This past weekend was another weekend in Kansas City for our family. This seems to be a fairly frequent occurrence for us, but we are definitely not complaining!
About a month ago, Lisa texted me about our family coming to KC for a hockey game. They wanted to purchase the tickets as their gift to the kids for their birthdays. Chris and I love an experience gift, so we thought this was a splendid idea. We made a plan to go to a Valentine's Day hockey game in KC!
Unfortunately, a few days before the game, Brooke came down sick. I was immediately nervous that she was going to be as sick as Bren was last month and didn't know if we'd be able to go to the game. Thankfully, Brooke was only sick for about two days, and we were able to carry on with our plans.
We left home about noon on Friday to make the trip to KC. We arrived in town in time to check in to our hotel and meet Russ, Lisa, and Chloe at a Mexican restaurant for dinner before the hockey game.
It was cold and there was snow on the ground in KC, but we didn't let that deter us from having a fun night. The game was at the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, and we were ready for some hockey!
The girls with the KC Mavericks mascot, Mac!
Russ, Chris, Brenson
Brianna, Chloe, Brooke, Brecklyn
Chelle, Lisa, Russ, Chris, Bren
Ready for some action!
Chris and I had never been to a hockey game before, and we were immediately surprised at how fast paced and violent it was. I mean, I know that hockey is known for fights and blood on the ice, but I guess I didn't realize that the entire game was as rough as it is.
The KC Mavericks played the Tulsa Oilers, and we truly had a great time at the game! I'm pretty sure the spectators were every bit as entertaining as the game :-).
The parking garage painted like a bookshelf was truly stunning. And, I love that there is snow on the ground in our photos.
The Public Library itself was just as incredible as the painted parking garage next door. Such gorgeous architecture!
The library is located in an old bank building, and it seemed like about half of the library was also a museum that shares the history of downtown and that building specifically.
The children's area of the library was one of the cutest areas I have ever seen in a library. We had a great time exploring it all.
In the basement of the building is the Film Vault. It houses thousands of movies and films that cardholders can borrow. The best part, though, was that we were able to see the old bank vault. It was fascinating.
We spent well over an hour in the library scouting out all the interesting things. It had such an urban and historical vibe - totally different than what we are used to at home! There was a definite population of homeless people in the library (maybe because it was so cold outside?), and there was also a distinct smell where they had gathered. At one point, we walked by them on our way to the bathroom, and Brooke said, "WHAT is that smell???" At another time, I had asked a question to a library employee wearing a hijab. Brecklyn said, "Why was that lady wearing a mask???" It was just such a different experience than what my kids are familiar with.
It was about lunchtime by the time we finished at the library. Chris found a local sandwich shop called "Pigwich" that was about a half a mile away from the library. We decided to walk to it, but entered the front side of the building by mistake into a meat market called Local Pig. The second we walked in, Lisa and I looked at each other . . . that meat market smell is so distinct and it took us right back to Ukraine!
As it turned out, Local Pig and Pigwich are connected and owned by the same proprietor. We were excited to learn that Pigwich had been featured on the show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. It was the perfect selection for lunch!
And the food? It did not disappoint at all! Lisa and I split this plate and were both plenty full. Delicious!
We didn't realize it at first, but Local Pig/Pigwich are located in the City Market. The city has poured a lot resources into this area of downtown over the past few decades, and it was really nice. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring City Market.
I love how you can see part of the skyline in this photo . . . the perfect backdrop!
We enjoyed the fresh produce, vegetables, and shops of all kinds in City Market. What a treasure!
After walking several blocks in City Market, we ended up at the Arabia Steamboat Museum. Chris and I actually visited this museum about 20 years ago during Christmas break. We didn't have time to go into the museum, but the kids enjoyed seeing the water wheel.
Chloe and Bri
Another entrance to City Market . . . we loved the urban vibe of it all! This sign says Est. 1857. Wow!
At this point, we were about three quarters of a mile from the parking garage. While we could have easily walked back, we were all cold and decided it would be more fun to ride the electric tram (AKA KC Streetcar) back to our vehicles.
It is free to ride and stops in several places at City Market as well as the Library.
Waiting to ride the KC Streetcar
While riding public transportation is something Lisa and I did a ton while we were growing up, it's not something we have ever done much in the US. And it was definitely a new experience for my suburban children.
Brecklyn and Brooke
Chloe, Brianna, and Bren
Our group enjoying the reprieve from the cold and wind!
We could have ridden on the KC Streetcar all the way to Union Station (which was our original plan), but the weather forecast was calling for snow that evening and we decided we had better head toward home before it got too yucky outside. Riding the Streetcar to Union Station and visiting there (again) is on our list for next time!
Once we got back to the parking garage, we said goodbyes and started for home. Thankfully, we got home before it started snowing. While cutting our trip a little short was not what we wanted, we really had the best time at the hockey game and sight-seeing in the city! We are so thankful for these fun family experiences!
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