Happy Birthday to Me Trip!

I love traveling with The Hubs, even when it’s just a quick weekend getaway.

Case in point….this past weekend we incorporated a one night work trip with a one night fun trip.   Voila!  A birthday trip extraordinaire!

We love Kansas City and it is only about three and a half hours away.   It had been a while since we have headed up north and I was excited to spend my birthday weekend there with The Hubs.

First of all, we splurged and stayed at The Raphael.  Sometimes, we like to stay in Westport, sometimes downtown, but I wanted to do some birthday shopping.   The Raphael is conveniently located on The Plaza.  Score!

We first went to the Farmer’s Market (City Market) where I was on the quest to get some Arkansas Black Apples.  We spent $14 for about 6 pounds.  (Keep reading, but keep this amount in mind as you progress through this post.)

We wandered to Quay Coffee, a favorite spot, but I swear it is under different ownership every time we visit.  Coffee in hand, we decided to continue wandering.

The Hubs spotted an antique store and suggested we check it out.  We recently have gotten into rummaging around old, dusty places and spaces looking for treasures.   We really didn’t have high expectations from the store front.   He thought it might be full of furniture.  I thought it would be full of estate jewelry.   Wow, were we wrong.  River Market Antiques is three full floors (plus a basement we did not make it through).   We spent two hours here and could have spent at least an hour more.   Omigosh, I love this place and we definitely have a new spot to hit every time we make it back to KC.   I found the coolest art pieces—color-tinted graphics printed on old dictionary pages, an old wooden billiard rack that I am going to make into a shelf, an old gardening book that is stuffed with yellowed-newspaper clippings, and a retro world history textbook that I am going to tear apart and frame.

Oh and The Hubs bought me the coolest birthday present, an old stand for those ancient huge dictionaries.   I love it!

We also stumbled (literally) upon lots of torn up streets.  They are putting a trolley in downtown.

Look, it will be a real trolley with tracks and everything (not just a cleverly disguised bus)!

After all this rummaging about, we were starving.   A friend’s brother recommended Q39 and their burnt ends.   This was delicious BBQ.

Q39, 1000 W. 39th St., Kansas City, MO

The Hubs ordered the Burnt End Burger and I had the Sliced Brisket w/Burnt Ends.   The sides were almost as amazing:  Apple Coleslaw and White Bean Caussolet.   Seriously, everything was delicious.   We will be back.

We also ate at Jax and Coal Vines, also very worthy destinations.

One of the most fun things we did was check out an old building that a friend had found on a recent trip.   She and her boyfriend scoped out a vacant building in the arts district.   Low and behold, it was the Hemingway building.

This building is much bigger than the picture.   (Notice it is for sale.)   We sought it out and walked around it peeking in the windows.

It does need some work.

But it has such potential.

Maybe some new stucco.

If I win the lottery, I am making an offer on this post-haste!

Maybe these platforms will be thrown in for free.

Wouldn’t this make a great brewery, art gallery, loft apartments…..the possibilities are endless.

This building, built in 1915, was originally a police station.  In 1917, Hemingway worked for a short time with The Kansas City Star and had an office in the building.   Imagine if these walls could talk.

Well, this is a pipe dream but it kept us talking about the “what ifs” all the way home.

Thanks for tagging along on our little trek.   One year older…

Stay tuned for some apple recipes.   Besides the Arkansas Blacks we bought at the Farmers Market, we stopped at an orchard on the way home and bought a full bushel of Jonathans (for only $12.95).