Welcome to Omaha!

My name is Sarah Rozniecki.  I was born at St. Joe's Hospital (now Creighton Medical Center) on the north side of downtown Omaha.  I grew up in Bellevue, Nebraska and graduated from high school there.  I went to college just down the road at the amazing Home of the Huskers--University of Nebraska-Lincoln and I came back to the beautiful University of Nebraska at Omaha campus to get my Masters Degree as well as my Educational Specialist Degree.  Omaha has always been home.  I find myself saying at least once a day, "I love Omaha." It's a small city in the grand scheme of things but that being said, it sure packs a punch. 

The city offers annual festivals, musicals, plays, international musicians, artists and comedians, national and international sporting events, creative local restaurants (the most restaurants per capita in America), bars, breweries, music venues, museums... The list goes on and on.  Summer kicks off with big event after big event and as a result, I find myself saying, "I love Omaha" more and more.  As I started talking with my friends, we started reflecting on just how much Omaha has to offer and how, as natives, there are still SOOOO many things we have never done.  This conversation quickly led to conversation around a summer adventure in Omaha to start crossing some of these attractions off of our list.  Interestingly, this conversation occurred as we were transitioning from the Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational (a qualifying swim meet for the Olympic Swim Trials  --check out their web site for video clips and highlights from the event and get your feet wet--pun intended for 2016  http://www.ihigh.com/usaswimming/) to the Summer Arts Festival (an annual festival dedicated to local music, art, and food in the heart of downtown-- http://www.summerarts.org/2012/) before heading back to he Swimvitational for the evening session. As we strolled through the Summer Arts Festival, we found ourselves at the door of the Omaha Visitor's Center (http://www.visitomaha.com/visitors/visitor-information-center/) and we thought, 'What better place to start our adventure than the Visitor Center?' 

The Visitor Center is housed in an old brick building, a classic fixture in the Old Market area.  You get the feel of what Omaha was like in the early 1900s but you're quickly reminded of just how cool Omaha is when you enter.  You are greeted by modern decor, warm colors, and even a cozy little coffee bar with a few tables and free wifi. There is a full wall of brochures and pamphlets informing you of many of the attractions available in the Omaha metro area. So, once you've loaded up on guide books and brochures (like we natives did) don't forget this location because you'll be back to  buy some Omaha memorabilia to show your support for the city you're sure to fall in love with.

Now, among our fliers was a map of Omaha with map pins marked on some key "must sees" so we thought that would be a great place to start.  There are 15 notable locations marked and outside of each location is a giant statue of a map pin, just to make sure you as a tourist (or as a local dying to know Omaha better) know some key places to visit.  Again, through our conversation, we wanted to expand this adventure beyond just places to festivals, music events, performing arts, etc. and hence, we landed on this blog idea. 

(Pictured above from left to right: Katarina Gleisberg, Laura Engelhardt, Diana Gleisberg, Sarah Rozniecki pictured at the "Map Pin" in the heart of Omaha's Old Market)

Let me back up. I have been using a lot of "we"s and "our"s and I must informally introduce the co-authors of this blog.  My sister Laura Engelhardt, one of my best friends, Diana Gleisberg, and her sister Katarina Gleisberg will all be writing about their journey of love with the city of Omaha.  We will blog weekly at a minimum (but with all there is to do in Omaha, there will be weeks where we blog multiple times in a week), sometimes in groups and sometimes individually.  We hope that through our blogs you, as a local or as a tourist, will stumble upon some new ideas for fun in this great community or re-discover some old loves of your own. 

That being said, I hope you enjoy our adventures in this amazing city.

Week 1

Events and Attractions

• Taste of Omaha
•  Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational
• St. Jude's Warrior Dash
• Summer Arts Festival

Taste of Omaha is an annual festival held in Omaha's Heartland of America Park and on Omaha's Lewis and Clark Landing.  Restaurants from all over Omaha set up tents in the park and on the landing, allowing locals the opportunity to test out multiple restaurants all at once while enjoying live music, boat rides, local wares, and carnival rides.  My husband and I attended this June and enjoyed some delicious Chicago-style hot dogs and Polish dogs at Chicago Dawg House (http://chicagodawghouse.com/), some bbq at Uncle Earnie's Barbeque (http://www.uncleearnies.com/), and some delicious bundt-tinis at Nothing Bundt Cakes (http://www.nothingbundtcakes.com/).  Check out their web sites and enjoy their yummy food for yourself!

