Travelrific® Travel Journal
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The World Series of Barbecue
By Linda Tancs
All hail the king of barbecue: Kansas City, Missouri’s American Royal is the largest barbecue contest in the world. Beginning tomorrow through 2 October, this four-day annual food festival in Kansas City’s historic Stockyards District is part of the competitive circuit where nearly 500 teams compete in four meat categories. Of course, what’s a barbecue without the sauce; the competition includes a Sauce Contest for the moniker Sauce Best Sauce on the Planet. Open to products available commercially, this year the sauces will be judged plain and on unseasoned pulled pork. The American Royal, a nonprofit organization now in its 112th
year, raises funds for youth and education. Proceeds from this year’s beverage sales will benefit the American Royal Education and Scholarship Fund.
Life and Liberty in Kansas City
By Linda Tancs
Designated by Congress as the United States’ official World War I Museum, the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri opened to the public in 2006. The Museum presents a comprehensive interpretation of World War I (1914-1919). In poignant fashion, visitors cross a Western Front poppy field to enter the Museum. Each of the 9,000 poppies represents a thousand combatant deaths, or nine million souls. In addition to gun and tank displays, the war is made palpable through the use of trenches with actual objects and relevant ambient sounds as well as a walk-through crater illustrating the devastating effects of a 17-inch howitzer shell on a French farmhouse. Combine these features with animated battle maps that draw the visitor into the planning and execution of the battles. A worthwhile visit–and active and career military are welcome free of charge.
