Tip: Day trip through the city via MAX Orange Line

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earthling
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
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Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2011 2:27 pm
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Tip: Day trip through the city via MAX Orange Line

Post by earthling »

Whenever I have visitors that are adventurous types (travelers rather than tourists) and just as interested in the journey as the destination is not difficult to talk them into taking the bus to see the city. Will do a round trip with a visitor on MAX from Plaza to downtown to Waldo and back, stopping by a few places and walking around and having a drink/bite at various stops. Give it a try some nice weekend when up for an adventure. Get the $3 day pass (tell driver first when boarding you want a day pass then stick in 3 bucks/coins or can do 5+1 bills for 2). Mixing up with streetcar and kc.bcycle.com bike rentals will of course give you even more adventure - grab Uber if in a hurry to get somewhere. Great way for visitors (and KC suburbanites) to see various parts of city core, very different experience than driving same path, especially with walking/biking excursions from any MAX stop - it's an integrated experience for the day, not a series of isolated experiences via car.

Every time I've done this with visitors (even some who are touristy types rather than travelers) they are much more impressed with KC even if having been here beforehand. I did this round trip with a sister and her friend in KC for a week and showed them the first weekend how to take MAX bus roundtrip then they did on their own through the week while I was working - had a good time on their own w/out a car. They even ventured to another bus line to get to Trader Joe's at Ward Parkway one day (using phone to tell which bus to take and exactly when).

Use Google Now or Google Maps search on your phone or other transit app to set destination and click on 'bus/train' or 'bicycle' icon. It will tell you when next bus arrives real time or best bike path to take. Keep in mind on Sundays MAX only runs every 30 min during day and most other non-major lines only every hour.

If from South end of KC, Park&Ride at 75th/Waldo MAX stop lot. Or others can P&R at 3rd/Grand MAX stop lot or a Plaza garage near Plaza tennis courts MAX stop. Can also check out a bike either of those MAX stops for $7/day or $3/30min at kc.bcycle.com or Uber if you need to.


Be sure to take Orange Main St MAX line from downtown, not Green line
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Last edited by earthling on Fri May 20, 2016 8:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
earthling
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 8514
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2011 2:27 pm
Location: milky way, orion arm

Re: Tip: Day trip through the city via MAX Orange Line

Post by earthling »

Should be a nice weekend. Think about taking someone on a day trip through the city on MAX. Might do Saturday as bus runs every 15 minutes, only 30min on Sundays. Save map/guide above to your phone or print out.

Possible trip agenda:
- City Market good to do in morning, can grab breakfast in area. (City Diner, Farmhouse, The Bite, Cascones, etc)
- Streetcar to Union Station/Crown Center/Liberty Memorial area and check out whatever
- Maybe bus to Art Museums stop and walk E down 45th to Kemper/Nelson
- And/or to Plaza stop and check out Plaza
- Rent a bcycle.com bike and take bike path along Brookside Blvd to Brookside shops (or bus to Brookside shops)
- Bus to Waldo and maybe grab a bite with several bars/restaurants right at the stop (also a Bcycle station)
- If busing to Waldo, maybe bike back to Plaza
- Saturday night by now? Bus or Uber to Westport, Xroads and/or P&L for nightlife. Drunk? Take Uber back.
- Mix/match bus/bike however along whole path
- Bus day pass is $3, bike day pass is $7 per person - 10 bucks is cheap to get around for a daycation.

Try it, report back....
Last edited by earthling on Fri May 20, 2016 1:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
earthling
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 8514
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2011 2:27 pm
Location: milky way, orion arm

Re: Tip: Day trip through the city via MAX Orange Line

Post by earthling »

Should be a nice weekend. If the streetcar is too jammed this weekend and looking to venture around city core, try the above. If you know how to use bus system, maybe show someone else how to and spread the transit experience beyond streetcar.

Google Maps should change the tune for potential bus timid riders who say they don't know what the path is so uncomfortable to take bus. It makes it much more clear w/out having to understand bus maps/timetables. Give it a shot. Set a from/to destination, click on transit and see what buses it tells you to take and when. It even shows realtime countdown to next bus.
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