Buried in Kansan City is one of the nation’s finest arboretum’s and botanical gardens known as Overland Park. This park is a 300-acre facility and illustrates the park’s dedication to be among the top in nation regarding ecological and environmental issues.
There are some 13 gardens featured here, such as a wedding green, a rose garden and a home garden, alongside a master planned four conservatories for visitors to visit.
Walkers visiting Overland Park will enjoy the many hiking trails with over 75 different species of trees providing shade and canopy. Over 200 species of birds will chirp from these trees, and visitors can look forward to seeing limestone bluffs as they pass through the Erickson Garden. Part of the parks ingenuous master plan included making sidewalks that pass through all public area’s within the gardens.
It doesn’t matter when you may choose to visit Overland Park either, an added bonus. The park is open year-round and every season is uniquely magical. Summer maybe warm, but is certainly the time when you should go to see the trees full of leaves. Spring brings bright blooming leaves and flowers, while autumn’s fall leaves softens the eye, taking on glorious organic hues. Those skeptical of the winter months will be surprised of the deep contrast and enriched texture the arboretum offers.
Garden lovers and hikers aren’t the only ones who would benefit from a visit to Overland Park. In May of 2005, the park attracted artists by creating the annual Arboretum Sculpture Exhibition, where they put on display sculptures. Currently there are 14 different sculptures hidden among the gardens, a true gem for visitors.
Plant lovers will also enjoy the on-going plant sales while anyone can take advantage of the Arboretum’s facility rental availability for special events such as weddings or the docent tours offered. To get more information about Overland Park, call them at 913-895-6390.
If you have never been to World’s of Fun in Kansas City, allow for me to share some of the best rides of this world class amusement park with you. While there are so many different rides that attract people every year, I decided to pick my three favorite rides to talk about. Perhaps this will give you an idea of why this place is so much fun, and offer you a small taste of what you can expect when there.
Boomerang
Boomerang: There is nothing quite like the thrill of being yanked up nearly 12 stories – about 120 feet – and dropped down like a canon through perilous
corkscrews and different loops. One word here: exhilarating. Then, just when you think the ride is finished, you do it all over again…BACKWARDS!
Mamba: If you can ride this roller coaster and keep your lunch down, good luck.
It’s one of the fastest and tallest – and also the longest – roller coaster rides that you can ride on in the world! From the first time you drop from more than 200 feet up in the air, you will quickly realize that this coaster is truly hard to top.
Timber Wolf: Reminiscent of the classic American roller coaster, this ride has some turns that will make you feel like you are going to fly off the tracks. It’s
also one of the fastest roller coaster rides in the world, and it doesn’t disappoint
Timberwolf
on length either. I always try to ride this one twice while I’m there, preferably twice in a row!
A second home can serve a dual purpose for homeowners. Firstly, it can provide them with another place to reside should they want to enjoy winter or summer vacations. Secondly, since homes will increase in value over the time that you own them, they also can be a rather lucrative and relatively safe investment.
There are also some great places that one can choose to look for second homes in the U.S. And according to the Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, which creates and compiles information and data regarding home prices and growth in major cities, there are some cities that top the list for areas to purchase a second home.
1. Asheville, N.C. is listed as a top place to purchase a second home. This mountain town is known for its swath of high valued homes. In fact, over the past five years the home prices have risen at least 35%.
2. Park City, Utah is a winter sports neophyte’s best dream come true. It can provide the ideal setting for a second home. And prices on homes have risen between 5-7% this year alone.
3. Ashland, Oregon offers some unsurpassed beauty and some of the finest weather imaginable. There are numerous annual festivals that take place here, including the popular Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Home prices are skyrocketing, up about 40% since the late 90s.
4. South Lake Tahoe, California is booming. The attraction of a body of water brings in thousands of visitors per year and offers the idyllic setting for a nice summer home. According to the local real estate numbers, prices are soaring, up nearly 21% from the year prior.
Built in 1914, Union Station Kansas City in Kansas City, Missouri, is one of many union stations in America. This is a North American term for a train station where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway companies.
Union Station sits on 850,000 square feet of land and started with 900 rooms. In its heyday, the station served thousands of passengers every year. During World War II, about one million travelers passed through the station. The North Waiting Room (now the Sprint Festival Plaza) was capable of holding 10,000 people and there were restaurants, a cigar store, barber shop, railroad offices, the large Railway Express Building (for shipping freight and mail), and a powerhouse that provided steam and power.
