Coffee Crawl Update — Patti Part Two

I mentioned in a previous post that I am #coffeeshopobsessed! So I thought an update would be in order. And thanks to everyone that has been sending me suggestions - I am compiling a list to work my way through. And thanks for the suggestions that aren't even in KC! I will add your city to my list and plan a trip if I possibly can - maybe "will travel for coffee" will become my new blog.

Here is one of my favorites - and worth a trip to downtown KC. Sasha's Bakery is at 105 W. 9th St - really close to the old Savoy Grill and Hotel. Side note - the Savoy is going through a major renovation and will reopen in 2018 as a Museum Hotel - I am excited! A fun excursion would be park at Union Station and take the free streetcar to 9th and Main and walk 2 blocks west for a great breakfast or lunch at Sasha's. You will feel like you are in an adorable french cafe!

Excellent pastries - a blueberry muffin for me and a ham and cheese croissant for Laura. Great coffee in beautiful mugs. They also have hot breakfast meals and soup, salad and sandwiches for lunch.

Coffee shop number 2 is Le Monde just over the river in North Kansas City on Armour - right across from the famous Chappell's Restaurant and Sports Museum. (Totally worth checking out as well! Amazing sports memorabilia). I had heard a lot about Le Monde especially about their pastries. Definitely more of a bakery then coffee shop but they serve Roasterie coffee so no complaints from me. Not fancy but the pastries are amazing!

Only 2 coffee shops you might be asking?? Well I am guilty of returning to some of my favorites like Blackdog/Ibis Bakery and Heirloom on more then one occasion. So hard to resist returning to places I love - but I am moving on and will have more to report on soon.

A return trip to Heirloom in Brookside - cranberry orange scone!! A great start to my day!

Speaking of return visits - I made another trip to Bentonville, AR in early August. One of the best museums in the country - Crystal Bridges - had a special exhibit of Chihuly glass I absolutely had to see. This is my 4th trip there and I know I will return again. The exhibit was entitled Chihuly In The Gallery & In The Forest. One ticket got you into both - the inside exhibit and the outside exhibit on the beautiful grounds of the museum. A special bonus to attending on Saturday was that you could come back in the evening and see the outdoor glass lit up along with music, food trucks and arts and crafts. I went with my friend Joyce and it was her first time there. She loved it and was super impressed with the museum and the exhibit. I was there this past April so if you want to read more detail about the museum just scroll back as I included a lot more detail. This post is ALL about Chihuly!

A few pieces from the inside exhibit. The top left was especially cool because it changed colors and was set to music.

The inside exhibit left in the middle of August but the outside part is there till November 13th, and in my opinion the outside was the better of the two. Maybe it's because it's just so big and looks so amazing outside amongst the beautiful grounds. We of course went back to see it at night and it was awesome!! Here are pictures of during the day and then at night. Loved them both ways but there was something magical about seeing them lit up.

Joyce and I with the Turquoise Reeds and Omari Fiori

We had a great time in a beautiful area of the country. It's an easy drive from KC and I'm always up for a weekend road trip!

Since I'm on an art roll I wanted to mention something spectacular that has just arrived and is almost finished being installed at the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum here in KC. We are now the proud owners of the gorgeous Gates of Paradise. The Gates of Paradise are from the doors of the Baptistry in Florence, and were made by Lorenzo Ghiberti from 1425-1452. They were named the Gates of Paradise by Michelangelo who after seeing them declared them the most beautiful things he had ever seen - that's impressive! The doors have 10 panels which depict 10 of the most important events from the Old Testament. The original doors were removed from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore because they were being destroyed by the elements. 2 casts were commissioned - and the originals are now in a museum in Florence. One of the casts now replaces the originals, and the second cast is here in KC! They weigh over 4 tons so it has been quite a project to install them - and needless to say it is a permanent installation! They aren't going anywhere! They are absolutely spectacular and worth a trip to see. The installation should be complete in early September but here is a sneak peak.

They must be seen in person and if you go to Florence you will see the same thing that we have right here!!

The Year of Reading is going strong. I am on book number 14 with a goal of reading 25 this year. Here is one I read recently and really enjoyed!

Entertaining with a spiritual component.

That's it for now. Thanks for sharing my journey. The next Patti Part Two adventure is right around the corner! Live your dream - only you can make it happen!