This local perspective on Kansas City comes from Linda Szewczyk. Linda has lived in many cities and feels that Kansas City has something for everyone to enjoy. After reading through her terrific answers, I can see that she is right. Kansas City is a place full of surprises. For example, did you know that it is only 30 miles from the birthplace of Basketball and has more BBQ restaurants than anywhere else in the U.S.?! This last part could come as a surprise for all you Texans out there….myself included! I think that you will enjoy this glimpse into Missouri’s ‘finest city’.

1. Give five adjectives that you would use to describe the “feel” of Kansas City and its residents?

Beautiful, Surprising, Complex, Picturesque, and Sophisticated.

(It seems that those on the coasts are generally unfamiliar with the Mid-West. Having lived in many cities, I found Kansas City has something for everyone to enjoy.)

2. What is your favorite neighborhood/area of Kansas City?

The Country Club Plaza district, it is an area of majestic homes, towering trees, retail shops and restaurants. The architecture is styled after cities of the Iberian Peninsulaand is credited with being the country’s first shopping center.

3. Which cuisine do you think Kansas Citydoes best? What is the runner-up? (Feel free to share your favorite restaurants).

Kansas City was home to some of the country’s original stockyards and therefore is known for luscious beef. The city boasts many fine steak houses, including the Hereford House, The Savoy Grill, and The Majestic Steakhouse. They serve up terrific jazz along with their scrumptious steaks. Equal to Kansas City steaks is the barbecue! Of my favorites, Fiorella’s Jack Stack tops the list.

4. What is the best free thing to do?

Kansas Cityis home to Hallmark Cards. The Crown Center surrounds the Hallmark headquarters. Stroll three levels of shopping and dining at the Crown Center.You can visit Kaleidoscope a hands on art experience for children 5 to
12 sponsored by Hallmark. Enjoy free Friday Night Concerts and Flicks on the lawn outside Crown Center.

During the summers the Crown Center Square Fountain’s 48 water shooters perform a dancing water show synchronized by the Kansas City Symphony. During the winter, you can ice skate at the Ice Terrace in the square for a small fee.

The Coterie Theater, American Heartland Theater and Off Center Theater are located within the CrownCenterand offer shows for all ages. Tickets must be purchased for shows.

5. What is your favorite type of entertainment?

Kansas Cityhas the BLUES and all that JAZZ. Some of the greatest jazz players of all time started in the clubs of Kansas City. In the 18th and Vine and the Power and Light District fans can find many clubs,
bars, and music festivals.

6. List the best family friendly activity.

Family activities are abound in Kansas City. From the professional teams, the Royals baseball and Chiefs football and NASCAR, to the amusement parks of Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun, provide year-round entertainment for all!

7. What spot would you send a couple, looking for a romantic weekend?

The Country Club Plaza is a great choice! The Raphael, an elegant boutique hotel, is a wonderful retreat for a romantic weekend. Stroll the boulevards of the Plaza, dine at the Plaza IIIor just have margaritas on the patio at Baja 600. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride and admire the awesome array of the beautiful fountains which are abundant in Kansas City.

8. Describe the perfect day…one that captures what your area/city is all about– In three sentences or less.

Almost any day is perfect in Kansas City, despite or because of the true four season climate; there is always something to do, on the coldest winter day or the steamiest day in July. Visit the shops, restaurants, and other attractions and you are always greeted with friendly hospitality. I guess it’s the people I most enjoy.

9. Tell us about a place that you love to go whether it is in the guidebooks or not.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has an outstanding collection of artifacts from ancient times to modern day, and admission is free! Have lunch at the museum’s RozelleCourtRestaurantor picnic on the
scenic grounds.

10. What question did we not ask that we should have (and answer it, of course!)?

Little Known Facts:
-Kansas Cityhas the most extensive public display of European statuary and fountains in the country, with at last count over 200 fountains.
-Independence, part of the Kansas City metro area, was home to Harry S. Truman our 33rd President. His home and library are open to the public.
-The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas located 40 miles west of Kansas Cityis home to the NCAA Champion KU Jayhawks and is the birthplace of game of basketball.
-The Kansas City Barbecue Society reports that KC has more barbecue restaurants per  capita than any other city in the country.

Do you have a city you would love to tell us about? Send us an e-mail or comment on this post and maybe you can become our next local expert!

When the weather is nice and we don’t have other plans, we like to pack up a picnic and outdoor toys (and the dog!) and head up to San Francisco for a relaxing family day. Our favorite destination is the massive Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which offers many options for our family.

On Sundays in Golden Gate Park, the roads are closed to cars, and visitors bring out scooters, skates, and roller blades and enjoy a leisurely cruise through the park. Overlooking Stow Lake, we often find nice places to picnic and feed the ducks. Or, we sometimes like to plant ourselves (pun intended) on a nice grassy spot in the middle of the Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. And when the kids are in the mood for traditional park activities, we head over to the Koret Children’s Quarter, thought to be the first playground in the nation. This map has helped us plan our visits.

