MCI BBQ DO VII --July 20-22, 2012
#46
In memoriam
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: AA EXP "Life is good! Really good.""
Posts: 4,923
The Sheraton Crown Center and Westin are connected to this space-age enclosed (and I hope air-conditioned) walkway that takes you to Union station where you walk through the station over the pedestrian bridge above the railroad tracks and like magic you are in the Jack Stack parking lot. Especially nice not having to drive when returning after an evening of heavy eating and drinking.
#47
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Planet Earth
Programs: | *G | STE | HGP ♦ | SPG Au | MR Au
Posts: 3,772
wow thanks for all the information!
A few more questions I have:
Is driving / parking is expensive in KC?
Are the locations of all the BBQ close by to one another? (I tried google maps but It didn't help)
Are there any parts of town I should steer clear of?
I usually use HGP and MR, so the lack of a Hyatt there results in me looking at Marriott and I am
considering the fairfield inn since the downtown one is full. Would appreciate some thoughts on this.
Thanks!
A few more questions I have:
Is driving / parking is expensive in KC?
Are the locations of all the BBQ close by to one another? (I tried google maps but It didn't help)
Are there any parts of town I should steer clear of?
I usually use HGP and MR, so the lack of a Hyatt there results in me looking at Marriott and I am
considering the fairfield inn since the downtown one is full. Would appreciate some thoughts on this.
Thanks!
Last edited by DHalltheway; May 13, 2012 at 2:56 am
#48
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: IAD
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,937
Aside from Jack Stack, parking at all the other places are free are easy to find (just get to Oklahoma Joe's right when they open). You will definitely need a car for this Do. There are usually some people that are willing to share rides. That's usually worked out at the Friday night dinner.
#49
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: LAS
Posts: 1,323
The Fairfield Inn Union Hill in Kansas City, MO is a decent location. It has a complimentary shuttle bus that will take you downtown and to the Plaza area, which might be useful.
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Programs: UA Million Miler (lite). NY Metro area.
Posts: 15,053
I was just reading my Twitter feed from the guy that use to own/run this place. He talked about a BUY. Wonder what he means? If his visit is/was a surprise, it certainly wasn't kept.
Shameless plug below.
dh
Shameless plug below.
dh
#51
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,577
I'll probably make at least the Friday night happy hour ... I'll have two newborns at home, which I guess gives me all the more incentive to be at these events.
#52
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Kansas City, USA
Programs: AA Gold, Delta Platinum, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat, AVIS Preferred, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,066
A huge thank you to Condition One for putting this together. This weekend coincides with the Global Dance Festival (an electronic dance music festival.) which will be occurring in downtown KC (Midland Theatre) on Friday and Saturday. I will definitely try to make the Happy Hour on Friday before I head to the Midland. This should be a great time as always!
#53
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,501
MCI uses a shared rental facility, so the premium I'd be willing to pay for a first-tier brand vs. a second-tier one (e.g., National vs. Dollar) is minimal as long as you have the second-tier agency's expedited renter card. I've had hassle-free Dollar, Budget, and Alamo rentals at MCI before. On the other hand, I've had a Payless rental that was a royal pain in the a**, so I'd probably only go "second-tier", not third-tier. I wouldn't hesitate to book Dollar's $13/day "mystery car" if I didn't have a cheap National/Hertz option.
Parking is something I've never actually paid for in Kansas City, except at Royals/Chiefs games. I'd be disappointed if any Flyertalker actually paid for parking in downtown Kansas City on a weekend. I've stayed in downtown, Crossroads, and Plaza hotels and always found legal street parking.
The BBQ locations are a bit scattered. Not hours apart or anything...but definitely driving.
Last edited by pinniped; Jun 6, 2012 at 3:14 pm
#54
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,501
Oh, and after reading upthread a ways, other bits I'll add:
- MCI Airport is 20 miles north of the city. Staying at a hotel out there wouldn't be nearly as fun as being in the city.
- Downtown, Crossroads, or Crown Center is ideal. Plaza, Midtown, or Westport are all pretty good too. Union Hill is right uphill from Crown Center - that Fairfield Inn is a pretty good call for Marriott fans.
- The Sheraton in Crown Center is indeed the former Hyatt.
- If you're seeing Kansas hotels, you're *probably* looking at Overland Park. That's about 20 miles southwest of Kansas City. Again, not ideal unless you specifically want to be out there to visit friends or something.
- If you've never been to either Missouri or Kansas, you will visit both in the course of BBQ eating assuming Oklahoma Joe's is still on the menu. For OK Joe's, you have to go as far outside normal mealtimes as possible...and even then you'll still encounter a queue to order. Honestly, the only time I go there is when out-of-town friends who've seen it on the Food Network want to go.
- MCI Airport is 20 miles north of the city. Staying at a hotel out there wouldn't be nearly as fun as being in the city.
- Downtown, Crossroads, or Crown Center is ideal. Plaza, Midtown, or Westport are all pretty good too. Union Hill is right uphill from Crown Center - that Fairfield Inn is a pretty good call for Marriott fans.
- The Sheraton in Crown Center is indeed the former Hyatt.
- If you're seeing Kansas hotels, you're *probably* looking at Overland Park. That's about 20 miles southwest of Kansas City. Again, not ideal unless you specifically want to be out there to visit friends or something.
- If you've never been to either Missouri or Kansas, you will visit both in the course of BBQ eating assuming Oklahoma Joe's is still on the menu. For OK Joe's, you have to go as far outside normal mealtimes as possible...and even then you'll still encounter a queue to order. Honestly, the only time I go there is when out-of-town friends who've seen it on the Food Network want to go.
#55
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Either at the shooting range or anywhere good beer can be found...
Posts: 50,980
Mr. Kipper has just confirmed that we will not be attending. He's headed out of town the following week, and I'm out of town the following weekend, so it's not going to work out for us this year. One of these years, we will make it there!
#56
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,643
add me to the list
This is the first time I've heard about a FT get together here in KC. Yippee! Add me to the list for Friday evening at jack Stack for sure. I may be able to make some of the other stops.
There's currently a fabulous exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, artifacts from various World's Fairs 1851-1939:
http://www.nelson-atkins.org/
This is one of the best exhibits they have ever had if you like that visiting art museums.
Also, there's an exhibit of artifacts from the Titanic at Union Station:
http://titanic.unionstation.org/
Very interesting if you have never seen this exhibit before.
I wouldn't stay by the airport. It takes 20-30 minutes to get to midtown/plaza areas. You should be able to find an inexpensive place in the city. A business associate always stays at the Holiday Inn Express in Westport when here:
http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/e...wp/hoteldetail
Central location for everything you might want to do as a tourist here in Kansas City.
There's currently a fabulous exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, artifacts from various World's Fairs 1851-1939:
http://www.nelson-atkins.org/
This is one of the best exhibits they have ever had if you like that visiting art museums.
Also, there's an exhibit of artifacts from the Titanic at Union Station:
http://titanic.unionstation.org/
Very interesting if you have never seen this exhibit before.
I wouldn't stay by the airport. It takes 20-30 minutes to get to midtown/plaza areas. You should be able to find an inexpensive place in the city. A business associate always stays at the Holiday Inn Express in Westport when here:
http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/e...wp/hoteldetail
Central location for everything you might want to do as a tourist here in Kansas City.
Last edited by susiesan; Jun 7, 2012 at 12:05 pm
#60
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,922