Stalking Omaha: 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/)