Mapping Out the Weekend

Hello all! It has been a few weeks since I have shared, but hopefully you enjoyed the Swimmer Superlatives that Diana and Katie presented a few weeks ago and I know that reading Sarah's latest on good-eats around town made my tummy rumble.

My latest story goes back to the original idea for this blog. I had the opportunity to visit not one, but two of the points on the "Omaha's Top Attractions" map last weekend. The first stop was the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. This was the first time I had been there since the aquarium re-opened after the amazing renovations. My sister and I took my niece and nephew because it was going to be the coldest day of the week (mid-90s). We got there just after the zoo opened and decided to start with the Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Pavilion. This building includes a lot of small animals and insects in small cases around the main room. There are also interactive learning opportunities for kids to get an up-close look at snake skins, butterflies, and other assorted items.

Our next stop was the newly renovated Scott Aquarium. It was amazing. As soon as you walk in, you may run into a line of people off to the right. That is because there is a small area that includes several different types of aquatic animals that you can touch. If you aren't interested in that you can bypass the line and head in to the aquarium. A lot of the main attractions are still located in the same areas like the penguins, sharks, and jellyfish, but each area has had a make-over that just enhances the experience. When we left the aquarium we HAD to stop for popcorn at the snack stand right outside before continuing on to the Grewcock Butterfly & Insect Pavilion.

We did visit a few of the outdoor exhibits like the zebras and sea lions but it was so incredibly hot that our main focus was finding an indoor attraction. Although it was hot, there were hoses and sprinklers set up throughout the zoo to cool off while walking from place to place and most of the buildings are air conditioned as well. If you aren't interested in walking around the whole zoo, you can also pick up the train either by the giraffe complex or at the Train Depot near the Children's Play area. There is also the Skyfari (similar to a ski lift) that takes you over the middle of the zoo as well as a tram that you can get on at different locations. We visited the bears, the cats, and the gorillas before deciding to call it a day.

Here are a few helpful tips for visiting the zoo: 1) If you are visiting in the summer, be sure to go early. The zoo opens at 9:00 throughout the summer and it is a great way to beat the heat.  2) Look at your map. The map includes the times that the tram, train, carousel, and Skyfari are available. It also list the times of different presentations throughout the zoo. 3) Although I LOVE zoo food, you can bring in your own snacks and eat at any of the snack areas scattered throughout. 4) Be sure to check out their website for events in the zoo. They are open year round and offer different family-oriented events at different times in the year. www.OmahaZoo.com

Peter Kiewit Foundation Sculpture Garden

Large Covered Wagon
(The pioneer woman is puffing on a pipe
and her two rowdy pioneer children are about to fall
out of the back of the wagon. It is supposed
 to be a likeness of a family on a cross-country vacation.)

The second map point I visited was the Joslyn Art Museum. Now I will admit, I am not an art buff by any means, but I will say that you don't need to be to appreciate this beautiful Omaha landmark. When you drive past it on Dodge, you can see only the profile of the beautiful building. As soon as you pull into the parking lot, you will have a few unexpected, but very welcome surprises.  The building is surrounded by several beautiful sculpture gardens. There is the Discovery Garden at the northwest corner of the campus that includes a number of different interactive sculptures and of course the main garden directly in front of the museum includes a giant reflecting pool, numerous sculptures, and an amazing full-on view of the museum. 

This is called the Story-Telling Hut
(This exhibit will disintegrate
within 18-24 months.)

I call this "Laura Riding the Pencil"

After spending some time outside admiring the beauty of these gardens, I took advantage of the free admission that is offered on Saturday mornings between 10:00 and noon. My first stop was the gift shop located just inside on the main level. Since Omaha is celebrating 150 years of the Union Pacific Railroad, there were a lot of train-related items available, but as always, they had a good assortment of items that are related to the exhibits. You can get anything from books to prints about some of the pieces on display.

In the main atrium there is also a little cafe that is open at different times throughout the day. It is a quiet area that is lit mainly by the natural light  provided by the open space. To the right of the atrium is a staircase that leads up to the gallery that houses their traveling exhibits. The current exhibit being shown is called The Great West Illustrated. It includes photographs and paintings that celebrate the Union Pacific Railroad.

On this same level, you can cross above the atrium area into the permanent galleries. But before you do, make sure to check out the beautiful glass sculpture created by Dale Chihuly that is placed in the floor-to-ceiling window. (My picture doesn't even do this piece justice.) Some of the other permanent pieces of this collection include works from Edgar Degas, Claude Monet,  Jackson Pollock, and El Greco. 

Chihuly: Inside & Out

Beyond viewing the artwork, there are also educational programs and research opportunities that you can participate in. There are also lectures, musical performances, and art classes for people of all ages. For more information on these programs and services, please visit www.joslyn.org.

