By: Jill Dutton
Spring is the perfect opportunity to get out and explore Kansas City. Thanks to the KC Streetcar, you can spend a Saturday morning with a streetcar ride from Union Station to the City Market, enjoy brunch at The Farmhouse, a farm-to-table restaurant, walk and shop the City Market, then return to Union Station for a trip back in time as you explore a living piece of history.
KC Streetcar
Head to Union Station located at Pershing and Main. There you’ll jump on the KC Streetcar for a visual ride through the Crossroads area, Kauffman Center, Power & Light District, the Library, and the City Market. Stay on until the last stop at the River Market which will put you at 4th & Delaware.
The KC Streetcar is free to ride and runs daily from Union Station to the City Market. Track the streetcar and see where it’s at while you wait.
Brunch at The Farmhouse
Walk the short distance from the Streetcar stop to The Farmhouse at 300 Delaware. The Farmhouse serves up local meats and produce, a la comfort foods.
Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. You’ll find a decadent selection of entrees like Steak and Eggs (Two Windhaven Farms’ eggs, salsa verde, bleu cheese butter, pickled onion & potato hash) or Midwest Croque Madame (Brioche Texas toast, smoked provolone, ham, country gravy, and sunny up farm egg). Non-meat eaters will enjoy the Veggie Benedict (Two poached eggs, roasted butternut squash, spinach, hollandaise sauce, on challah bread) or Vegan Street Tacos (Tofu chorizo, napa cabbage, slaw, and pickled jalapeños).
After such a hearty, satisfying brunch, you’ll want to do some walking, so head the few short blocks to the historic City Market.
City Market
The City Market, a Kansas City farmers market since 1957, offers an outdoor market with more than 40 tenants providing everything from live goats, gift items, herbs and plants, to a variety of produce. After you’ve perused the market, jump back on the streetcar at 5th & Walnut and return to Union Station.
Union Station
History abounds at the Kansas City Union Station, the location of the 1933 “Kansas City Massacre,” where Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd, Vernon Miller, and Adam Richetti attempted to free Frank Nash from the custody of law enforcement officers. Four officers and Frank Nash were killed in the shooting.
Things have calmed down since, but the station is still a glorious tribute to the days of rail travel. There are too many things to do in one morning, but it’s free to explore Union Station, or you can choose from one of the activities like Science City, the Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium, the H&R Block City Stage, or the Regnier Extreme Screen Theater.
Jill Dutton is the publisher of Evolving Magazine (www.evolvingmagazine.com) and a travel writer who explores the United States and Canada by train (www.usabyrail.blog). She leads group tours by train, starting with Santa Fe, NM, July 2-8, 2017. Visit https://usabyrail.blog/guided-rail-tours/ for more information.
Photo credits (except cover image): Claus Wawrzinek
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