But all that changed when the station closed in the 1980s. Striped of is former glory, the station was abandoned and neglected, escaping demolition several times. Thanks to a historic bi-state initiative that was passed in 1996, the station was renovated and reopened in 1999.
Today, the fully-restored landmark is Kansas City’s premiere destination for cultural and entertainment events. It is a poplar destination for people who enjoy fine dining, unique shops or those who simply want to mail letters. Tourists from around the world come to admire the Grand Hall’s 95-foot ceiling, its three 3,500-pound chandeliers, and the six-foot wide clock hanging at the station’s central arch.
There’s also a permanent rail exhibit called the KC Rail Experience, exhibit spaces for the Smithsonian and other organizations, a planetarium, an interactive science center called Science City and a Theater District featuring giant-screen movies and live theater.
Renting in the long term can actually prove to be a fickle endeavor that sucks the money out of your wallet. There are some very solid points on this subject matter, too.
A good way to think about renting a home is to compare it to that of leasing a car. When you sign a car lease you tender an amount due at signing, similar to the first and last month’s rent, and any security deposits with a rental home. At the end of the lease – for a car and a home – you don’t own any part of the secured asset. So in essence, you have paid for almost nothing to gain, except for using that asset, when you could have owned it and used it for about the same price.
You Don’t Get Any Tax Breaks
When you rent a home you don’t get any tax breaks. But when you purchase a home you get a few really sweet deductions. One popular deduction is that you can write off any interest you paid on the loan for that year, which can really add up.
Your Credit History is Not Affected
Renting homes is not reported to any of the credit bureaus. So it does nothing to improve your credit score. A mortgage, however, is a bank approved loan. Each timely payment is reflected on your credit score, and the home is a secured asset that you can borrow against as well; which can come in really handy for pricey things like college tuition costs for your kids.
Are you a die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fan? Can’t sleep if you don’t get all the news about your favorite team? If you are, drop by the Hall of Honor at the New Arrowhead. It’s the place where you can relive some of the greatest moments of the Chiefs and pro football history.
A project of Time Warner Cable and the Kansas City Chiefs, the Hall of Honor opened in August last year to honor legendary players, coaches and teams, and highlight the rich history of the franchise.
Located at the lower level concourse of the stadium, the Hall of Honor features the team’s Lombardi Trophy from Super Bowl IV, the original American Football League trophy, the original seats from Municipal Stadium and other important artifacts from 50 years of franchise and National Football League history.
Other highlights include a virtual locker room featuring the Chiefs Hall of Famers, a re-creation of Arrowhead’s original Gold Suite, as well as video and interactive displays that allow fans to enjoy the team’s unforgettable moments. The Hall of Honor is open to all fans in attendance on game day and is open to the public throughout the year.
Dan Wright, group vice president of operations for Time Warner Cable Kansas City, said that the Chiefs have excited football fans for nearly half a century with personalities like Len Dawson, Buck Buchanan, Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith to name a few. He said it’s only fitting to honor the people who made that possible.
So if you’re a dyed in the wool Chiefs fan, this is one place you shouldn’t miss!
Do you love animals? If you do, why not bring the whole family to the Kansas City Zoo? This is the place for people who love wildlife. Located in the historic Swope Park, the Kansas City Zoo is 202-acres big and houses over a thousand animals.
The zoo sits on a land that was donated by philanthropist and real estate magnate Thomas Swope in 1896. Swope was 70 years old when he gave away 1,334 acres of land to Kansas City to be used as a public park. Through the years, the park has grown to over 1,805 acres and is one of the largest city parks in America. It boasts picnic areas, an outdoor theater, two golf courses and of course, the zoo.
The zoo is composed of different sections, namely, Australia, Tiger Trail (Asia), Tropics (an indoor rain forest), KidZone (where you’ll find the Discovery Barn and an Endangered Species Carousel), and the 100 acre-African Plains.
Among the many attractions at the zoo, one of the most well-known to locals and most loved is Nikita, a four-year-old polar bear who was born on November 21, 2006 at the Toledo Zoo. He inhabits an arctic adventure area at Polar Bear Passage. Named after a Russian researcher, Nikita weighs around 750 pounds and entertains visitors by swimming in his 140,000-gallon, 65-degree pool.
To learn more about Nikita and other interesting animals, visit the Kansas City Zoo, open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $6 for all ages while Friends of the Zoo members are free.
