I fell in love with Kansas City over an order of burnt ends at Fiorella’s Jack Stack barbecue. But there’s more to the story, so stay with me here and we’ll get back to barbecue in a bit.

On a beautiful blue-sky-and-white-cloud morning—summer hadn’t yet reared its humid head—I set out to explore the area around Union Station. The huge train station was closed in 1988 and sat empty and decaying until saved and restored in 1999. During its heyday, the station was the second largest in the country and it’s estimated that as many as a million passengers passed through the station during World War II.

Today, the huge north hall, which can hold more than 10,000 people, is used for various functions. In the Grand Hall, you can marvel at the massive 3,5000-pound chandeliers hanging from an elaborate ceiling 95 feet overhead. Walk outside and look for the plaque near one of the doors. It commemorates the “Kansas City Massacre,” a shoot-out between gangsters and federal agents on June 17, 1933. While many believe “Pretty Boy” Floyd was involved, most historians don’t. And as for the chips in the stone, well they might be bullet holes—it’s your guess.

Once outside, you can’t miss the massive fountain designed by Wet, the company that created the Bellagio fountain in Las Vegas and the new fountains in Dubai. Across the road is the soaring, 217-foot-tall tower of the Liberty Memorial. In 1926, President Calvin Coolidge dedicated it to those who died in World War I in defense of liberty. There’s a park with wide expanses of lawn surrounding the tower on a hill overlooking the city. There’s a great view from the top but it’s what’s underneath the tower that’s really interesting.

Under the tower is the National World War I Museum, which opened in 2006. If you approach along the long entranceway, you’ll see that the museum was built into the hill. It’s an imposing entry. Reminds me a bit of entering some huge sacred temple or maybe a tomb. That might not have the intent, though. The first thing you see when entering is a large glass floor with red poppies underneath. There are 9,000 poppies; each represents 1,000 combat fatalities. It’s a sobering entrance, but nothing prepared me for the museum. I’ve read about WW I. But seeing the displays puts it in perspective. Start with the short video that shows the history leading up the war and then head out into the museum. You’ll see weapons, a very realistic re-creation of a no-mans-land with lots of mud and trenches, uniforms, and even simple things like household items. One display shows the efforts of Americans at home and their support of the troops.

This is the largest collection of World War I-related materials outside of the Imperial War Museum in London. It’s drawn scholars and visitors from all over the world to study the collection. Plan on spending a couple of hours as least.

Okay, follow me back out into the daylight, and we’ll talk about barbecue. Kansas City barbecue is famous among everyone who loves the smell of wood and meat.

Barbecue is an authentically American method of cooking. Because Kansas City’s stockyards was the destinations all those cattle drives heading from Texas and other parts, a lot of barbecue here is beef. You’ll find some great pork as well, but beef ribs and brisket are the specialties here.

And that brings me to the subject of burnt ends. These are the ends of the brisket. These small pieces of well-cooked meat rich with smoky flavor distill the essence of barbecue in every bite. At Fiorella’s Jack Stack, I had an order of brisket burnt ends with beans. The beans were slow cooked with little bits of beef and served with coleslaw. And that’s when I fell in love with Kansas City. Burnt ends, beans, and coleslaw, I can hardly wait for fall and the American Royal Barbecue competition. It’s the largest in the world.

Any more KC recommendations?