Denver to Cincinatti was a straight shot West to East across America. We hit Kansas City, MO (not Kansas City, Kansas) at midnight. This is sort of an appropriate picture, that blurry feeling you get when you’ve been driving a long time. Gates BBQ was the only BBQ spot open at midnight and we made it there at 11:50pm, right as it was closing, but the folks there couldn’t have been nicer. Everyone we talked to later said we had lucked into the right spot for KC barbecue. This stuff is mainly beef, really saucy with a sweet, smoky sauce, not as mustardy or vinegary as Carolina barbecue. The messiest meal we’ve ever eaten, a burnt-ends sandwich, and Gates’ version of a to-go bag after the break.