Kansas City is truly an American classic, with some of the country's greatest food, music, art, and history. And the nearby community of Leawood, Kansas, just south of Kansas City proper, is the perfect home base from which to experience the best of Kansas City and its environs, with everything you'll expect to find in the "heart of America," as well as a few things you won't. Gates Bar-B-Q, for example, is famous for its tantalizing hickory barbecue ribs, which have had generations of KC residents smiling and licking their sauce-coated fingers. But after a hearty meal like that, it's nice to have a walk in the great outdoors, and there are few better places for a stroll than Leawood's I-Lan Park, just a few blocks from the restaurant. I-Lan Park is named after Leawood's sister city, I-Lan, Taiwan, and its Asian-influenced landscaping and Taiwanese pagodas are a sight to behold. The 10-acre park includes a carefully manicured walking trail that's perfect for an after-lunch constitutional, and its Taiwanese garden is just the place to pause and reflect on the beauty around you. This charming Kansas town will also soon be the home to the element Leawood, which will open on September 1, 2008. element by Westin represents the latest thinking in hotels, offering everything you need to be at your best, from healthy meal options and cutting-edge workout facilities to bright and open public spaces and open-flow guest rooms featuring the Westin Heavenly Bed, spa-like bathrooms, and fully-equipped kitchens. It's a refreshing new way to take in the best of this exciting Midwestern town.
