Meet Katie, a fun 30-issshh stay-at-home Mom to 4 kids from Omaha. You can find her on Instagram at @Katiestarks, sharing the ups and downs of motherhood and family time. Her family is always out to find the good times, and they found them in Overland Park. See their recommendations for the best things to do on a road trip from Omaha to Overland Park.
“Hop in the car kids! We’re hitting the road again!” My kids were actually shocked because we had just gone on a trip 2 weeks before. We usually go to the same place every time we head towards Kansas City, so this trip was a new experience for all of us!
THURSDAY
We hit the road from Omaha to Overland Park, KS on Thursday morning. A little over three hours later, we arrived to OP and headed straight to Unforked. Oh. My. God. Talk about mouth watering. They had the coolest menu using natural ingredients from local farmers. Luther and I both got the pure burger and the kale salad...let me tell you, it was BOMB! I’ve never had kale, but the cheese and dressing made it amazing! . The kids got tacos and quesadillas. The actual restaurant is gorgeous. Highly recommend!
After lunch, we headed to The Museum at Prairiefire. Coolest little museum for kids {and adults}. We walked in and were immediately greeted by a TREX. The kids thought that was pretty cool. The kids immediately wanted to go upstairs to the interactive museum. It was amazing. So many things for the kids to see AND touch. We literally could have stayed here for hours. It’s deceiving because it doesn’t look that big, and it’s not, but there are just SO many things to see, touch, explore. They spent time dusting off fossils, trying on masks, looking at all kinds of bugs and small animals, and looking at the solar system. Nobody wanted to leave {ahem, Luther. He was the biggest pouter when it was time to go}.
When I finally pulled the family out of the museum, we headed to The WaterWalk Hotel. I have no words to tell you how much we LOVED staying here. It was just like apartment living. We had a full kitchen, washer and dryer, separate living room, 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. For a family of 6, this was EVERYTHING! It was super quiet, very clean, everything felt new, and the staff could not have been any friendlier. I don’t know how I’ll ever stay at a regular hotel again. This made our trip.
After we cleaned up a bit, we headed back to the Prairiefire district to go to Pinstripes. The entire atmosphere was incredible. There was live music in the street for the Summer Music Series. People filled the street with lawn chairs and dancing. Inside Pinstripes, you had the option of bowling or bocce, along with incredible food. The outdoor patio was massive. You could enjoy the live music, play yard games, or sit and relax. Luther and I both enjoyed the steak salad and the kids split pizza, noodles, and mac-n-cheese. Pinstripes truly felt like a destination!
Are you tired yet?! We still aren’t done with Thursday! We walked over to Creative Culture for shake. I’m not even sure shake is the right term. They were literal pieces of art. The place was so incredibly cute. You can paint ceramics there too. We grabbed some to take home to paint because we got there right before closing.
I’m exhausted just writing all of that. We got see and taste sooo many amazing things on Thursday!
FRIDAY
After a wonderful nights sleep (the big boys shared a bed and Noah & Britain shared a bed and everyone slept like a rock) we headed to McLains Market for breakfast. This place is straight out of a magazine. It’s beautiful. We had all sorts of pastries and we saw the table around us eating amazing egg dishes! The kids were so excited to get glass bottles of milk with their donuts! We were heading to Oceans of Fun after McLains, so we ate quick and headed out!
Oceans of Fun did not disappoint. We had gone to Worlds of Fun two weeks prior to this, but needed a reservation 24 hours in advance for Oceans of Fun. This was my first time, as well as the kids. I was SHOCKED by how big it was. I was also a little peeved my parents had never brought me here! The second we walked in, I knew Britain was going to post up at Paradise Falls. He played there for 3 solid hours. Luther took the big kids on the massive water slides (hard pass for me) and to the wave pool. The big kids, ages 6,8, &9, did not want to leave the wave pool. Luther and I took turns watching Britain so the other could go have fun with the kids in the wave pool. I literally cannot remember the last time I had that much fun with my kids. A nasty storm rolled in, but we managed to get some snow cones and funnel cakes first. The ride back to the hotel was terrifying, but all was worth it to experience Oceans of Fun for the day.
