FROM THE EDITOR
C O N T R I B U TO R S
14
KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022
Ethan Evans WRITER
This month’s summer feature includes a piece about RuPaul’s tour written by Ethan Evans, a former intern whose local passions include KC history, LGBTQIA+ community affairs and mediocre wineries.
AJ Robbins
PHOTOGRAPHER
This month’s home feature was shot by AJ Robbins, a freelance photographer and videographer based out of Wichita. His favorite things to shoot and film are weddings, sports, real estate and brands.
Lauren Fox WRITER
This issue includes a news story about what should take the place of Nordstrom at the Country Club Plaza. It’s written by Lauren Fox, a freelance journalist who would personally love to see a small outdoor theater in the space.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOANNA GORHAM
F
or a lot of people, the scent of pine conjures up winter. The smell of pine resin immediately makes them think about Christmas trees and hot cocoa. For me, it’s the opposite. I lived in the west for a decade, where pinyon pine and Douglas fir imprinted themselves as the smell of summer adventure—long drives down dusty roads to cold creeks and sunny meadows. At the first sight of pine needles and prickly pear, I’m ready to hang a hammock and start casting flies. I mention that because there were a few times when I was delighted to encounter that smell while out reporting for this issue. Technically, I was smelling the native juniper bushes—but the effect was the same and brought me a smile. As always, our June issue is a guide to how to get the most out of the coming months of warm weather, dry skies and relative freedom. This year, we decided to switch up the format and pick something to do for every letter of the alphabet. You’ll find twenty-six things to do between now and Labor Day, from a Boulevardia bingo card (page 53) to a list of the neighborhoodwide yard sales (page 64) so popular in these parts. Beyond what you’ll find in the Summer Guide feature itself, we’ve tucked summer activity ideas throughout this issue. If you want to get a hit of fresh pine—and even see some small and struggling prickly pear—check out the Elk River Hiking Trail, which has a reputation as the most rugged trail in Kansas (page 72). It’s just a few miles from the Little House on the Prarie home, which crystalizes the popular view of the Kansas landscape around the world but also utterly defies it. It’s fifteen rugged miles and will be a challenge even if you’re training for a fourteener. If you’re looking for fun that involves less adrenaline and more crushed ice, we’ve also put together a new and better-than-ever list of KC patios (page 66). We’ve done this list before, as have others. But for this small feature, we endeavored to make the best KC patio list yet by carefully selecting the very best sixteen spots in the city. We’ve also got the inside scoop on three secrets of Kauffman Stadium that will make your next trip to the K fun no matter what happens on the field (page 28) and a piece about the Current, the city’s women’s professional soccer team which is about to make history by moving into the first dedicated stadium ever built for a North American women’s professional team (page 22). And if you’re one of those people who wants to go an entire summer without wearing real pants, we’ve got flowerprinted leggings from a local company that draws the designs by hand (page 35). It’s a lot to dig into, we know. But once you’ve got the hammock hung and grabbed a drink from the cooler, we’re hoping you can spend some time reading through our Martin Cizmar recommendations then texting friends EDITOR IN CHIEF MARTIN@KANSASCITYMAG.COM and marking up your calendar.
