I doubt people would come at us with pipes. We could get stared at maybe.

Face it, we're a bunch of not-kid mostly white people. As long as we're spending money and not breaking shit no one anywhere is going to care what the hell we do.

Not everything is an extreme, Trudy; there's a sizeable grey zone between your two examples.

Staring I can deal with; people with pipes I can pound legitimately on in return, if need be.

But how do you class rude comments, coming from snickering insulting groups of locals? Is that a possibility? Because I want to be somewhere where I can enjoy myself, and not worry about it. That's one of my definitions - a fairly broad-ranging one - of a cosmopolitan destination: one where variance in the visitors to said destination can be absorbed without making said visitors wonder why they're throwing tourist dollars at said destination in the first place.

I know nothing of Lawrence, Kansas, except that I like their library. I hasten to assure one and all that I have no reason to assume it wouldn't be a delightful place to visit; I'm also told KC rocks, and has great BBQ. But I'm not pushing any particular city or any particular agenda, either.

I just want to know if I'm going to be made to regret spending upwards of $700 and four days of my life on a visit, because of a provincial take on unusual groups of visitors.

And that question goes for any of our destinations. You may recall I asked Heather and Dana about the present-day police situation in New Orleans.

And how cosmopolitan is it? Because the question of corsets and tiaras, worn en masse to a bowling alley in mid-afternoon, drawing hostility has to be considered.

Lawrence has a weekly fetish show. KU has the second-highest gay student population in the US and hosts an annual drag show on campus. William Burroughs used to live there. Also, I'm convinced it's home to 90% of the state's hippies. You can fit in wearing anything.

As for how "serious" my suggestion is, it's just that--a suggestion. Lawrence is my favorite town in the whole wide world and I can't see anyone not enjoying it too. Have a look around the town's Web site if you like. I'm not offering my services for organizing because that would be a cruel, cruel thing to do to anyone, but I see it as being more comfy for Buffistas than KC; all KC does well is barbecue and jazz, and Lawrence has both of those too.

Um. I'm done now. ...how many people are we talking about, roughly?

Lawrence has a weekly fetish show. KU has the second-highest gay student population in the US and hosts an annual drag show on campus. William Burroughs used to live there. Also, I'm convinced it's home to 90% of the state's hippies. You can fit in wearing anything.

Dude.

Now, that is what I call a good solid answer. I call that nicely cosmopolitan. Plus, information from someone who lives there.

Thanks, Mr. Broom. Lawrence sounds good.

The last two years have been around 65 people.

I could get behind Lawrence. Hey, you think they'd let us have a Buffista Smackdown!?

Would both Lawrence and KC be up? I don't really have anything invested in the answer, but it might split the KC contingency (if there was one built) in a poll.

Wait- we're doing a vote on our favorite 2 first.

Nebbermind.

That's one of my definitions - a fairly broad-ranging one - of a cosmopolitan destination: one where variance in the visitors to said destination can be absorbed without making said visitors wonder why they're throwing tourist dollars at said destination in the first place.

Lawrence, KS is largely defined by the fact that it is the home of a Big 12 university. I suspect you'd find the atmosphere to be similar in Columbia, MO or Ann Arbor or any number of towns in which the bulk of the population is associated with a university (some comparison could be made to Evanston as well). Will corsets and tiaras be the norm there? No. Will they draw some stares? Probably. Will the attention be enough to make you uncomfortable? I doubt it. (Same goes for KC). The phalanx of courdory jackets with the FFA conventions draw similar attention from the locals.

I'll try to get some KC pros and cons posted in the next few days.

aurelia, yup - your take confirms Mister Broom's take on his city, and his info.

Works for me.

I could get behind Lawrence. Hey, you think they'd let us have a Buffista Smackdown!?

Oh, hell yes. Buffistas would own at trivia night. Might finally be able to assemble a team that could win. Plus, Sunday nights at the Bottleneck are dollar-fifty draws. Had me one tonight. That's another thing--Boulevard Beer. My favorite beer in the world, and it's made in KC. Some Midwestern Buffistas may know what I'm talking about--I know it gets at least as far as Iowa. Damn good beer.