With barbecue and bebop within city limits and riverboats and the 1827 town of Independence right outside, Kansas City is worth your visit. Load up on lip-smackin spicy hot BBQ in one of KCs 90 barbecue restaurants, then chill out while admiring jazz legends and lore at the American Jazz Museum.

The title of the cookbook published by the Kansas City Barbecue Society (Barbecue…It’s Not Just For Breakfast Anymore) gives visitors an idea of what to expect when surveying the town’s restaurant options. Subtle and sweet, tangy and hot, there’s a strain of sauce for every palate. While early pioneers may have moved westward from Kansas City, you can blaze a BBQ trail from one smoky spot to the next without ever leaving town.

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