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.
You know him as the author of “A Farewell to Arms”, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “The Old Man and the Sea.” But are you aware of the fact that Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Miller Hemingway once worked for a newspaper in Kansas City?
That’s right, folks, Before he became famous, a young Hemingway left Oak Park, Illinois to work as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. He was only 18 years old when he joined the paper in October 1917. While his stay was short, Hemingway learned a lot from Star editor C.G. “Pete” Wellington whom he credited for changing his wordy style. He also embraced The Star Copy Style, a writing guide that greatly influenced his style.
His six months at the Star taught him important writing lessons, namely, to use short sentences, to use short paragraphs, to be vigorous in writing, and to write positively. This led to his distinctive writing style that was marked by realistic characters, economy and understatement.
When World War I broke out, Hemingway left the Star to work as an ambulance driver. The war left him seriously wounded and he returned home the following year. However, his experiences there became the basis of his novel “A Farewell to Arms” that he finished when he returned to Kansas City for the birth of his second son.
In his lifetime, Hemingway wrote seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works. His style influenced many writers of the 20th century and his works are considered classics of American literature. For that, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.
Arrowhead Stadium is located in Kansas City, Missouri and is the biggest sports facility in terms of capacity in the State of Missouri. Currently, it is the fourth largest National Football League (NFL) stadium by seating capacity. It is home to the Kansas City Chiefs.
In 1967, voters approved a $102 million bond initiative to build stadiums known as the Truman Sports Complex. The complex consists of Arrowhead Stadium as well as Kauffman Stadium (home of the Kansas City Royals). Construction of Arrowhead Stadium began in 1968 and was completed in time for the 1972 season. During the first game at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs defeated the then named St. Louis Cardinals 24-14.
The stadium has undergone several renovations. The most recent was completed in 2010 and cost approximately $375 million. The current seating capacity for the stadium is 49,451.
The stadium hosts many events, but the primary tenant is the Chiefs franchise. The Kansas City Chiefs are off to a terrific 2-0 start. The remainder of the 2010 season is as follows:
Sun, Sep 26 1:00 PM vs San Francisco
Sun, Oct 10 1:00 PM @ Indianapolis
Sun, Oct 17 1:00 PM @ Houston
Sun, Oct 24 1:00 PM vs Jacksonville
Sun, Oct 31 1:00 PM vs Buffalo
Sun, Nov 7 4:15 PM @ Oakland
Sun, Nov 14 4:05 PM @ Denver
Sun, Nov 21 1:00 PM vs Arizona
Sun, Nov 28 4:05 PM @ Seattle
Sun, Dec 5 1:00 PM vs Denver
Sun, Dec 12 4:15 PM @ San Diego
Sun, Dec 19 1:00 PM @ St. Louis
Sun, Dec 26 1:00 PM vs Tennessee
Sun, Jan 2 1:00 PM vs Oakland
Kansas City residents have been encouraged by city officials to take extra caution this summer due to extreme heat conditions. The city warns to be on the lookout for those most at risk for health problems related to the heat, including infants, the elderly, the disabled and ill and the economically disadvantaged. Make sure to drink plenty of water and attempt to stay cool. Many cooling stations have been set up throughout the city. If you find someone suffering from heat exhaustion, the KCMO Health Department advises calling 911 for an emergency and attempting to cool the person off by removing excess clothing and placing cold towels around the neck and armpits.
More information regarding the heat advisory can be found at www.kcmo.org.
Kansas City jazz is a unique form of jazz that has a more fluid and relaxed sound than other styles. Its often influenced by blues and is known for its rather long solos. Kansas City jazz became extremely popular in the 1920s and 1930s when much travel brought many individuals to stops in the city. During this time period, liquor laws, including hours of service, were typically ignored. Although you may think of New Orleans as the original birthplace of jazz music, Kansas City and other cities such as St. Louis and Chicago have been very influential. In fact, Charlie Yardbird Parker was a Kansas City Native. Parker was known for being one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time. Parker was a saxophonist and was an notable developer of bebop music.
Kansas City is home to fantastic people, great companies and amazing food. As the 29th largest city in the United States, this metropolitan area is a great place to live or visit. Did you know the following about Kansas City?
1. It has more restaurants dedicated to barbecue per capita than any other American city.
2. Kansas City originally ignored alcohol prohibition, giving rise to a unique culture of gambling halls and jazz clubs. Also, the jam session originated here.
3. Russell Stover Candies, the largest maker of boxed chocolates, and Interstate Bakers, which makes Wonder Bread and Twinkies, are both based out of Kansas City.
4. The Kansas City Chiefs Stadium, known as Arrowhead Stadium, had the first scoreboard to ever show instant replay.
5. Kansas City is also known as The City of Fountains, because it claims to have the most fountains in the world, second only to Rome.
According to a recent analysis by Porfolio.com, Kansas City ranked 21st among the United States largest metropolitan cities. This quality of life survey analyzed 20 categories covering a wide variety of characteristics, including educational systems, living costs, economic health and traffic.
Within the analysis, Kansas City ranked fifth for rent affordability and 13th for overall commute time. For more information on Kansas City rankings visit Kansas City Biz Journal .