The Road to London Starts in Omaha!

My name is Katarina, and I'm the fourth to share my love for Omaha in this "Stalking Omaha" blog.  As my sister Diana and friends Laura and Sarah mentioned previously, the inspiration for this blog came from our excitement over back to back summer activities in Omaha.  The last few days have been no exception: a free outdoor music and movie event at the Holland, the College World Series, and the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials!



Katarina, Sarah, Diana, Laura (front to back) before watching Karate Kid at the Holland



As mentioned in Laura's previous post, on June 22 we went to the first "Cox Music and Movies" of the season, outdoor events put on by the Omaha Performing Arts.  Held at the Holland, these events are free and open to the public.  The schedule can be found at http://www.omahaperformingarts.org/series/details.aspx?ID=19.

Then, as if the College World Series excitement wasn't enough to draw crowds to Omaha, the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials overlapped with the last CWS championship game.  After attending the 2008 U.S. Swim Trials here in Omaha, my sister Diana and I were excited to buy our tickets for every session of this year's Swim Trials a year in advance.  Taking place from June 25th to July 2nd, we're spending eight delightful days at the Century Link Center watching swimmers on The Road to London.

We are so proud to hear the national media talking about the greatness of Omaha.  Summer Sanders (former U.S. Olympic gold medalist and MC of the Swim Trials) praised Omaha for its passion and supportive environment for hosting sports, including the Swim Trials, the College World Series, the NCAA volleyball tournament, and the 2013 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.  The ambiance of the Century Link Center was exciting to say the least.  The lights go down during each event's medal ceremony, lights of the USA Swimming logo dance around, and a procession of Omaha models and a previous Olympian walk under a spotlight to the south side of the pool where the first place winner is welcomed to the U.S. Olympic team.  Names of swimmers and Olympic images appear in a falling fountain behind the moving stage which raises the winner up to the pool deck level like a rock star.  Fire shoots up from right outside the edge of the pool during each final race.  Ryan Lochte, the first swimmer to make the U.S. Olympic team, remarked that he looked over to the side of the pool during the breaststroke leg (of the 400 IM), saw fire, and was confused.  Soon after, Lochte proclaimed his love for fans in Omaha.

This 400 IM race, the first final of the Swim Trials, was our Day 1 highlight.  The hype and the deafening screams with the constant lead changes between Ryan Lochte (the eventual winner), Michael Phelps, and Tyler Clary was the perfect start to eight days on The Road to London.

 

Ryan Lochte, followed by Michael Phelps, then Tyler Clary in the Men's 400 IM final







Lochte & Phelps after the 400 IM

Our Day 2 highlight was the Men's 100 Breaststroke won by one of our favorite swimmers, Brendan Hansen (former Olympic medalist), who came out of retirement to compete in London.



Brendan Hansen, winner of the 100 Breaststroke, rises up on the moving stage to be welcomed to the Olympic team



In between the morning Swim Trials preliminary sessions and the evening finals sessions, we've enjoyed spending our time in the Aqua Zone.  Aqua Zone is a completely free, family-friendly fan experience held on the lower level of the Century Link Center.  Fans can meet athletes, play in simulated swim challenges, buy souvenirs from the Speedo store, and even ride a mechanical shark.  Aqua Zone is open every day through July 2nd from 11:00am to 7:00pm.  More information about Aqua Zone can be found on the USA Swimming website, http://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=2338&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en

Diana and I have amused ourselves with making a list of superlatives for swimmers, which will be soon to come.  Please check back in with us!

O! What a week!

Hello fellow Omaha Stalkers! It's hard to believe that it has been such a short time since my last post. There has been so much to see and do. I had a long weekend this past week, so I decided to turn it into a "stay-cation" so I could knock some things off my list of places to visit in Omaha.