Next on the list of events for Week 1 was the Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational.  This event is one of the last opportunities for competitive swimmers to qualify for the Olympic Swim Trials (which Omaha is also hosting this summer!), which in turn, is where the US Olympic Swim Team is chosen!  Today was the final day of the Swimvitational and it takes a close second to the actual Swim Trials.  It was exhilarating as the crowd stood on their feet cheering on a swimmer who was about to qualify for the Olympic Swim Trials.  And there's something pretty amazing about seeing an Olympic-sized swimming pool in the same arena where I've seen college volleyball games, Britney Spears in concert, and high school graduations.  Not to mention that the whole thing was constructed in under 2 weeks!!  (We have some HARD workers here in Omaha--see the time lapse video of the pool being constructed here: http://www.omaha.com/article/20111111/NEWS01/711119833#video).

Now, it was hard not to attend all of the Swimvitational fun (running from Friday June 8-Sunday June 10), but there was a loud noise calling Diana and my names... And that loud noise was the cry of St. Jude's Warrior Dash (www.warriordash.com).  Warrior Dash is the World's Largest Running Series and events are hosted all over America and has branched to Australia.  This event was home to some 20,000+ Omahans (and locals from surrounding communities) competing in a 5K that included obstacles and rough terrain.  Some of the obstacles we faced as warriors included: climbing a wall made out of cargo nets, jumping over burning logs, wading through a mud pit, running tires, climbing a rock wall and crawling under barbed wire, just to name a few.  For any and all who raised $250 or more for St. Jude's (including Diana and I--which brings me to a very special thank you to all of my friends and family who helped me donate $400!!) there was access to free food and drinks, showers, and shade.  And bravo to Omaha as we helped St. Jude's raise over $80,000 in this 2-day event.  Although the event itself was not actually hosted in Omaha, it is important to note how close Omaha is to so many awesome activities. 

(Pictured from left to right: Sarah Rozniecki and Diana Gleisberg BEFORE we knew what it truly means to be a Warrior.)

Our final event for the weekend (I know what you're thinking--Omaha has THAT many things to do in less than 72 hours?!!) was the Summer Arts Festival.  Omaha is lucky to be full of talented artists and our community recognizes them with this annual event.  In fact, 5 city blocks are completely shut down to traffic to allow for the dozens of tents to be set up.  Events include live music, local eateries, and of course, a wide array of artwork.  We saw everything from glass blown pieces to woodwork.  There was even a blacksmith with an anvil and fire set up to hammer out new pieces right on the spot. I do want to give a shout out to an artist who partially inspired this blog.  Pretty Little Pixel (www.prettylittlepixel.com) displayed dozens of matted pictures of classic Omaha signs and attractions at very affordable prices.  I grabbed a post card--this is some local art I can't WAIT to support.

Bars and Restaurants 

• The Lauter Tun Fine Ales and Spirits
• Nebraska Brewing Company

Sometimes girls just wanna have fun and in our case, we plan regular "Girls' Nights' and for each Girls' Night, we must plan out a fun activity.  That's where the plethora of bars and restaurants in Omaha comes in very handy--variety is nearly endless.  This week's Girls' Night took place at our very own award-winning brewery--Nebraska Brewing Company.  This brewery has been open less than 5 years and they're already winning awards all over the country for their awesome brews.  We opted for a couple of samplers (to try a taste of all of their current beers), a couple of apps (buffalo cheese bites and hummus) and their scrumptious chocolate cobbler.  Check out their web site to learn more about their beer, their menu, upcoming events, and apparel.        http://www.nebraskabrewingco.com/main.asp

More to come this week... Green Flash Beer and Cheese pairing at a VERY special Omaha bar.  The Lauter Tun Fine Ales and Spirits is owned by my husband, Chad Rozniecki.  He and his partner have worked tirelessly to create a craft beer bar/music venue in West Omaha.  There are 22 beers on tap and a large bottle selection.  Chad has become a talented mixologist over the years as well and he has chosen some classic cocktails (along with a few signature cocktails) to create a very classy menu.  Local live music is featured at the bar roughly 3 times a week and they are starting to partner with local restaurants to host beer and food pairings.  I will likely be reporting on events at The Lauter Tun each week since EVERY week holds some new adventure into the beer and/or music world so be on the lookout. http://www.thelautertun.com/  (Upcoming events include: Domestic Beer Challenge  Wednesday 6/20/2012 6:30-8:30pm; Lot 2 Beer and Food Pairing Dinner Sunday 6/24 7:00-9:00pm at Lot 2 in Benson.  Check web site for specifics on special events and a listing of live music).

Well, I hope you've enjoyed our first blog.  Let us know your thoughts on how we're doing and feel free to share your own Omaha hot spots. 

Love,
Your Omaha Stalkers

(Corn Stalks, get it?  Omaha STALKers)