Things to Do in Independence

Open late seven days a week—until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and until midnight the rest of the week—Z Strike Bowling plies its patrons with bowling, comfortable couches, and a full sit-down restaurant. Bowlers can scatter pins on lanes reserved in advance, a practice that prevents long waits and frustrated customers rolling balls at piles of street shoes. Between games, visitors can nosh at the onsite eatery, with a menu filled with cheeseburgers, pork sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, and a full bar.

Since the age of 7, Skip Clinton has been hypnotized by the whirl of roller skates; among his fondest memories are those of boogying on wheels among hundreds of fellow skaters packed into one rink. Translating his love of the sport into a competitive drive, Skip won the 1986 Roller Figure Skating World Championship in Bogotà, Colombia, cementing his spot in the Roller Skating Hall of Fame. Still, none of that success could fully satisfy his dream of polishing skates in his very own rink.

In 1996, Skip connected with the new owners of River Roll Skate Center and helped restore the long-neglected rink to its modern glory, installing new floors, a jamming sound system, and computer-controlled lights. Three years later, decades of hard work paid off as he and his wife—also a competitive skater—took over River Roll Skate Center's operations full-time.

"There's never a day I don't want to go to work," says Skip with a glee normally reserved for children who get to eat pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dessert. He relishes duties such as keeping the floor immaculate—indeed, the polished arena reflects the ceiling's colored lights like a kaleidoscope—which, in his experience, is crucial to the success of any skate center. While Skip acknowledges that roller skating hasn't changed much over the years, skaters' expectations have. To that end, 35,000 songs populate the rink's computer, from '70s and '80s pop music to family-friendly hip-hop, rock, and country-western hits. Throughout the facility, video screens flash names of birthday celebrants, popular music videos such as Michael Jackson's "Thriller," and classic movies such as Footloose.

Elsewhere, the scent of fresh-baked pizza wafts from the concession stand, where rollers refuel with traditional snacks such as hot dogs or nachos, and an arcade dispenses entertainment and prizes with a variety of video games. Once a month, the Dead Girl Derby takes over River Roll Skate Center, captivating audiences with breakneck speed and no-holds-barred competition akin to the days when the ancient Romans strapped chariots to the Titans' ankles.

Far from the typical movie theater, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema subverts the industry standard by offering locally brewed beverages, a rotating menu, and an advertisement-free experience. Theatergoers can sip on wine and themed specialty cocktails while enjoying the custom shows that run before the feature in place of ads. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema projects first-run blockbusters and cult classics from crisp 35-millimeter or digital film onto the silver screen, as surround sound submerges audiences in the cinematic experience. The theater's enormous shepherd's crook enforces a strict no-talking, no-texting policy, with the notable exception of fan-centric Quote-Along nights.

From their perch atop the elevated tee box on Teetering Rocks Golf Course’s signature third hole, players attack the heart-shaped green with a barrage of dimpled spheres. This memorable stroke represents just one component of a player’s bid for the 18-hole track’s par of 65, a difficult feat that stands at odds with the course’s relaxed ambiance. Clocking in at 4,309 yards from the back tees, the course typically takes less than three hours to complete, leaving the rest of a player’s day wide open for polishing golf balls and engaging a passion for golf-club puppetry.

Course at a Glance:

18-hole, par-65 course

Total length of 4,309 yards from the back tees

Course rating of 58.9 from the back tees

Course slope of 90 from the back tees

Since 2009, the Kansas City Dirty Duo race has helped parlay mud into money for charity. Stretched across mostly flat terrain inside Kansas Speedway, the race sends teams of two biking and running around a course nearly six miles in length. Mystery obstacles add an extra challenge to each mile, and right before the finish line, there’s a massive 40-foot mud pit where teams can to play gloopy games of Marco Polo before completing the race. Kids as young as five years old can get in on the dirty dashing, too, by joining the one-mile Dirty Duo Jr. race. Once everyone has crossed their respective finish lines, the festivities continue with a post-race celebration featuring music, food, and cold refreshments.