The Buck Stops with Patrick Mahomes.

When Wheat and I plan a trip somewhere, this is normally how it goes:

Me: I wanna go somewhere.
Wheat: You always want to go somewhere. Where do you want to go?
Me: I don't care. Somewhere new. Get on Southwest and see what's cheap.

**end scene**

This is literally how we decided on Kansas City. Once we started our research, we realized we would be in town during a Chiefs home game and we were sold. Superhero quarterback Patrick Mahomes was my fantasy quarterback and I was amped to see him do his thing at Arrowhead Stadium. Supposedly, Arrowhead is one of the loudest NFL stadiums and I can definitely confirm it seemed that way to me.

In the end, the Chiefs defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 26-14, in a game that was much closer than we anticipated it would be. It's always fun to check out new stadiums and it felt good to mark another one off the list.

When the game was over, we decided to head back to the art museum and take a deeper dive into the galleries. I mean, this place has Monet's Water Lilies and Caravaggio's Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness, not to mention a nice collection of Warhol art. We also took the opportunity to play outside in the freshly fallen yellow leaves.

After a brief break in the hotel room, we made our way to dinner at a...YOU GUESSED IT...barbecue place. This time, we went with the one all our Uber drivers were suggesting, Jack Stack. It still didn't quite live up to Joe's for us, but can you go wrong with this?

The next morning, we had a little time to kill before our flight home, so we decided to check out our third presidential library together, the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in nearby Independence, Missouri. As usual, these history nerds had a blast learning about his presidency and life, from his service in WWI to his decision to drop the atomic bomb. Like the other libraries, this one also had a recreation of his Oval Office, as well as notable personal items on display (including his 1941 Chrysler Royal Club Coupe). Highlights for me included the famous "The Buck Stops Here" sign that resided on his desk and an original copy of the mistaken "Dewey Defeats Truman" headline from the Chicago Daily Tribune. He and his wife (Bess) are both buried on the grounds and there is an eternal flame on display, as well.

...and just like that, our dreamy whirlwind trip was over...and I started inquiring about the next one. Soon to come: Charleston, South Carolina!

What up, KC?

If you've known me for some time, you've probably heard me say, "There are hidden treasures everywhere." I say this because it's remarkably true! You don't have to be in New York, Las Vegas, or Chicago to find something awesome to do. Kansas City was the perfect case in point...

Our second day in the city started with a trip to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. As sports fiends, we enjoyed wandering through the museum and learning about the history of the Negro Leagues and its notable players - names like Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Rube Foster, and of course, Jackie Robinson. By happy accident, we happened to be there on the 107th birthday of Buck O'Neil, a famous player for the Kansas City Monarchs who later became the first African-American coach in Major League Baseball. In honor of his birthday, the museum was hosting an event with speakers that discussed him and his impact on baseball.

Once we'd worked up an appetite, we made our way to the next barbecue joint on our list - Gates BBQ. We definitely preferred Joe's, but it probably means something that I'd already eaten half of my food by the time I remembered to take a picture. Oops.

With full stomachs, we decided to check out the Power & Light District, a dining and entertainment district downtown. It should come as no surprise that our first stop while there was The College Basketball Experience, the interactive home of men's college basketball that also houses the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. This place was half museum, half basketball gym and we spent most of our time shooting around and doing drills. Wheat loved the exhibit on Cinderella teams, which, of course, highlighted Davidson and Steph Curry.

After working up a sweat, we decided to cool down with a stroll through one of KC's crown jewels - the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. I had no idea, but this is one of the best art museums in the country and it didn't take long to figure out why. I was absolutely blown away by the world-class galleries and the beautiful grounds (which included the famous shuttlecocks). We arrived shortly before closing time, so we vowed to make a return visit before heading home.

There was a special exhibit on the Day of the Dead that really hit home for me. You could leave messages for your departed loved ones and we made sure to leave a couple for my mom. In fact, she became the first person to know we were expecting. There were butterflies and flowers, two of my mom's favorite things, all over the display and it truly felt like we stumbled across it for a reason.

When the museum closed, we went back to our hotel to rest before heading to Chuy's for dinner. We ended the night with another soak in the whirlpool while watching Saturday Night Live.

As promised, I'll condense the next two days into one post. I told you - Kansas City has a lot to offer.

It's a...Trip to Kansas City!

Well, we got some big news this weekend...

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A post shared by Brittany Hotchkiss (@blettany) on Feb 23, 2019 at 3:59pm PST

More to come on that later, but in the meantime...

There's nothing you love more than a vacation recap that's three months late, right? Well, you're in luck...because three months ago, Wheat and I ventured to Kansas City for some history, football, and barbecue. We actually found out we were expecting the day that we boarded our flight, so we spent the next three days enjoying each other's company and letting the exciting news sink in. Side note: It still really hasn't.

