Culture and History

Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP)

This is one of the classic “must-sees” of São Paulo. The museum has a permanent collection with paintings and sculptures by international artists such as Renoir, Gauguin, Di Cavalcanti, Rafael, Botticelli, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh and Gainesborough alongside masterpieces by Latin American greats like Diego Rivera, Candido Portinari and Anita Malfatti, but the building itself is also considered a landmark in the history of 20th century architecture.

Museu do Ipiranga

São Paulo has over 100 museums, but there is one that almost every person who resides in that city has been to – the Museu do Ipiranga. Opened in 1895, the museum’s structure was inspired by the Palace of Versailles in France and is home to a series of painting from the colonial period in Brazil. The museum is also known for its beautiful gardens where locals like to spend afternoons. This is not one of the most famous museums in town, but it’s definitely a local favorite.  

Museu do Futebol

I could talk about different museums to visit in São Paulo for forever, so in order to show a little bit of my hometown’s variety the last museum I want to talk about is our soccer museum. The museum shows the history of soccer, Brazilian football legends and the World Cup since its beginning in 1930. It also has radio and movie clips from famous soccer games and even has a whole room dedicated to Brazil’s football “king” Pele.

Food

If you looked up famous restaurants in São Paulo, you would get a variety of places – from well-known chefs to family owned joints. A special thing about Brazil is that we have such a diverse culture that there are so many good places with the same type of food served in different way. Unfortunately, I can’t talk about them all – here’s a list of places you have to eat at in São Paulo.

Mercado Municipal

Farmer’s markets are a big thing in São Paulo and the Mercado Municipal – Municipal Market of São Paulo – is almost a gourmet version of a farmer’s market with many stores selling fish, spices, different types of meat, bread and fruits from all over the world. But the best part is the restaurants. The top three foods you must try at the Municipal Market of São Paulo – also known as “Mercadão,” or big market – are the following:

Mortadella sandwich

With 10.58 ounces of mortadella – a large smoked sausage made of beef, pork and pork fat and seasoned with pepper and garlic – this huge sandwich brings people from all places to try it out. Many people can’t even finish it because of its size.

Codfish ball

Originally from Portugal, the deep fried “bolinho de bacalhau” is also really famous in Brazil. You can find it in almost every bar in Brazil as a snack to eat alongside with your beer, but at the Municipal Market of São Paulo you have codfish balls made with fresh cod in excellent quality.

Pastel

This is basically deep fried dough with filling. In São Paulo you can find the most different types of fillings in “pastel,” but the most common ones at the Municipal Market of São Paulo are mozzarella cheese, ground beef, cod fish and banana with caramel.

Bairro da Liberdade

This is one of the most famous neighborhoods in São Paulo, mostly because of its Asian-inspired theme. Brazil is home to the largest Japanese population outside Japan and that has a big cultural influence in the “Bairro da Liberdade,” or liberty neighborhood, with light poles like paper lamps, street signs with Japanese writing and Torii gates around the streets. There you can also find multiple Asian restaurants with Japanese, Korean and Chinese food.

Brazilian Barbecue

You can easily find a good barbecue place in Brazil – we even have food carts selling Brazilian barbecue in the streets as if they were hot dogs. But one of the best restaurants is Fogo de Chão – which also has a location in Downtown Kansas City.

Tropical Fruits

The one other thing you must try when you’re in Brazil is our fruits. Being a tropical country, we have a variety of fruits that are always fresh since they’re distributed by local farmers close to the consumer. If at any moment you feel like buying a snack, some fruit will not only be healthier but probably cheaper in Brazil.

Nightlife

São Paulo is also really famous for its nightlife – with options for people in every type of budget. There are many nightclubs with different types of music and bars that you can go to even if you’re not of legal drinking age – in Brazil it’s 18 years old – but still want to hang out with your older friends. Augusta Street during the day is known to be a great place for shopping, but during the night it is known by its nightlife – with clubs, bars and live music venues.