My "stay-cation" started with an afternoon CWS (College World Series) game with fellow blogger, Diana. This was my first trip to the TD Ameritrade Park since it has opened. Now, don't get me wrong, I will ALWAYS have a spot in my heart for Rosenblatt, but this park is amazing! After finally seeing it up close and personal, I can give my blessing to the new home of the NCAA Men's College World Series. There is not a bad seat in the house. We sat in the general admission seats in right field and had an amazing view, not only of the game, but the whole stadium.

The great thing about the park is that it is not only the place where people come to cheer on the best college teams in the nation. It also hosts concerts, like the upcoming Red Sky Music Festival, the Omaha Nighthawks UFL Football Team will play there, and they are adopting some of the Blatt's other traditions as well as the CWS. Next week there will be a College Home Run Derby on July 3, followed by the Omaha World Herald's Firework Show. If you are looking for the best place in Omaha to see fireworks, this is where you want to be. For ticket prices and event information check out their website http://www.tdameritradeparkomaha.com/

The second day of my tour started with a trip to the Durham Museum. This was a spot I have wanted to visit again for several reasons. The first being that this is my second "pin" on the VisitOmaha map of Omaha's top attractions. The second reason is that the traveling exhibit that is there right now is the Mindbender Mansion. My sisters and I took my niece and nephew, but this exhibit isn't just for the kids. It is set up almost like a life-sized CLUE game where you have to go from "room" to "room" and solve different interactive puzzles to become a member of the Mindbender Society. You can easily spend hours doing the different puzzles. Although, here is a helpful hint: try and go with at least three other people. There are several activities that require teamwork to complete. Take this from one of the newest members of the Mindbender Society. 

My evening was crammed full of more Omaha goodness. Our first stop of the evening was the Olympic Swimmer statue in front of the Mutual of Omaha building. We had a group of eight out there taking pictures and just having fun with it. Diana posted one on her entry over the weekend. Our next stop was an unexpected one, but a fun surprise nonetheless. We parked in a lot by the ConAgra campus on 10th and  Farnam. When we started walking we came upon a giant food stand that was set up by ConAgra. They are selling snacks there and the proceeds go to their project: Child Hunger Ends Here. It is so neat to have the Headquarters to a Fortune 500 Company right in the heart of downtown. And this project that they are so dedicated to is so easy to participate in. Besides this fun snack stand, you can go to www.childhungerendshere.com and enter codes that can be found on select ConAgra products. Their goal is  to donate 5 million meals to hungry children across the country. As of January 1, they had already donated over 2 million meals.

Directly across from the snack stand is a 6 foot tall statue of Chef Boyardee. Supposedly, if you touch his hat you will have luck in the kitchen. I wasn't aware of this legend when we took these pictures, but I wonder what it means when you give him a big kiss!

Laura - hanging with Chef Boyardee

Kari and Mary smoochin' the Chef

ConAgra snack stand

Our final destination was actually the Holland Performing Arts Center. They are showing several movies out in their courtyard this summer, and before each show they have a local band play. The event is free unless you are interested in treats, which are available for sale on site. You can bring blankets or lawn chairs to sit on and enjoy some classic movies. The movie that showed last weekend was the Karate Kid. This is a favorite of mine and to see it in a movie theater atmosphere was pretty neat. The whole audience applauded when Mr. Miyagi kicked some Cobra Kai butt and again after Daniel beat Johnny in the championship. The whole night was a blast. The weather was beautiful, the sound was perfect, and the movie was a classic. For more information on these music and movie nights, be on the lookout for Kat's first entry. 

I can't finish this without noting that as I am writing this I am also watching the Olympic Swim Trials that are being held here in Omaha right now. Kat and Diana will be writing about their experiences and Olympian sightings this next week, so be sure to check back in with us soon!