I had a great time marking a few more map pins off my list and I hope you are all doing the same. Please be sure to share with us if you have any places you would like us to report on or if you have any fun adventures to share from any of the places we have already visited! 

Goodbye for now Omaha Stalkers!

Dining Out in O!maha

One of the great things about Omaha is that there is no shortage of restaurant choices. We have fast food chains, sit down chains, and of course, the wide variety of local 'mom and pop' places. You want Indian? Great--try The Indian Oven or Jaipur. Want Italian? Try Malara's or Picollo's. It's Omaha so I bet you want to know where to find a good steak. What not try one of the many family owned steak houses Omaha is known for such as Caniglia's Venice Inn or Cascio's Steak House? (I think you see my point). In honor of Omaha's great love of food (of all kinds), I have decided to dedicate this entire post to some of my recent experiences with food in Omaha.

One sunny HOT day in early July, after an afternoon of tanning, some friends and I decided that the best way to finish off the day would be to find some great Mexican food and drink some of the best margaritas Omaha has to offer. Luckily, there are plenty of options, but since we were out West, the first thought we has was Rivera's (www.riverasmf.com). I heard rave reviews of their pomegranate margaritas and their carne asada so there was really no question. I ordered the fish tacos--delicious. Just spicy enough and very filling. I tried some of the carne asada and it was Extremely tender and flavorful. The pomegranate margaritas did not disappoint either. As the wife of a bar owner and liquor connessuir, I was deeply impressed by their extensive tequila selection as well. I usually look for a tequila I was introduced to on my honeymoon in Mexico, called Casa Noble. Not many places have it so when I found it on their menu, it was a must have. Finally, we ended the meal with the lightest, fluffiness sopapillas I have ever had. Rivera's gets my vote for amazing Mexican food in West Omaha. Check it out.

One of the most important holidays takes place in July and that means food. No, not the Fourth of the July, my birthday. The older I get, the more likely I am to ask for time with my friends and family instead of gifts and that often translates into eating at restaurants around town. This year was no different. Laura and I started our celebration with a family lunch at Biaggi's. They have locations in 12 states around the country so it's not a local company, but their classic Italian food and upscale decor create an atmosphere that makes you feel at home. The meal begins with bread and oil to tide you over until your meal comes. Although the lunch menu is not quite as lengthy as the dinner menu, patrons have options ranging from salads, sandwiches, pastas, and other Italian entrees. Even more enticing, the lunch menu offers the option of half and half, allowing patrons to try multiple fares in one sitting. I had the Capellini de Mare--capellini noodles with shrimp and scallops and a half portion of the Messina salad, complete with capers, olives, feta cheese, and field greens. The half and half was the perfect size for lunch. Unfortunately I was too full to try one of the many Italian desserts offered, but I will be back to try some tiarami su and some cannolis. Here's the link to their menu: http://mobile.biaggis.com/menu/16.

After we rested our stomachs for a few hours, Laura, Diana, Katarina and I went to P.F. Chang's. Again, I love local, but you can't argue with some chains. We started with an appetizer--tuna tataki crisp, which included ahi tuna, scallions, and cucumbers marinated in citrus sesame soy sauce on a crisp wonton. I had my usual orange peel chicken and brown rice for my main course and followed it up with a FREE tiarami su mini dessert (**ask for your free dessert when you visit on your birthday).

Birthday celebrations continued through the next day. I was treated to a phenomenal lunch of Vietnamese cuisine at a local restaurant downtown by two dear friends from work. The restaurant, Saigon Surface, is just on the outskirts of Omaha's famous Old Market. It is small, but modern and crisp. Each table has its own iPad to tinker with throughout their meals. The staff was extremely friendly. We started off with vegetarian tofu egg rolls. The fresh flavors of mint and cilantro were very refreshing. Our waiter was very knowledgeable of the menu and helped give suggestions for our entrees. I had the grilled combo vermicelli bowl which included wild prawns, chicken, pork, and a Saigon egg roll. The bowl was extremely filling, yet the vermicelli noodles were very light. A perfect dish for a summer lunch. I was surprised with a dessert--Surface flan which is basically a creme brûlée flan. I HIGHLY recommend Saigon Surface. Support local cuisine. And right now, on their home page, you can print out a copy for a free entree anytime during the month of your birthday. Here's the link: http://www.saigonsurface.com/

 Saigon Surface is modern, trendy, and delicious!