São Paulo has a lot to offer, and I could talk about the different things you can do, see and eat there, but the small list I’ve made here can give an idea of the city’s diversity and its options for all types of adventure.  

Springfield, called Springvegas by some local residents, offers the feel of a vibrant, growing community without the expensive price tag. Springfield is a great place to visit – or live – because it can be easily molded to the experiences any individual wants to have.

One can find artsy, hipster coffee shops scattered across the city – but right around the corner, there might be an old-fashioned diner along Route 66.

Whether you’re visiting for a few days or staying for a lifetime, I have compiled a list of must-do’s when visiting Springfield.

Chinese Food

If you’ve ever met someone from Springfield it will probably be hard to go an entire conversation without them mentioning Chinese food. Unbeknownst to most, Springfield has a massive Chinese food network centered around Springfield-style cashew chicken – and no matter what anyone tells you, Springfield Chinese food is different.

While I will divulge my personal favorite Chinese food in Springfield, I have included multiple restaurants that each provide a different feel and dining experience.

Leong’s Asian Diner

I feel compelled to list Leong’s first as the owner of the restaurant, Mr. David Leong, was the inventor of Springfield-style cashew chicken. This has left a permanent impact on the community and changed Springfield for the better.

Leong’s definitely has a nicer feel to it than most Springfield Chinese food restaurants. It is a sit down meal and the prices are higher than most other Chinese food establishments.

However, I like to think of it as paying for the experience. One has the advantage of engaging in a nice meal, and most days Leong is present at the restaurant.

China Star

Personally, China Star is my favorite Chinese food in Springfield. It is super affordable – around $6 for an entire meal – and it is delicious.

China Star also offers one the authentic sketchy Chinese restaurant vibe. While it’s fun to eat inside, I’d recommend getting it to go – I think they definitely give you more food to go.

American Food

Black Sheep

Black Sheep is a relatively new burger and fries restaurant in Springfield that has taken off. It provides unique menu items and shakes made with Andy’s frozen custard – categorically the best ice cream around, please don’t question me on this.  

While Black Sheep provides all-natural, hormone free beef, they are better known for their menu. For example, one can order the Cowboy Carl (pictured below) that contains a beef patty, brisket, and onion rings. Or the springphilly which is a burger with a filet mignon as the second patty.

Attractions

Bass Pro

While there are other Bass Pro shops around the country, none compare to the original in Springfield.

This is the largest of the Bass Pro shops and it contains attractions to keep one entertained for hours. This Bass Pro houses things such as The NRA Sporting Arms Museum and The National Archery Hall of Fame.

Most recently, the Springfield Bass Pro became home to the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium.

Wonders of Wildlife was voted America’s Best Aquarium the year it opened. This immersive museum is a great way to spend the day in Springfield.

Though tickets to the museum cost $40 for an adult one-day admission it is well worth the price.

One of the fastest growing cities in Missouri, Kearney boasts a small number of fast-food restaurants, local fare and activities. Most of the landscape is slightly rural – encompassing family-friendly neighborhoods – and the city is still growing, adding more commercial businesses and expanding activities for the young community as well.

Most people from Kearney in the older generation will describe it as the best and safest place to raise a family so close to Kansas City, but the younger generation still longs for some of the hustle and bustle that you can only get by coming to Liberty or Kansas City. You probably only know it exists if you played high school sports in the Northland, and even then, you probably didn’t think much about it. The city does have its small charms that make it a worthwhile place to visit.

Arts

Arguably, Kearney is strongly lacking in the art scene – with a relatively low-key downtown business environment – but some efforts have been made to increase youth involvement in arts and culture.

The Firehouse Community Center was built from the old Kearney Firehouse and now serves as a place for summer camps for kids, party rental for graduations, and supports the local Farmer’s Market. The Firehouse also is involved in helping senior citizens be active, learn and socialize – which is important in a growing community. This establishment is successful, and is a promising start to bringing more cultural involvement to the community.