Golden Gate Park is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes locations north and south of the Golden Gate Bridge, and into San Mateo County. Fort Mason is part of this conservancy – a wonderful place to spend a couple hours, poking around in galleries and cafes, all right on the San Francisco Bay. Another park right on the ocean, Fort Funston, allows dogs to run off leash on the beach. Our dog Molly loves this park, she comes back completely exhausted and wiped out! When we are in scientist-mode, we head over to Crissy Field and explore the beach and tidal marsh, or head out on one of the many hiking trails in the Presidio.

Any one of these options makes for a great (and cheap!) day in the Park. What is your favorite spot in Golden Gate Park? And little gems to share?

Picture courtesy of Aslak Raanes.

What can a family of four can do in New York City with a budget of $20? Before we get to all the cheap, free and fun family things to do in New York, there’s the question of getting around New York City.

Best bet for local transport is get a MetroCard. The MTA has a 1-Day Fun Pass, good for unlimited Subway and Bus rides until 3 am, which costs $7.50. These cards are for individual use only, but this is the cheapest way to get around NYC as a family, if you’re planning to visit a lot of places. Obviously, the cost of the MetroCards is in addition to our $20 cheapskate budget.

Ok, let’s get down to the attractions. The latest addition to NYC’s pantheon of free attractions are the New York City Waterfalls, created by Olafur Eliasson, and presented by the Public Art Fund. The waterfalls are made up of four scaffoldings, set up along the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Governors Island waterfronts, with water cascading down from a height of 90 to 120 feet. A temporary park has been set up on Pier 1 for free viewing, and ‘paid’ boat and bike tours are also available. Special free tickets for a free 30 minute cruise from Circle Line Downtown can be availed of by calling (866) 925-4631. More details here.

You can also watch the waterfalls from the free Staten Island ferry, which will additionally show you the other sights (including the Statue of Liberty), plus you can visit the free Staten Island Botanical Garden. The Grand Central Partnership offers free 90 minute tours with an expert guide who will show you the wonders of famous landmarks like Grand Central Terminal and the Chrysler Building.

Central Park is another place which has an amazing array of free attractions for people of all ages and stripes. Enjoy the shows and music at SummerStage, take a free guided and themed walking tour, visit the Loeb boathouse, and stroll the park enjoying impromptu street shows. Bon Jovi is scheduled to play at a free concert in Central Park on July 12.

NYCVisit.com, the City’s official tourism website, has a comprehensive list of free attractions including museums, parks, attractions and events.

In addition to all the above mentioned, some more famous NYC landmarks and places worth visiting (for free), include Times Square, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, the New York Public Library, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Rockefeller Center. Two of the best of NYC attractions which you’re going to miss, because the tickets are priced out of our $20 budget, are the Observatory on the Empire State Building, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

But we have a problem. We haven’t spent a single penny. So what say we order meals for less than $5, so all four of you can eat without spending more than $20? Visit Gray’s Papaya for their recession special (two hot dogs and a drink for $3.50), or Dumpling house at Eldridge Street in Chinatown for some cheap dumplings and sesame pancakes. I could whip out a lot more restaurants in Brooklyn and Harlem which could fill up your tank for less than $5, but that’s another post altogether…

Photo by Nexeus Fatale via Flickr (Creative Commons)

As the summer wears on, and the economy continues to lag, I strive to find some family friendly activities in San Francisco that leave my wallet unscathed. In order to maximize our entertainment dollars, I make sure we leave home well fed and rested, and bring along a couple snacks in my bag for the kids. Here are some ways that we would spend $20 on a family activity in San Francisco:

Two well-known San Francisco attractions offer free admission on certain days of the month. On the first Tuesday of the month, you can visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and on the first Wednesday of the month, the San Francisco Zoo is free to all attendees. That means I can spend my $20 on treats at Beard Papa (right down the street from SFMOMA) or on the Dentzel Carousel ($2 a ride) or Little Puffer Steam Train ($3 a ride) at the Zoo.

For a little San Francisco culture, I like to take my family to Chinatown, and explore the area on foot. Several websites offer self-guided walking tour directions – the area around Chinatown and North Beach is rich in California history. We all bring our cameras and take pictures of the many old and interesting buildings along the way. Our final stop? A stop at Golden Gate Bakery for egg custard tarts. At $1.10 a piece, we can afford enough for a great snack.

If anyone in your family is interested in the history of shipping and boats in San Francisco, head over to the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, located just west of Pier 39. The museum has several kid friendly options, including a great little activity book available at the Visitor’s Center. Tickets are $5 per person, with no charge for kids under 16. That would leave you $10 for treats at Ghiradelli Square across the street, or perhaps you might like a souvenir from one of the many vendors along the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood.

And Golden Gate Park is always free, and if you bring a picnic lunch, some outdoor games and toys, you and your family can have a great afternoon in one of the nicest open spaces in Northern California.

What is your favorite (free and cheap) destination in San Francisco?