largest ball of string or is it called "Ball Of twine"? I dunno where it's at.

[TheTed]

I also love the 169 route. With a required pit stop in Garnett for some DQ burgers since there's no DQ food in the metro area.

It's a far more relaxing drive than I-44 to US 71, especially at night when you can go miles without seeing another car.

I actually prefer Kansas City to DFW. I still haven't found much in the way of urbanity in DFW. I have to drive everywhere and their light rail doesn't seem useful at all to me, not when nearly every station is surrounded by parking lots. Not at all walkable.

Kansas City has done a pretty good job of turning the downtown/crossroads/crown center area into an urban oasis. You can actually hail a cab pretty much anywhere in that area, which is a big plus in my book. When I visit KC, I don't take the car out of the garage the whole trip. I don't think that's possible in DFW.

[RecycleMichael]

With a required pit stop in Garnett for some DQ burgers since there's no DQ food in the metro area.

How come? I only know of one DQ within 100 miles of Tulsa. It is in Okmulgee.

Update...I see there is a Dairy Queen at Woodland Hills mall. I never go there and had no idea.

[sauerkraut]

How come? I only know of one DQ within 100 miles of Tulsa. It is in Okmulgee.

Maybe the market for a D.Q. in Tulsa is not there. Tulsa is flooded with Sonic food joints, just about one on every main street in Tulsa. I'm not a big Sonic fan the wait for the food is long. WhataBurger is one place I like for fast food. The burgers and fries are good. other fast food joints have fries that taste like cardboard.

[sauerkraut]

It seems many cities have their own stand out fast food  joint. In Indianapolis it's White castle & Shake & Steak, Columbus, Ohio has White Castle joints all over. Cincinatti has Hardees, Las Vegas has Carl's, Tulsa has Sonic and so on.

[Hoss]

Maybe the market for a D.Q. in Tulsa is not there. Tulsa is flooded with Sonic food joints, just about one on every main street in Tulsa. I'm not a big Sonic fan the wait for the food is long. WhataBurger is one place I like for fast food. The burgers and fries are good. other fast food joints have fries that taste like cardboard.

Maybe because Sonic got it's start in OKlahoma?  Every Sonic I've been to I've never had more than about a 5 minute wait.  Even during lunch rush.

Oh yeah, you don't live here.

[TheTed]

How come? I only know of one DQ within 100 miles of Tulsa. It is in Okmulgee.

Update...I see there is a Dairy Queen at Woodland Hills mall. I never go there and had no idea.

The one in Woodland Hills doesn't serve food. The one in Okmulgee serves something they call "non-system food" meaning they serve burgers and fries, but not DQ burgers and fries.

The nearest DQ with actual DQ burgers is in Independence, KS or Grove, OK.

Here's a list of DQ's non-system food stores.
http://www.dairyqueen.com/upload/NC_DsclmrAttchmntA.pdf

[Hoss]

And in all actuality, I lived in Houston for three years which was bigtime DQ country and never really saw the draw, other than the Hydrox Blizzard I had once a week.  I didn't really think their food was all that special.

My wife and I actually missed Braums more.  So much so that one year we drove 2 and a half hours to Corsicana TX so she could buy 4 gallons of Braums Ice Cream, and I had a Braums hamburger.

Then I moved back here and it solved my problem.  I don't miss WhiteCastle that much, but will go to it if I'm in St. Louis.

[joiei]

Maybe the market for a D.Q. in Tulsa is not there. Tulsa is flooded with Sonic food joints, just about one on every main street in Tulsa. I'm not a big Sonic fan the wait for the food is long. WhataBurger is one place I like for fast food. The burgers and fries are good. other fast food joints have fries that taste like cardboard.

What Sonic are you going to?  Maybe it is one in Omaha?  You definitely haven't tried to get through the Whataburger on Peoria off 15th in a hurry.  Good luck on a quick drive through experience. 

[sauerkraut]

What Sonic are you going to?  Maybe it is one in Omaha?  You definitely haven't tried to get through the Whataburger on Peoria off 15th in a hurry.  Good luck on a quick drive through experience. 

I go alot to the one on 41st near that Reasors Store. I found the service slow. There's one in BA near the Wal-Mart that I go to now & then. I normally perfer WhataBurger over other burger joints. About Sonic foods- I use the drive thru or the walk-up area I don't park at the car-hop stalls & eat. It could be the car-hop stalls give faster food service, I always end up waitting a long time to get food. The walk-up zone seems the slowest for food service.

[Hoss]

I go alot to the one on 41st near that Reasors Store. I found the service slow. There's one in BA near the Wal-Mart that I go to now & then. I normally perfer WhataBurger over other burger joints. About Sonic foods- I use the drive thru or the walk-up area I don't park at the car-hop stalls & eat. It could be the car-hop stalls give faster food service, I always end up waitting a long time to get food. The walk-up zone seems the slowest for food service.

Sigh.

I wish you'd quit being disingenuous about the fact that you don't live here.  You make posts like this to try and give yourself credibility, but we all know different.

Please put a disclaimer in your sig line at the very least.

"I'm Sauerkraut; I don't live here but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night".

[HoneySuckle]

Unfortunately, we were not able to make it to KC!  I will keep the information for later on this summer when we try to go out there.  Thanks all.