EmLem Enters Contest

I'm working on a little bit of content for a website sponsoring a contest. It's a travel guide type of thing, and if you post content before a certain date, you are entered. They evaluate you based on quality, so I'm going to put up a couple of things from a few places I've explored. I want to post them here, too, especially so I can get a little feedback before putting them up for contest. Wednesday, when I had to work in KC anyway, I went foraging for good photos.

So, here goes!


Kansas City's Country Club Plaza, also known simply as "The Plaza," is an open air shopping and dining district south of downtown. But unlike the close spaces of some shopping streets, the Plaza admits much air and light, and has a warm character unique to the place.

clock, from creekside

Personally, I'm a fan of gardens and greenspace, and the inclusion of this type of beauty in the Plaza area is what makes it special among sites of entertainment, shopping, and dining. The south edge of the district is bounded by Brush Creek, which has cherry trees and benches along its walkways for anyone inclined to take a moment to enjoy the sights and smells. I parked along the water, but there are several free parking decks scattered throughout the area to accommodate visitors. The area is also well-signed for those attempting to find the Plaza.

How to get where you're going

path down to the creekside

view of footbridge, from alongside creek

Here I ate my lunch.

There is plenty of opportunity for comers to spend their excess coin in all manner of recognized stores, fine restaurants and cafes, and specialty shops. For me, the best things in life are free; strolling around the district enjoying the spring blooms proved to be a great way to spend a good part of an afternoon. Police abound on foot, making the place feel quite safe. People in the district are friendly: a businessman offered me directions and suggestions for my exploration, and out-of-town visitors offered to take my photo when they saw me clicking away at the water features.

This fountain reminded me of Rome!

There are several hotels in the area as well.

Mill Creek Park is right next to the Plaza, with soft springy running tracks and open fieldspace.

This rather large fountain at one end of Mill Creek Park was under maintenance work when I arrived, gearing up for the spring season.

Penguin Courtyard; note J Crew on the left, Urban Outfitters across the street.

The Plaza's fountains are part of what give it fame. It also boasts a collection of various sculptures tucked away here and there along the bright pathways. Schoolchildren even take field trips to the Plaza to learn about these pieces. The look of the place has an Italian sensibility, not only for the roof tiles, sidewalks, and water spouts, but also because of the sculpture. My favorite was the replica of a bronze boar from Florence, Italy; in Florence, you rub the boar's nose for luck. KC's boar had a shiny nose as well, and the plaque below it suggests dropping a coin and touching the nose for Children's Mercy Hospital. Some of the fountains encourage the tossing in of coins, like the Mermaid Pool which also takes coins for the Children's Mercy Hospital.

A man tosses a coin into Mermaid Pool as families relax around the sides.

Florence marketplace boar

By the Cheesecake Factory, blue lady sits at the edge of the Bacchus Fountain.

Fun statue near the river

Pomona Fountain, families, et al.

The Mediterranean look and feel pervade the whole area. Also, I love tulips.

Finally, the Plaza is close to free art museums and the lovely Loose Park, which deserve posts of their own.