I finished off my whirlwind restaurant tour with my husband Chad. We ate dinner at Omaha's own 7M, 'an eclectic mix of Omaha's art, food and wine' located in Northwest Omaha. The modern restaurant has the feel of a trendy cocktail lounge. The bar has a great beer selection and I drank one of the best gin gimlets I had ever had. We were assisted by not one but two very knowledgeable servers who helped guide our selections. We were aided further as our waiter shared pictures of the evening's specials on his iPad. I am a sucker for fish tacos and although the specials looked amazing, I had to go with an old favorite and it did not disappoint. They were some of the best fish tacos I've ever had. Not to mention how aesthetically pleasing the plates were. I opted to take one taco home to save room for a piece of locally made Lithuanian Torte. The sweet crumbling crusts are layered with a citrus jelly and it's made at our own local Lithuanian bakeries. My biggest complaint was that there were too many amazing sounding dishes to choose from. We will be back. Perhaps to check out their VIP-style Chef's Table. Check it out on their web site: http://www.restaurantomaha.net/index.html

Omaha has the most restaurants per capita in America, so as you can tell, I have just scratched the surface with this inaugural dining out special, so be on the look out for future blogs dedicated to the food Omaha has to offer. And if you're a beer lover, check out Chad's new blog to learn more: www.beervanaomaha.blogspot.com Thanks for reading. And as my Italian grandmother always said at dinner, 'Mangia!'

2012 Olympic Swim Trials: Our Swimmer Superlatives

Lochte and Phelps--part of the drama enticing the sold out Swim Trials Finals crowd at the Century Link Center, Omaha

Ah, the joy of being part of the over 13,000 fans in the Century Link Center for the Olympic Swim Trials!  The attendees are from all over the country.  Though most of the friendly swim fans we meet are from anywhere but Nebraska, they are singing Omaha's praises for being such an enthusiastic, swimfan-friendly setting.

As mentioned in our previous posts, my sister Diana and I (Katarina), were excited to attend all 15 sessions of the Olympic Swim Trials which spanned eight days.   We are very thankful to USA Swimming, who made time at Aqua Zone in between sessions very entertaining, which included opportunities to meet past and present Olympians.  We are also very grateful to the athletes. Their optimism, willingness to spend time with fans, and patriotic attitude about representing the United States was all very inspiring.  Diana and I figured it would be most amusing if we recorded our personal highlights in our own very biased way. 

OUR BIASED 2012 SWIM TRIALS SWIMMER SUPERLATIVES

Most Impressive Display of Taking Off a Swim Cap, Therefore Inspiring our Swimmer Superlatives:

 MATT GREVERS

Most Enthusiastic After Winning a Race: MATT GREVERS

One of our Day 3 highlights was Matt Grevers' enthusiasm after winning the 100 backstroke.  He emerged from the pool into a sprint to hug multiple people.  His medal ceremony was endearing, being that it was presented by Adolph Keifer, gold medal backstroke winner from the 1936 Olympics, who was also celebrating his 94th birthday that day. When interviewed after the medal ceremony, we enjoyed Grevers' humility when saying he didn't think he would make the team (though he's been the U.S.'s top backstroker within the last couple years).

Nick Thoman and Grevers being interviewed for NBC

Most Gracious and Impressive to Talk with in Person: TYLER CLARY (Matt Grevers is a close second)

Before we could even thank Tyler for taking this picture with us, he thanked US first!  A few days later, while autograph signing with Matt Grevers and Annie Chandler, Tyler thanked us for losing our voices, told us about the Speedo photo shoot on a waterslide, and went on about how impressed he is with the Trials crowd.  Then, Matt Grevers told us about how the excitement of the crowd at the Swim Trials is better than that at the Olympics.

Best Medal Acceptance Pose: BRENDAN HANSEN

Most Missed by Us: AARON PEIRSOL
Peirsol, the best backstroker in history, retired from swimming in 2010, and we enjoyed watching him in the last three Olympics.  It seemed weird to not see him compete in the backstroke events, but we're glad he was constantly around during the Swim Trials.

Most Likely to Save a Drowning Child: CULLEN JONES
Cullen is a spokesperson for the Make a Splash Foundation, a "national child-focused water safety initiative" for which he goes on tour to spread the importance of learning to swim.   More information about this foundation can be found at http://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1699

Best Smile: CULLEN JONES

Closest Resemblance to a "Full House" cast member: ELIZABETH BEISEL

Yes, we did tell Elizabeth that we think she looks like DJ Tanner.

Most Able to Make us Emotional: KATHLEEN HERSEY
Diana and I were fortunate to sit next to Kathleen's parents during the 2008 Swim Trials. They were generous, shared helpful information, and we enjoyed having someone (Kathleen) to cheer for.  Her awesome parents made it even more exciting for us to watch her make it to the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.  When we learned that Kathleen's mother died from cancer earlier this year, we were saddened to say the least, and I felt myself getting choked up when we expressed our condolences to Mr. Hersey.

Most like a Greek God in Human Form: RYAN LOCHTE

If Ryan Lochte and Michelangelo had been alive at the same time, we're certain Ryan would've been a source of great inspiration for the sculptor.