Historical Sights

Kearney shines in the history department, boasting the family home of Jesse James, including his final resting place in the cemetery located in the middle of town. The Jesse James Family Farm is located just outside of Kearney going east and is a really great place to learn more about Western history. The grounds are beautiful in the summer, and the original home from the 1800s harbors that musty old scent that makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

The Kearney Historic Museum also offers a lot of interesting facts about the city, including genealogy tracings for those with family in the area. In fact, Kearney families have a lot of ties in the area – including Jesse James’s father, Robert, being a founder of William Jewell.

Food

Most of the food scene in Kearney is fast food commercial chains, but there are a few beautiful local gems worth the trip. If you like Mexican food, or you are a fan of Mi Hacienda in Liberty, Kearney’s La Fuente is the exact same restaurant. Owned by the same family, these restaurants offer tasty authentic Mexican food, and La Fuente is a popular place for kids to eat on early days out from school, like homecoming.

Small and quaint, Gino’s Italian Cuisine offers some of the best Italian in the area. They boast a wide menu of Sicilian and northern Italian favorites, and the food is fresh and prepared to order. I recommend the clam pasta or chicken spiedini.

Stable’s Local Kitchen and Patio has been a Kearney staple for years, offering classic American fare, and the food is always good. They have great burgers, wings and sandwiches – you really can’t go wrong.

Attractions

Being so close to the Northland, there are few commercial attractions in Kearney, but the ones we have are pretty great.

The Fun Farm Pumpkin Patch is a giant, sprawling locale with fall activities. Renovated just last year to add more attractions, the Fun Farm has a giant merchandise barn with treats like fudge and caramel apples, pumpkin picking and a giant kids zone and petting zoo. The best part? You only pay for what you want to do, instead of paying an entrance fee and additional fees like some other places. It’s affordable and a great fall activity.

The Kearney Amphitheatre located in Jesse James Park is a great venue for concerts and summer fun. This summer’s concert list hasn’t been announced, but past concerts have included artists like Scotty McCreery and Jason Aldean. If country music is your thing, the tickets are fairly cheap and the park is a beautiful venue.

Kearney could be a boring, forgettable, small Missouri town, but its history and mission to keep improving the community make it a growing place for years to come. The people are kind, the environment is largely supportive and leaving it makes you appreciate the lessons you’ve learned living in such a small place.

Take a jog outside of Liberty and explore up north just a little bit. You might be surprised by what you find.

However, Spring Hill has actually doubled in size since 2000 and is one of the top growing cities in all of the Kansas City metropolitan area. While the town prides itself on their location, charm and affordable housing, Hart and Bigger provide a more intimate telling – not simply what can be found on their official website – of what life is really like in the little town they call home.

Both Hart and Bigger cite the people of the town as being one of the best parts of growing up and living in Spring Hill. Both speak of how mostly everyone knew everyone, which led to a lot of close friendships and relationships.

Both also complained about the lack of variety of things to do and places to eat, and how that has been a hindrance to their time spent in their hometown.

“[My] least favorite [part about Spring Hill] is that the place is mostly empty, and other than hanging out and talking, it’s hard to find much to do unless you want to drive 30 minutes,” Hart said. “Really all you got is the local Sonic and the K & M, which is a really nice BBQ spot. Mostly my friends and I would leave town to go to Olathe when we wanted something to do.”

Bigger speaks of memories and events that the town would always put on, such as a chili cook off, the Fall Festival and a street dance.

“There is [sic] not a whole lot of fun things to do, but I always enjoyed driving back roads [while] blaring music with your windows down, having a good ‘ol bonfire and, of course, going to Sonic with friends just to sit there for hours,” Bigger said.

According to Hart and Bigger, the only cool spots are the worlds’ largest kitty litter plant and the Viper’s Cave – an underpass where high schoolers would congregate and tag with graffiti.

They both enjoy Liberty more in terms of things to do but prefer the memories made in Spring Hill.

So, should you visit the small but charming town of Spring Hill, Kansas?

“No,” said Hart “There’s nothing really exciting about going to Spring Hill unless you know anyone there. So I guess if you’re friends with Bre or I, you might come out. But otherwise, go somewhere more exciting.”