Fun things to do?

[drummer]

I was thinking maybe people could share fun things they like to do with their significant others?

I've always been terrible at thinking up things to do. In the last week or so, I've met a girl and we've hung out twice, so I'm trying to think of things we could do other than go to a bar or get coffee or see a movie. And right now we're just friends, so I'm not going to suggest we go on a "romantic picnic" or "fly to Paris" anytime soon. Also, in my case I'm 22 and currently jobless, so suggestions that don't involve taking out a loan would be cool too, though I'm not opposed to spending some money.

[wordsmith]

This weekend, we've gone to an Irish-themed street festival, which consisted of opportunities to check out music, food, shopping (window and otherwise), gone to a minor league ballgame (fun, fast-moving, and cheap seats - $6 apiece!), and browsed some bookstores. Fairs and festivals have always been favorites of mine, free public art stuff, karaoke, bar trivia, walks in parks, etc.

[wordsmith]

P.S. Where are you located? I seem to remember you posting about KU?

[drummer]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Yes, I recently graduated from KU and am now around Kansas City.

[drummer]

And there was an Irish festival or something in Kansas City this weekend that probably would've been fun. I think I missed the boat on that one.

[wordsmith]

You should have been at the Irish Fest at Crown Center and at the T-Bones, like us! It's been a great weekend!

I also highly recommend the Apple Festival and Irish Festival in Weston, MO and Baldwin City, KS's Maple Leaf Festival (unless you have loathing and/or disdain for quaint, charming, folksy stuff). All are coming up. If you're a Ren Faire geek, I think that's coming up as well.

Edit, cross post. Obv, I am in KC, as well.

Do you look through the Pitch, ever? They do a really good job of listing free/cheap activities going on. And, yes, the Irish Festival was a lot of fun.

[drummer]

Oh wow, what a coincidence!

I have been to a few T-Bones games. My dad works for Community America that owns it or has their name on it or whatever, so we get free tickets every now and then, but I haven't gone in a couple years.

That's funny you mention the Pitch, because an hour ago I was looking through their website's events calendar for ideas. Though it seemed like everything they listed was some happy hour at a bar or a concert (which I go to enough of), so I couldn't find anything.

Well, if you hear about cool things, let me know!

[wordsmith]

Yup, we took one of my students, who has special needs, to the game today. He loves sports, but his parents kind of have their hands full and can't always take him to stuff. More fun than the Royals, since you're right down by the action, and there's all the Bill Veeck-style silliness, hot dog races and contests and stuff. Plus, hey, the T-Bones actually WON!

Don't be too quick to dismiss the happy hour stuff; true, the Pitch does cater to the hipster mentality, but there are also a lot of low-key places like the Flea Market that have really fun, laid back stuff going on throughout the week.

[drummer]

Oh, I'm not against happy hour, necessarily. I am kind of a part of that "hipster mentality" I will admit. (My band actually had an article in the Pitch last September, complete with my last name being spelled wrong, as usual!) I do like hanging out at bars and seeing local bands and so on, yet I'm trying to think of other things more original to do as well.

[wordsmith]

Hah, now I want to know which band is yours (I work with a lot of you hipster musicians, hah), and my BF is a musician as well. You can PM me if you don't wanna post.

[ScottyTheBody]

Bowling for sure.

[drummer]

Yeahhhh. I've been feeling like bowling lately. I took a bowling class last semester (I needed one more credit hour) and I'm ready to show off what I learned.

[wordsmith]

Well, there are certainly venues for that around here, be they ultra trendy (think P&L), or divey.

[drummer]

Yeah I might have to do that soon.

[KCboy]

I like to do physical-type stuff.

bowling, hit some balls at the driving range (smileys has a good range in KC).

I also like to go to Dave and Busters, but that could cost a little cash.

go to the pool?
zoo?

[wordsmith]

I wonder if I'm the only person on here who has had an absolutely abysmal experience with the KC Zoo. I've only been once, and I will probably give it the benefit of the doubt rather than judge it based on that one time, but I was really underwhelmed with my experience. A nice enough (if small) facility, but there were almost NO ANIMALS THERE. We saw a single cheetah from a distance in the open "Africa" area, walked around the perimeter of that to the one lone alligator in a tank, saw a cage of African wild dogs, and made it back to the central part of the zoo, where there was the one Hy-Vee sponsored Siberian tiger, and an orangutan. And paid the full, in-season rate, even though nearly every area had signs up saying, "I can't come out and play today! Come visit me later!" I felt so ripped off.

[ddrost1]

I was thinking maybe people could share fun things they like to do with their significant others?

I've always been terrible at thinking up things to do. In the last week or so, I've met a girl and we've hung out twice, so I'm trying to think of things we could do other than go to a bar or get coffee or see a movie. And right now we're just friends, so I'm not going to suggest we go on a "romantic picnic" or "fly to Paris" anytime soon. Also, in my case I'm 22 and currently jobless, so suggestions that don't involve taking out a loan would be cool too, though I'm not opposed to spending some money.