Just Keep Swimming

I'm Diana Gleisberg, 3rd of the 4 members of Stalking Omaha.  Unlike Sarah and Laura, my sister Katie and I grew up as Air Force brats.  We moved to Bellevue in 1994 just as Nebraska was dominating on the grid iron and I fell in love with all things Nebraska.  My Dad later retired in Bellevue when I was in middle school and the Omaha metro has been home ever since, minus the 4 years I lived in Lincoln proudly attending the University of Nebraska. 

As Sarah mentioned in our first blog; a few weekends ago we went to the Swimvitational, the Summer Arts Festival, the Santa Lucia Festival, and competed in the Warrior Dash all in the same weekend.  Because of how jam packed full of fun that weekend was, we mentioned over and over how awesome Omaha is.  Then we started listing all the events coming to town and Laura first remarked, "It's like we're stalking Omaha."  Hence this blog.

My BFFs, Laura and Sarah, and my sister are all busy documenting our tales of Omaha outings.  Unfortunately I've been so busy lately that I haven't had the chance to regale our fan club with my own adventures.  One of the reasons for my hectic schedules is the workouts leading up to Warrior Dash.  One of the best ways to train is through the FREE bootcamps held downtown at the Gene Leahy Mall.  The circuits are grueling and were certainly beneficial as I traversed cargo nets and hurdled fire.  For anyone that works downtown; these are convenient, intense, effective, and fun!  These are held Tuesday and Thursday nights at 5:30.  We all can thank the Omaha Downtown Improvement District and the YMCA for putting this on.  You can check out more information at http://omahadowntown.org/ or on facebook.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Midlands is another activity that I devote my time to.  I recently became a Big Sister and am seeing her discover parts of Omaha for the first time.  She had never been to the College World Series, so this past week we attended a dinner to kick off the opening of the CWS and attended the Arizona/Florida State game with fellow blogger and BFF Laura.  She got to take in the baseball atmosphere as she saw home runs, ate nachos, and watched the beachballs in the outfield.  Randomly she also got an introduction to blow up dolls as a fan decided that'd be appropriate to throw around in the stands.  What a great mentor am I?  ;)  Seriously though, my Little is sweet, grateful, and just wants to experience new activities.  If interested in supporting this amazing organization or becoming a Big yourself, more information is available at http://www.bbbsomaha.org

Today also marks the start of a week and a half vacation for me as my sister and I will be passionately supporting the US Olympic Swim Trials.  I've been an Olympic enthusiast since the '88 Winter Olympics in Calgary as I watched Katarina Witt figure skate.  Ever since, I'm glued to the tv for every Olympics.  I watch every sport and it dictates my sleeping schedule, my ability to run errands, and to leave the house for that matter ;)  My friends and family know that if you want to see during those 2 weeks that you'll have to join me in cheering on the U.S.  Even my dog understands this.  During the last summer Olympics in Beijing as we were wildly celebrating a swimming relay victory or sulking from Brendan Hansen's loss, Buddy was by our side jumping or consoling...whichever was appropriate.  One of my favorite Olympic events has always been swimming and the last decade of dominance has really cemented that.  My sister and I are so geeked that we've been planning our swimming attire, which athletes we plan to hound for autographs, and creating a game plan for Aqua Zone (interactive swimming exhibit with travelling museums, games, autograph signings, gift shop, etc).  In anticipation, we took pictures of the swimming statue and projection on the Mutual of Omaha building.

For the next week and a half I plan on living at the Clink (Century Link as I like to call it).  You should all join me cheering on these athletes, especially since the swimmers say this meet is more stressful than the Olympics as only 2 swimmers will qualify in each event, even if the U.S. has the top 3 times in the world!  For more information on the swim trials, check out http://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1450&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en-US

For now, to quote Dori, Just keep swimming!

Laura's Adventure Begins

My name is Laura Engelhardt. I was also born in Omaha and grew up enjoying the wonders that it has to offer.  The idea of this blog came about when my sister, my best friend, her sister, and I were enjoying some of the fun summer activities in the downtown area (see Sarah's entry from last week.) We kept talking about how much we loved Omaha and how we should search for all kinds of events and places to visit and get the word out about how awesome it is here. At one point I blurted out, "It's like we are stalking Omaha!" And the rest is history.

