cheaprooms.com

The largest city in the state of Missouri is a remarkable place of jazz, blues and barbecue! (And who could argue with that!) KCMO and KCK (Kansas City, Kansas) sits at the junction of the Missouri and Kansas rivers and astride the states of Missouri and Kansas. The city boasts the largest number of Boulevards outside of Paris and you can stroll to your hearts content down the wide open spaces.

There’s plenty to do in Kansas City and you’ll easily spend a couple of happy days roaming the treasures of this plains city. Start your exploring in the National World War 1 Museum at Liberty Memorial. It’s the only museum in the US dedicated to the Great War. Even if war per se doesn’t interest you, the history of the times is fascinating. You’ll see a quite incredible collection of artefacts in a state-of the-art complex with an abundance of interactive displays to suit kids and adults alike.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is a ‘must-see’ for anyone who enjoys sculpture. You could spend all day here and not see it all. The building itself is an impressive marble and stone edifice, clearly built to stand the test of time. If you’re lucky one of the many international exhibitions the gallery sources may be in town at the same time as your visit.

If you want a bit of mid-western history to whet your whistle with, try the Steamboat Arabia museum. See how the Midwesterners lived and the foodstuffs and utensils they enjoyed. The Riverboat sank some 155 years ago and the silt preserved much of the cargo – which you’ll see on display today!

Welcome to Nashville, home of the Grand Old Opry and … the Big Bang Bar. Nashville is music city, some would say the Music City and there’s no doubt is at the heart of most things Nashville. If you don’t like country music, don’t knock on Nashville’s door. If you do, then Nashville is your nirvana.

Start with a visit to the Ryman Auditorium. If you’re lucky enough to be in town for show night then get tickets in which way you can. This is rightly one of the most famous venues in country music history. Walk around, feel the vibe, get there early if you’re going to a show and check out the memorabilia and you can even do a self-guided tour.

While we’re on the country music track, a visit to the RCA Studio B in the Country Music Hall of Fame tour is worth the effort. A bus takes you there for a whistle-stop tour and you’ll get a lot of history, have some fun and see where Elvis did his stuff.

And now for something completely different! Visit the Belle Meade Plantation and see what a Greek revival mansion looks like, go behind the scenes into the homes and buildings of the property and have lunch in the Harding House. This is where Sea Biscuit was sired so if you know your horses Belle Meade is a must.

For a look at another historic mansion, go for the Belmont mansion on Belmont Boulevard. It’s rather grand and the fine detail of the woodwork and internal decoration will draw as wll the story of the woman who lived there – fascinating!

Geeks can do anything.
…now even the arcane art of 5-ball juggling has been programmed into a computer and carried out by a robot. Is there no end?

So, next time you people over for afternoon tea…
… here’s how to deal with the fussy ‘we want it now’ crowd. Simple, really.

Don’t try this at home kids!
Best leave this sort of thing to the magicians out there.