We started our first real day in the city the best way I know how: EATING. And we chose an absolute gem for our first barbecue of the trip. The original Joe's Bar-B-Que is actually situated in a gas station and the line stretching out the door and around the building is your first clue that you've made the right choice. Anthony Bourdain named this place one of the 13 places you need to eat before you die and with good reason. I went with the pulled pork sandwich and Kansas caviar while Wheat opted for the Z-Man (brisket, cheese, and onion rings) and the most delicious french fries I've ever had. Folks, that's high praise.

Once we'd had our fill, we made our way to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City to walk through the money museum, check out the coin collection, and get our souvenir bag of shredded cash.

From there, it was a quick walk over to the National World War I Museum. We happened to be in town for the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, the day that marks the end of World War I, so admission was half-price and there were several special events scheduled to mark the occasion. The museum was incredible and I'd say it's a must for anyone visiting the city. We spent several hours wandering through the exhibits, learning about the political climate and events that led to the war and feeling pretty mortified by the horrors of the conflict. Museum highlights for me included the trenches they've recreated to put you in the shoes of the soldiers and the haunting field of poppies that reference John McCrae's famous war poem "In Flanders Fields."

When the museum closed, we walked to Union Station to check out the gorgeous interior and Christmas decorations before getting ice cream at Crown Center nearby. As we left to call an Uber, we noticed that poppies had been projected onto the facade of the World War I museum in honor of Armistice Day, a sobering tribute to those lost in the Great War.

The rest of our night was spent at a romantic dinner at The Melting Pot (can you believe I'd never been there before?!) and soaking in the whirlpool in our hotel room.

I'll try to condense the next couple days into one post because Charleston posts are also on the horizon. See what you get when you take blogging breaks?

Mile High Eats

If you're wondering if all we did in Denver was eat, the answer is a resounding yes.

...I mean, the last season of Top Chef was based there for a reason.

True to form, we closed out the last day of our whirlwind trip with a downtown food tour. I'd never done one before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was an absolute blast. It was our guide's first solo tour, but we never would have known that had he not told us. For roughly four hours, we walked all over the downtown area, learning about the food scene, listening to the city's history, and stopping at seven different places to try a diverse range of dishes.

• Blue Agave Grill, our meeting point and starting location, offered fish tacos. In lieu of that, I was given a fried avocado taco and it was probably my favorite item of the tour.
• EVOO Marketplace is a locally-owned olive oil/balsamic vinegar shop, where we learned about the oil-making process and sampled any flavor combinations that we wanted. Blueberry balsamic, anyone?

• Avelina, an American spot that offers seasonal dishes, gave us tuna tartare, but I opted for carrot soup. 
• Zoe Ma Ma, a fast casual Chinese restaurant, provided large portions of a noodle dish that we enhanced with whatever sauces we wanted.

• Wynkoop Brewing Company, Denver's first brewpub (Fun fact: It was started by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper), was next on the tour and we tried some bizarre things. First up was bison chili, which was delicious and tasted like normal chili. Then, because it's a brewery, came the beer. We tried Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, which is actually brewed with roasted bull testicles. Yikes.
• Mercantile, a farm-to-table restaurant/artisanal market located in Union Station, gave us some cheese and crackers to help wash down our beer. Side note: The owner of Mercantile, Alex Seidel, was featured on Top Chef last season!
• Milkbox, which is also located inside Union Station, was an ice cream shop that served Little Man ice cream. The sea salt caramel was the perfect way to end the tour.

Not only was the food delicious, but the tour company was incredibly accommodating with personal taste preferences. I told them in advance that I don't like seafood and they were able to offer me alternatives at the two stops where fish was on the tasting menu. I was also amazed that, thanks to all the walking and talking, we weren't stuffed by the end of the tour.

We had a little time to kill before heading to the airport, so we decided to check out the Brown Palace, a historic hotel nearby. Then, because we clearly hadn't eaten enough already, we made our way to Voodoo Doughnut to say a proper goodbye to the city. For the record, I highly recommend Voodoo if you're ever near one. SO DELICIOUS. It was tough to pick, but we had enough time to decide as the line stretched outside the door and onto the street. We settled on Dirt (Oreos), Oh Captain, My Captain (Captain Crunch), and the Homer (yeast doughnut with strawberry frosting). My personal favorite, though, was the massive doughnut decorated in honor of Stephen Hawking.

So yeah, we probably gained ten pounds on our quick weekend trip to a city that's known for outdoor, physical activities. Oops. I'm already plotting our return to Denver, but this time, we'll make sure to rent a car.