 I have lived in Bellevue for the bulk of my life, although I escaped for a few years as I did my undergrad at UNL and lthough this blog is about my love for Omaha, I also have to give a shout out to the Huskers. GO BIG RED! I graduated in the winter of 2005 and continued to live and work in Lincoln until the summer of 2008."I worked at the bookstore on campus and as much as I enjoyed my time there, I found myself missing Omaha more and more.  I was lucky enough to transfer to the Fort Omaha Campus Bookstore when I moved back and was promoted to Assistant Manager, then Text Manager, and now I am the Store Manager.  This brings me to my first spot of interest in my quest to "Stalk Omaha."

The Fort Omaha Campus is beautiful and historic. It was once an actual Fort, but now it has become a beautiful campus for the students at Metropolitan Community College. Aside from just being a center for learning, there are several spots on campus that draw the public in. The first is the General Crook House Museum. It was the home of General George Crook and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Next to the museum rests the beautiful Victorian Heirloom Garden that was designed and maintained by Addie Kinghorn, a Horticulture instructor at Metro, and her students. Another fun and interesting activity at the Crook House is the afternoon teas that they host. There three types of tea: the Proper Tea, the Dessert Tea, and the Cream Tea. Each tea begins at 2 p.m. and includes a different menu as well as a tour of the house. For more information on the Crook House and when you can visit, please check out their website.(http://www.omahahistory.org/museum.htm)

Crook House Museum

The other building on campus that seems to be drawing the crowds is the newly built Institute for the Culinary Arts, or more commonly known on campus as the ICA. It opened in 2010 and is state-of-the-art. It houses several theory kitchens where students learn different fundamental cooking techniques,  how to break down different types of proteins, and how to create basic sauces from scratch, among other things. There is also a full-blown bakery and a chocolate room that is temperature controlled to create amazing chocolate structures. Aside from the theory kitchens, there is also a production kitchen that is used to prepare for catering events that the school puts on. Upstairs, there is a "culinary theater" that is sponsored by Metropolitan Utilities District and chef-instructor Oystein Solberg works with local ingredients as he films his series called "Local Flavor." Episodes can be found on their website. (http://www.mccneb.edu/chh/localflavor.asp?Theme=1)

Institute for Culinary Arts

The final piece to this culinary puzzle is the Sage Student Bistro. This is an actual restaurant that is run by the instructors and students that is open to the public for breakfast, lunch, and dinner while classes are in session. For more information on the ICA or the Bistro please check out their website for reservations or a tour of the building. (http://resource.mccneb.edu/Bistro/)



As I mentioned before, I run the bookstore on campus. My bookstore is run by a larger organization called Follett Higher Education Group. This past week, we had a Regional Meeting here in Omaha. We had managers here from all over the mid-West including Iowa, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Colorado. After our first day of meetings, we headed out to Elkhorn (which is technically part of Omaha) to a neat one-stop-shop of fun called Sempeck's Bowling and Entertainment. They have regular bowling lanes as well as a separate area for cosmic bowling, go karts, laser tag, arcade games, sand volleyball, and a sports bar with HUGE screens to watch whatever game tickles your fancy. We had a blast sharing fajitas and salsa  followed by several games on the lanes. The comfy couches make you feel like you are bowling in your living room. It was a fun atmosphere and I can't wait to go back and play some laser tag! This was my first trip out there, but I guarantee I will be back. They offer all kinds of events like teen nights, FridayFest every Friday with live music and games, and karaoke. If you are looking for something to do with family or friends, this place has something for everyone.(http://sempecks.com/)

Celebrating with an awesome team at Sempeck's.

Thank you for allowing us to share our love for the Big O! I would love to hear about any of your Omaha adventures.

Love,
Your Omaha Stalkers

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)