After we got home and showered, we headed to Q39 South, a BBQ joint that Luther was foaming at the mouth to try. When I tell you our table was dead silent
10 minutes, I’m not lying. My family turned into ravenous animals and inhaled their food in 10 minutes flat. We started with the onion straws (amazing) and I got the steak and the best mac-n-cheese I’ve ever had. Luther had the ribs and I’m pretty sure he died and went to heaven. The kids split cheeseburgers, chicken fingers and mac-n-cheese. SO flipping good.
We crashed so hard when we got to the hotel. Something about a day in the sun and engorging yourself with BBQ does that!
SATURDAY
We were told we could not miss DOP Donuts. We were told correctly. SO good. Cutest set up of all time. Apparently they post on Instagram when they are sold out...we got there around 9am and we were able to get a dozen donuts. The donuts were so good. And the little area to eat them at was insta worthy!
After donuts, we headed over to the Overland Park Farmers Market. It’s the biggest farmers market in KS. So much amazing fresh produce (cucumbers and squash bigger than my head!) and GORGEOUS fresh floral bouquets for $15-$25! I snagged a bouquet and gave it to our hotel staff when we left! We also got some coffee, honey and beeswax soap, and London was set on buying a basket of jalapeños!
After the farmers market, we headed to Wonderscope Children’s Museum. I’m not going to lie, I’m not the children’s museum type of mom. Or at least I didn’t think I was. This place was INCREDIBLE. We could have spent 12 hours here. There was SO much to see and do, and all four of my kids (3.5, 6, 8, & 9.5) were fully entertained by different areas. There were climbing structures, art areas, pretend play, water table (massive) area, sports area, and outside activities. This was another place that I’m not sure who enjoyed more, the kids, or Luther!
After the museum, we headed to Deweys Pizza. They hand toss the pizza behind a huge glass. We were lucky enough to be able to eat on the patio and just sit and relax. We INHALED the taco pizza. Hands down, best pizza and crust I’ve ever had. This was the perfect spot to unwind after the children’s museum!
After pizza, we swung by The Golden Scoop. The Golden Scoop is a life changing, non-profit ice cream and coffee shop. They provide innovative and meaningful employment for individuals with developmental disabilities and delicious ice cream and coffee to the Kansas City community. I literally cried talking to one of the volunteers. This place is literal Gold. It was the most precious, special part of our trip. Every city needs one of these! As a mother of a special needs child, this filled my soul.
We headed back to The Waterwalk for a family nap after our busy day. That. Was. GLORIOUS! We didn’t think we could possibly have a better day, and then we went to dinner at Strang Hall. You. Guys. This was the absolute BEST set up. It’s like a high end cafeteria. There are 6 separate kitchens run by 6 different Chefs. They call it a Chef collaborative. The inside is gorgeous. The food (and we tried several places) was outstanding. The best part, we got to eat outside at a picnic table on turf, surrounded by lounge chairs and yard games. The kids got to play the entire time while we got to enjoy an incredible spread of food! This is a must try!
SUNDAY
For our last day, we headed to Snooze A.M. Eatery. Holy mother of God. This was THE best breakfast food we’ve ever had. EVER! We literally just ordered a bunch of french toast, omelets, pancakes and bacon and spread it across the table. I’ve never tasted better French toast or hash browns. Mama also had to have a Bloody Mary, or two. Don’t judge. This was a lot of quality time with the family. They were necessary! The best part was the music. Nothing like listening to rap while enjoying Sunday Brunch! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Before we hit the road, we hit up Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead. This place was beyond adorable. It was like stepping back in time. We got to tour an old school house (fully equipped with a teacher dressed in clothing of the era who was full of knowledge!), go mining for gold, bottle feed goats, go in a TeePee, and attempted to fish (i'm using that term loosely. The kids almost killed us with flinging their fish hooks around and screaming over worms. One kid cried. Both parents cussed! It was seriously the coolest place and right in the city!
To say this 4 day trip was exhausting, would be an understatement. But, I have tears streaming down my face writing this post. This was SUCH an incredible experience for my kids, and our family as a whole. I had NO idea what a gem Overland Park was. We had the most incredible food, the best experiences, and the most wonderful place to call home for four days. We cannot wait to come back!
