By Darren Mark

The Ultimate Guys' Weekend

Of course Kansas City is a guy’s town.

It’s not for nothing that it’s the barbecue capital of the world. It even has a life-sized bull, perched on a sky-high pylon, overlooking the city’s former stockyards. His name is Bob, and he is mighty. What more evidence does one need?

Friday

You’ve just flown in... de-boarded the train... walked off the bus... driven... crawled. Doesn’t matter.

You’re here. Time to get moving. Time to eat.

At its core, KC is a cowtown. The city’s barbecue not only celebrates that rich legacy, it puts Kansas City in a unique league, making it a destination for food lovers across the world. Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue may not have the down-home appeal of some of the city’s more storied joints, but its consistently high quality make it the city’s best ambassador for its most famous food. Friday night, take it easy and relax in the cozy interior of the restaurant’s Country Club Plaza location.

Don’t miss the beef or pork ribs, or the city’s best baked beans. Afterwards, walk off the pig or cow you just consumed and stroll over to 810 Sports Zone. Grab a hometown-crafted Boulevard Pale Ale while watching one of Kansas City’s professional sports squads.

Saturday... otherwise known as "ocular stimulation" day

Your first full day in Kansas City is one filled with options, opportunities and ocular* stimulation—specifically, Liberty Memorial. It’s a stunning Beaux Arts national historic landmark dedicated to veterans of the original Great War. A brief stroll through the grounds is the preface to a longer foray into what lies underneath: the National World War I Museum, a magnificent space filled with armament, photographs and larger-than-life interactive exhibits, like a massive bomb crater and a peek into trench warfare.

Afterwards, flip your mood, but hopefully, not your car. Take a short drive to Village West, home to Kansas Speedway, and spike your adrenaline with a NASCAR experience you’ll never forget. The Richard Petty Driving Experience puts you behind the wheel as you rocket to speeds of 165 miles per hour, allowing you to live that professional sports fantasy you’ve always craved.

Cruise into the night—at the speed of normal—with a stop at Diebel’s Sportman’s Gallery, featuring a walk-in humidor so large you’ll wonder where it has been all your life. But save that cigar for later. Dinner is calling, and to satiate that inner hunger beast is one of two options: on the white-tablecloth front, the James Beard Award-winning American Restaurant offers the city’s best selection of wines and ports, with a quality and sophistication of entrees to match. On the other hand, Fogo de Chão Churrascaria is a palace of Brazilian-style meats boasting 15 different cuts and a salad bar that’s as long as a football field.

Almost.

Sunday

After a light or heavy bite at the comfort food-centric You Say Tomato, dive-head first into Sunday afternoon by rooting for the Chiefs, Royals or Wizards, depending on the season.

Your whirlwind visit is almost over, but first, say goodbye to Kansas City by saying hello to your next visit. Win enough for a return trip by winning a couple rounds of blackjack at one of several area casinos like Harrah’s or Argosy.

As you head out of town, pick up a trinket for the wife and kids at The Best of Kansas City, and follow your own yellow brick road back home.

* Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

OCULAR

• Main Entry: 1oc·u·lar
• Function: adjective
• Etymology: Late Latin ocularis of eyes, from Latin oculus eye
• Date: circa 1575

1 a : done or perceived by the eye b : based on what has been seen
2 a : of or relating to the eye b : resembling an eye in form or function