"I guess milk does the body good,"  Ryan Lochte responded, when Bob Costas (reporting live from the Swim Trials) commented on Ryan's amount of recent shirtless pictures. 

Most Impressive with Handling Shloads of Fans: RYAN LOCHTE

It was cool to see how Ryan did his best to sign as many autographs as possible.

Most Dateable: PETER VANDERKAAY

There is just something endearing about how Peter stays low key, even after we caused trouble.  (We were NOT supposed to be taking pictures on the autograph stage.)

Almost Makes Me Want to Like the Color Pink Whilst Dominating the 200 Breaststroke in a Pink Suit: REBECCA SONI

Most likely to pull off a messy bun and look darling: MISSY FRANKLIN

Best Overcoming Story: ERIC SHANTEAU
Shortly after making the team at the 2008 Trials, Eric was diagnosed with testicular cancer.  Now in remission, he's still an amazing breaststroker, and also a 2012 Olympian.

Most Reluctant to Take a Picture with a 12 Year Old at the Zoo in Omaha's humidity:
 ANTHONY ERVIN
Though there was no one else around, and a small chance that anyone would recognize him at the Henry Doorly Zoo, Anthony had to be convinced to pose for a picture with our swimfan friend Ryan.  We hope that the reluctance was due to the exhausting heat of 100 degrees plus humidity, because we later found Anthony to be friendly about taking pictures and signing, especially after Day 8's closing ceremonies.

Most likely to High Five While Eating a Sandwich: NATHAN ADRIAN
We were respectful of the fact that swimmers don't really have time to chat before finals, so we appreciated that while walking by, Nathan always gave high fives (when he was eating) and smiled (when he wasn't eating).

Most Able to Make Us Burst Out Laughing: GARY HALL JR.

During his tenure as a 3-time Olympian, Gary Hall Jr. was known for his antics on the starting block. For example, at the 2008 Trials, he wore a bejeweled boxing robe and made a show of punching the air.  While meeting him, we inquired about the whereabouts of his boxing robe and he said it was at the drycleaners due to a mustard stain.  He proceeded to tell us about how he was a 3-time drowning victim, asked us what antics we would use at an awards ceremony, and then we all practiced our princess waves.

Most Able to Look Professional in Purple Skinny Jeans: SUMMER SANDERS

Summer, a 1992 gold medalist, was the MC of the Swim Trials.  She impressed us with her mix of t-shirts and skinny jeans, professionalism and personal touch to relate to and congratulate each Olympic qualifier.



Summer Sanders interviews Brendan Hansen after he qualifies for the Olympic Team



Most Recognized Parent: MICHAEL PHELPS
Debbie Phelps was so recognizable, she even had her own autograph signing session.

Most Hungry: MICHAEL PHELPS
Though there were only eight fans around when we encountered him, Michael gave us a long list of reasons why he had to make it quick (one of which was he hadn't eaten all day).  Michael was done competing at this point.

Most Interesting Pre-Race Stretching: MICHAEL PHELPS
The way Michael flapped his arms almost seemed painful...should stretching make a sound?

Best Eyelashes: RICKY BERENS

 

Best Jaw Structure: NICK THOMAN

Closest Voice Resemblance to John Cena and My Friend Derek: NICK THOMAN

Best Male Biceps: JASON LEZAK
The last leg of the 400 free relay in the 2008 Olympics was the fastest in history, due to some superhuman trait of Jason's...we told him that even our dog showed an emotional reaction to his amazing come-from-behind victory.

Most Likely to be a 16 Year Old Swimmer at the 2016 Swim Trials: RYAN OLSON

 

Ryan Olson (pictured above with Ryan Lochte and Ryan Olson's swim mom, Melanie) is a 12 year old competitive swimmer in Utah.  His specialty is the 400 IM, much like his swimming idol Ryan Lochte, who is so graciously showing Ryan's "Big O" swimming sign in the picture above.  Ryan is a friendly, hilarious, and bold swim fan who was successful in having 28 different Olympians sign his Swim Trials t-shirt.  Diana and I are very grateful we befriended Melanie and Ryan, as we shared many great outbursts.  Plus, we're grateful to Melanie for letting us use some of her pictures!

WHAT'S NEXT?

The question has already been raised about where the 2016 Swim Trials should be held.  Summer Sanders and Rowdy Gaines seem to be proponents of the Trials staying in Omaha.  The bids haven't even been submitted yet, but we're keeping our fingers crossed for a third Swim Trials in Omaha.  But for now, we're super excited about cheering on Team USA at the Olympic Games in London, which start on July 27th.  For the televised event schedule, check out http://www.nbcolympics.com/ .

Also, if you go to https://raiseourflag.teamusa.org/Content/index.aspx , you can buy a stitch in the U.S. flag to support the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams in London.

Happy Olympics Viewing!