Don't Call It an Eco Pond

The J.C. Nichols Fountain is one of Kansas City's most famous landmarks. For the past few years, however, I've preferred relaxing at a hidden spot a couple hundred yards to its north in Mill Creek Park. Officially, it's an "eco pond," but that phrase fails to convey its simple charm. The colorful koi don't interest me nearly as much as the indigenous minnows, gnarly spiders and wide range of bees the site attracts. The cacophony of Broadway and Main doesn't seem to interfere with their secret lives.