Can you really say you summered without a road trip or two? I mean, come on, it feels like a requirement to take at least a quick weekend trip!

Usually we road trip in our camper, and we take a week-long trip to a new destination each summer. This year, we took our week-long vacation over the 4th of July to go to a family reunion. So we wanted to find a close place we could go to for a quick family getaway. Since we live in Omaha, and Kansas City is just a couple of hours away, we decided that would be perfect! 

We had three requirements heading into our weekend

1. Both Easton (8) and Beckett (4) wanted to go to Legoland
2. Easton, who is a little baseball obsessed, wanted to go to a Kansas City Royals game
3. I wanted to get real (gluten free) fried donuts from Morgana’s Gluten Free Bakery, which I had eaten last summer and have been dreaming about ever since

We ended up having an absolutely fantastic weekend! We stayed at a friend’s house, so it was very cost-efficient too. Here are the details on what we did and what I ate along the way.

Friday

After arriving, we went to dinner at Minsky’s, a pizza place. Normally I’d be extremely nervous to dine somewhere with airborne flour, but the Find Me Gluten Free app indicated that they have a separate preparation area. They also have a “GREAT Kitchens Trained” designation, meaning that they’ve received specific training from the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness and know how to handle gluten free food to avoid cross-contamination. 

I ordered the “Papa Minsky” pizza with pepperoni, Italian sausage, salami, and roasted red peppers. The location we went to did not have the deep dish crust advertised on their gluten free menu (or the bread sticks!), but the waitress was knowledgeable and I felt very comfortable ordering, so I was happy with that. The pizza was very good, too! I really liked the crust – it was thin but held up very well. I would absolutely come back here.

Next we went to Kauffman Stadium for the Royals game. Since we had eaten just before the game, I didn’t need a meal. However, they have an entire little store near the kid zone that is allergen friendly! I was able to get a gluten free beer and a chocolate chip cookie from Mama Resch’s, a gluten free bakery just south of Kansas City. It was a fantastic combo!

Saturday

On Saturday morning, I got up suuuuuper early, before the rest of my family, and headed down to Raytown to get me some donuts at Morgana’s Gluten Free Bakery. And gosh was it worth it. I ate glazed donut holes, a couple of glazed twists, a glazed chocolate donut, and even a cinnamon roll. And then I bought some for the next few days too. Yes, the splurge was 100% worth it. We have no dedicated bakeries anywhere close to Omaha, so I don’t feel guilty about eating a few donuts once a year!

Morgana’s has bread, cakes, cupcakes, and a variety of other baked goods, and they are excellent. In addition, Morgana is a joy to talk to and offers a great sense of camaraderie, something those of us with celiac disease can tend to use more of! I always visit when I’m in KC.

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After my donut adventure, I rejoined my family and we went to Fritz’s in Crown Center, a cute little diner that delivers hot dogs and hamburgers by model trains. Nope, nothing safe to eat here! Since I was still full of donuts I ate some vegetables and jerky that I had packed with me.

Legoland was a great adventure for the boys – we were there about three hours! I definitely recommend it as it appeals to kids young and old, and the many models and exhibits are really cool for adults as well. We didn’t eat anything here, so by the time we left, we were hungry for an early dinner.

We went to the nearby Country Club Plaza area to a restaurant called Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant. I had eaten here previously and had a great experience, so we decided to try it again. I had a wonderful burger, served with fruit. The bun was really good too – not so good that I had to question if it was truly gluten free, but definitely one of the better buns I’ve had. I was disappointed though that they were out of the flourless chocolate cake, which I was looking forward to. The service this time wasn’t the best, and our waitress not interested in doing anything more than she absolutely had to, so we decided to just make it an early night.

Sunday

Before we made the trip back home, we wanted to fuel up with brunch. I again used the Find Me Gluten Free app and we decided to try the BRGR Kitchen & Bar in the Power & Lights District. This place turned out to be our best stop of the trip!

First of all, our server was fantastic. He immediately made all of us smile just because he was so friendly. And when he told me his girlfriend has celiac disease so he would personally speak to the kitchen and make sure I’m taken care of – well, I was sold! 

My husband and I are HUGE totcho fans, so we decided to split an order of the gluten free totchos, which ended up being a very large plate loaded with all sorts of goodness like chile fondue, pico de gallo, jalepenos, avocado creme, cotija cheese, and black beans. Holy totcho, they were amazing! I hadn’t had a treat like this in a really long time, because most totchos are contaminated at some point in the preparation process.  

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I also ordered the gluten free grilled cheese, because that’s another item I haven’t seen on a gluten free menu in a very long time. I had to pull out all the digestive enzymes for this one, because dairy and I aren’t good friends! But it was worth it! I only wished that I had some tomato soup along with it.

After our divine brunch, we drove over to Union Station for a little free fun. What a great place! We spent an easy two hours just walking around the various exhibits. The model train area was just renovated, and it is truly spectacular.

Road Trip Tips

We had a wonderful road trip, and I hope this helps if you are planning a gluten free trip to Kansas City anytime soon! Wherever you’re headed, here are a few of my favorite road trip tips to make it just a little bit easier:

• Use the Find Me Gluten Free app wherever you go. However, always double-check on a map or call the restaurant directly to make sure the located that was rated in the app is still in existence.
• Always pack backup snacks. Even if you research to the best of your ability, there may be times when there’s nothing safe for you to eat. Pack snacks, and then pack some more. Check out my post about Paleo Travel Snacks for ideas about what to eat on the road and how to pack them.
• Get your mindset in a good place before heading out to eat something you are particularly excited about, because disappointment is very likely, particularly if your heart is set on something that someone else has raved about. Menus change, the wait staff changes over, and what a website says is available may not be. I try to keep safety as my top priority, followed by focusing on the company I’m with. Sure I get disappointed sometimes, but focusing on what I get to have, rather than what I can’t, makes a big difference. 

What are your favorite gluten free destinations? Drop a comment below and let me know!