Cooking Light Best Cities: Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City is renowned for its hundreds of fountains. And it's no wonder: A recent study revealed it has the purest water of any major city in the country.

 
Fervere (816-842-7272) bakes loaves in a hand-built brick oven using organic wheat farmed from the fields of Kansas. Grab a loaf of the whole-grain travel bread for the road―as its name suggests, this dense bread keeps well.

At The Prairie Center (913-856-7669), six miles of walking trails wind through a 300-acre preserve where native wildflowers, such as goldenrod and aster, and tall grasses wave in the breeze under wide-open skies.

After cold mineral springs were discovered in the suburb of Excelsior Springs in the late 1800s, the town passed a law requiring a doctor's prescription to take the waters. Fortunately, today's visitors to The Elms Resort and Spa (800-843-3567) only need an appointment. Be sure to try the Spa Escape ($230), which includes a milk and aromatherapy bath, a detoxifying mud wrap, and a full-body massage.