Lawrence is the home of KU, and most college towns have some really tasty food.

Free State Brewing Co. was our first spot for dinner after landing.

To start, I ordered a Guavatas Sour: "This sour achieves a thirst quenching tartness enhanced by the addition of guava during aging. It's tropical, refreshing and seriously delicious."

The menu is large and varied.

But I knew I had a few more meals in my future so I ended up splitting a dish with my friend Tom. 

GORGONZOLA MUSHROOM GNOCCHI

That description alone had so many of my key words. We split it - and it was still a hefty portion.

And this poster showing breweries around the country was so neat.

This summer has been HOT. And you know what is perfect for a hot summer day? Popsicles.

B-Pops is a new food cart that features these really creative popsicle flavors. Think roasted plum & yogurt, peach jalapeno and more. I went for the roasted plum & yogurt flavor, because that's not something you see every day.

These are so fun and tasty. I can't wait to try another flavor.

When WVU was playing KU, I decided to head out to not only check Missouri and Kansas off my "state list," but also get some real Kansas City BBQ.

Unfortunately, we flew out in the middle of a blizzard and my top choices for Kansas City BBQ were a bit out of the way. Instead we opted for a closer option to get our fix.

Kansas City–style barbecue refers to the specific regional barbecue style of slowly smoked meat that originated from the pit of Henry Perry in the early 1900s in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kansas City barbecue is characterized by its use of a wide variety of meats: pork, beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, sausage, and sometimes even fish. Just about any type of barbecued meat served in the country's other barbecue capitals, from pulled pork to brisket to beef ribs and pork ribs in a number of different cuts, is served in KC-area barbecue restaurants. Burnt ends – the crusty, fatty, flavorful meat cut from the point of a smoked beef brisket – are much in demand.

Kansas City barbecue is rubbed with spices, slow-smoked over a variety of woods and served with a thick tomato-based barbecue sauce^[1], which is an integral part of KC-style barbecue. Most local restaurants and sauce companies offer several varieties with sweet, spicy and tangy flavor profiles, but the staple sauce tends to be both sweet (often from molasses) and spicy. Kansas City barbecue is also known for its many side dishes, including a unique style of baked beans, French fries, coleslaw, and other Southern-food staples. (Wikipedia)

We made our way to Smoke Box BBQ. I got some burnt ends and pulled pork all slathered in that tangy sweet Kansas City-style sauce.

What's your favorite Kansas City bbq?

Another TURNROW: Appalachian Farm Collective find was these pepperoni rolls!

G&G Heritage Farm produces three types of pepperoni rolls: mozzarella, pepperjack cheese, and SMOKED GRUYERE AND GOUDA.

That last pepperoni roll sold me. I had to try it.

They're all topped with a cheese, and inside, there's a few slices of pepperoni, and the cheese of choice. I can't say they each tasted a whole lot different, but the fancy one may have had a touch more of creaminess.

There's something about a colorful display of floor-to-ceiling candy bins. At the Charlotte airport, there is a Dylan's Candy Bar location that caught my eye.

Dylan's Candy Bar transports its guests to a modern day version of Willy Wonka's factory the moment they enter. Its pop art installations—such as the iconic oversized lollipop tree, candy cane columns, dripping chocolate shelves, kaleidoscopic candy wallpaper and candy-embedded staircases—embody the pinnacle of "retail-tainment". The ultra-sensory experience is enhanced with delectable smells, a candy timeline and a vast milieu of candy songs and commercials awarding customers not just a sugar high, but a sweet lasting euphoria.

There are so many bins with gummies, chocolates, sour candies and much more. And I got a little of everything. 

What's your favorite?