10 Best Healthful Activities in Kansas City

Kansas City came of age during America's westward expansion and rose to prominence as a meatpacking center. But today in this leafy Midwestern city, which straddles both Kansas and Missouri, you'll find the world's finest jazz and barbecue, stunning art deco and Mediterranean-inspired architecture, and more than 200 ornate fountains. And that's just the beginning. Don't fret about crowds; although the metro area approaches two million, there's plenty of room to roam.

1. Stop, look, and listen: Tour the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District, where jazz legends Charlie Parker, Count Basie, and Big Joe Turner once jammed. At the American Jazz Museum, you can see a bronze sequined sheath Ella Fitzgerald wore as she belted out the blues, listen to more than 100 jazz recordings, and tinker with rhythms on studio equipment. The museum's Blue Room, a popular smoke-free jazz club, is open four nights a week.

2. Spot the city's top architecture: The historic Country Club Plaza is America's first suburban shopping center. The 14-block plaza was created in 1922 and modeled after Spain's marketplaces. Today, it contains nearly 200 stores and restaurants, plus more than one million dollars in outdoor artwork and sculpture. Grab an art and architecture guide at the customer service office, and keep your eyes peeled for Giralda Tower, a small-scale replica of a famous 300-year-old Seville landmark, and its three graceful mermaids, which frolic in a ceramic-tile-lined pool. As you stroll the plaza, take notice of the dozen or so ceramic heads topping the apartment building on Summit and 48th. The pieces are self-portrait busts created by past students of the Kansas City Art Institute that the building's owner mischievously impaled atop his building.

3. Eat local: Fervere (816-842-7272) bakes loaves in a hand-build brick oven using organic wheat farmed from the fields of Kansas. Grab a loaf of the whole-grain travel bread for the road–as its name suggests, this dense bread keeps well.

4. Go back in time: The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum showcases the history of the leagues through a wealth of memorabilia and a re-created field featuring 12 life-size bronze sculptures of league legends.

5. Take an art walk: Stroll through the city's Crossroads Arts District, a mile-square swath south of downtown, once full of abandoned buildings. It's now home to more than 60 art galleries, one-of-a-kind boutiques, and top-notch restaurants, such as Webster House (816-221-4713), a 19th-century school now housing an antiques shop. On the first Friday of every month, most galleries and shops stay open past dark as the streets fill with performers, concessionaires, and shoppers.

6. Make an evening of it: Before dinner, pop into Union Station, once the third-largest train station in the nation. Recently renovated, it's filled with theaters, restaurants, and a science center. Afterward, head to frequent Cooking Light contributor Lidia Bastianich's restaurant, Lidia's Kansas City, behind the station. The daily "pasta tasting," allows for small, satisfying bites of fresh, seasonal pasta, risotto, and polenta selections.

7. Enjoy a summertime treat: Each summer, join residents for one of the city's favorite cultural pasttimes: Toss a blanket on the grass in Southmoreland Park after dinner and catch a free play. The city's four-week Heart of America Shakespeare Festival (816-531-7728) runs nightly (except Mondays) mid-June through mid-July.

8. Stay with tradition: Hotel Phillips (800-433-1426), adjacent to the entertainment district, is one of the city's top boutique hotels. The recently renovated art deco landmark was built in 1931. Don't miss the lobby's stunning centerpiece: an 11-foot high golden statue representing Dawn, the winged goddess of the stars, designed to serve as a symbol of hospitality.

9. Lace up your walking shoes: Head for the City Market, five blocks from the banks of the Missouri River. An eclectic mix of international shops and restaurants borders a four-block plot, peddling everything from local wildflower honey to Yucatan ceramics. On Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, more than 120 vendors crowd the center of the square, offering the season's freshest fruits, vegetables, and herbs. At night, the area hosts a thriving social scene.

10. Spend an afternoon among masterpieces: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is considered one of America's finest art museums. View the facility's renowned collection of Asian art and European paintings. Admission is free, and the museum is closed on Mondays.