Don’t know where to go this December? Head off to Kansas City! It’s a great time to be there as the famous city comes alive with holiday lights, unique events and popular traditions that will light up your life. It’s the perfect holiday getaway for you and your family.
One must-see tradition is the 78th annual Country Club Plaza’s Season of Lights that runs till January 16, 2011. This takes place at the Country Club Plaza Area at 47th & Central Streets. During this time, the Plaza district is illuminated with over 80 miles of multi-colored bulbs throughout the entire holiday season. It’s a breathtaking reminder of the joyous celebration that awaits all of us at Christmas time. Admission is free.
Another favorite Kansas City holiday tradition is the 30th Anniversary Production of “A Christmas Carol” that runs till December 26, 2010. Watch the stingy Ebenezer Scrooge become a new man as he is visited by the ghosts of Christmases past, present and yet to come. This popular production by the Kansas City Repertory Theater has all the moments you love from the novella by English author Charles Dickens, plus a few surprises!
Robert Trussel of the Kansas City Star calls it “an uncanny blend of the familiar and the new, and a pleasant reminder that this classic tale is still valid drama” while Grace Suh of the Pitch describes it as “a feast of a holiday show, one with its heart so obviously in the right place.”
Visit the Spencer Theater at 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City today for a night to remember! Admission is from $20 to $60.
It’s called “Joyeux Festin” in Quebec, “Cajita Feliz” in Puerto Rico, and “Xenni Min” in Ukraine. Whatever you call it, one thing is certain: kids all over the world enjoy the Happy Meal – one of the main attractions of the fast-food chain McDonald’s. This special kid’s meal first appeared in Kansas City in 1977.
The Happy Meal is so-named because it comes with a toy in addition to the usual McDonald’s treats. In the United States, this is served together with a side order of fries or sliced apples with a caramel dip, a 12-ounce soft drink, milk, chocolate milk, orange juice or apple juice, and a hamburger, cheeseburger, or chicken nuggets with dipping sauce. The items are packed in a small box or paper bag with the McDonald’s logo.
The Happy Meal was conceived by Bob Bernstein, founder and CEO of Bernstein-Rein Advertising based in Kansas City. Since 1967, McDonald’s has been one of the agency’s many valued clients. In 1977, McDonald’s consulted Bernstein for a better way to make kids happy while visiting the place with their parents, Bernstein suggested giving children their own special meal instead of sharing their parents’ food.
Inspired by his own son who was fascinated with the goodies inside cereal boxes, Bernstein asked his creative team to make lunch pails out of paper boxes with McDonald’s Golden Arches for handles. The tops and sides of the boxes were decorated with games, jokes, comic strips or anything that would appeal to kids. Inside the box was a burger, some fries, cookies and a toy. Thus, the Happy Meal was born in Kansas City in October 1977 and was heavily promoted through TV and radio spots. For making kids all over the world happy, Bernstein was rewarded with a full-size bronze replica of the Happy Meal box in 1987.
What’s a cowboy without a good pair of boots? The two are inseparable since cowboy boots are designed to protect cowboys from injury and possibly death while riding a horse. Thanks to the vision of one man from Kansas City, cowboys can safely ride off into the sunset.
Charles Hyer learned to make boots from his German father William who migrated to the United Stats in the mid-1800s In 1872, Charles moved to Olathe, the fourth largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, to work for the Olathe School for the Deaf where he taught shoe and harness making. He later asked his brother Edward to help him run a small shoe shop called Hyer Brothers Boots.
The story goes that in 1875, a Colorado cowboy visited the shop and asked Charles to make a new pair of boots with pointed toes, high heels, and scalloped fronts and backs. These boots would allow cowboys to slide easily into a stirrup, hold the stirrup, and get in and out of their boots quickly, The design differed greatly from the Civil War-style boots that were popular at that time but Charles couldn’t refuse a customer and the first cowboy boots were born,
As word spread abut the new boots, the brothers were swamped with many orders and the Hyer Boot Company was founded in 1880. Employing mostly immigrant boot makers from Germany, Sweden and Poland, the brothers made cowboy boots for cattlemen, rodeo performers and movie stars like Buffalo Bill Cody, Tom Mix, Will Rogers, and Gene Autry. Mail-order catalogs were also used to promote their boots.
The company remained in business for about a hundred years before it was sold to the Ben Miller Boot Company of El Paso, Texas in 1977. However, Charles’ legacy continued at the Olathe Boot Company which employs several former Hyer employees and remains in business to this day.