ART MUSEUMS! cheap and/or free, classy, cultural...one of my favorite places on the "first dates" list. no need to make a massive investment with someone you're just getting to know, regardless of financial situation.

[ebruening]

ART MUSEUMS! cheap and/or free, classy, cultural...one of my favorite places on the "first dates" list. no need to make a massive investment with someone you're just getting to know, regardless of financial situation.

I'm not from KC, but for our honeymoon, my husband and I went to KC. Our first stop in KC was the art museum, and it was easily the highlight of our trip. It was free, and we could have spent far longer in there than we did (which was a whole afternoon). We got to walk around and talk about things, too, so it was definitely a social activity. (Also, my husband isn't a huge art fan, either, but he did truly enjoy the art museum.)

[wordsmith]

The Nelson (traditional collection art gallery, for those who don't know KC) and the Kemper (Modern art) are my neighbors, as is the Kansas City Art Institute! They're fantastic resources for the city. I especially enjoy the sculpture garden at the Nelson. The Kauffmann Memorial Garden, which is a short walk down the green from the Nelson's front lawn, is probably my favorite spot in the whole city.

[ddrost1]

I'm not from KC, but for our honeymoon, my husband and I went to KC. Our first stop in KC was the art museum, and it was easily the highlight of our trip. It was free, and we could have spent far longer in there than we did (which was a whole afternoon). We got to walk around and talk about things, too, so it was definitely a social activity. (Also, my husband isn't a huge art fan, either, but he did truly enjoy the art museum.)


hola to a fellow member of the husker nation! UNL '05 here. :D

[drummer]

Cool to see a lot of people from Kansas City on here (or at least have visited it).

I really like Dave and Busters. That's a place I wish I had $1000 to spend, because I could easily do that in a couple hours.

Museums - that's a great idea. I'd love to check those out.

wordsmith, that sounds like an awful time at the Zoo. I've maybe been there once or twice, but it was so long ago, I barely remember.

[wordsmith]

Yeah, I was really let down (and, it's overpriced for its size and lack of exhibits). I was expecting something more along the lines of the zoo in Forest Park in St. Louis, which is very well done (not to mention free).

[wordsmith]

Museums - that's a great idea. I'd love to check those out.


As a musician, I would imagine you've been to the Jazz Museum at 18th and Vine - if not, get there. The adjacent Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is probably the second most well-done specialty museum I've ever been to. It's really cool.

[KCboy]

I wonder if I'm the only person on here who has had an absolutely abysmal experience with the KC Zoo.

far from it. I've been twice recently and there were virtually no animals to be seen.

I think I saw 4 types, and they were all lying around like they were almost dead. They looked like me after a Friday night bender.

[Bocheezu]

The heat of summer is kind of a bad time to go to a zoo, since the animals are just passed out all the time. I went to the Detroit Zoo earlier in the year and they had a fair number of animals that were doing stuff. Rhinos, hippos, grizzly bears, giraffes, anteaters, aardvarks, otters, prairie dogs, wolverines were all awake. Lions, tigers, polar bears, and gorillas were passed out. I honestly think the lions and tigers are just cardboard cutouts cause those things are never awake when you go there. They also have a cool bird and butterfly indoor sanctuary thing and a penguinarium.

[KCboy]

The person I went with was from STL, and spent the whole time telling me how great the STL zoo is.

[Bocheezu]

You're jealous, admit it.

[wordsmith]

far from it. I've been twice recently and there were virtually no animals to be seen.

I think I saw 4 types, and they were all lying around like they were almost dead. They looked like me after a Friday night bender.

Hah! So true. My boyfriend is convinced that the one cheetah we saw was a dog dressed up like a cheetah.

It annoys me. I'm a big supporter of community amenities, I actually do USE public entertainment and educational resources like zoos and museums. I'm not somebody who lives someplace and never takes advantage of the amenities. But the KC zoo is really cutrate.

[wordsmith]

The heat of summer is kind of a bad time to go to a zoo, since the animals are just passed out all the time.

Yes, but my underwhelming experience was in April...seriously, the KC zoo is a craphole.

[wordsmith]

The person I went with was from STL, and spent the whole time telling me how great the STL zoo is.

It's world class,compared to KC's, that's for sure. It's a free zoo that's part of a park district, and for what it is, it's pretty awesome.

[drummer]

As a musician, I would imagine you've been to the Jazz Museum at 18th and Vine - if not, get there. The adjacent Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is probably the second most well-done specialty museum I've ever been to. It's really cool.

I have been to both of those, but again, a long time ago. Man, I'm realizing all this stuff I need to do.

Last year when my band played in Lincoln, Nebraska, four of us went to the Lincoln Museum of History. It was really cool. I'm a sucker for that stuff. "Whoa! An army uniform from World War II!"