Daddy/Daughter Day Trip to LEGOLAND and SEA LIFE

Posted: January 21, 2013

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Another successful father/daughter outing of making memories in KC.  This time at the new LEGOLAND and SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium at Crown Center.  We went on a Friday to avoid the lines and crowds.  My first impression was great, we were met by a friendly and efficient staff.  The cost was a little high, but not too out of the ordinary for these types of attractions.

LEGOLAND
Be ready for a photo op as you walk in the door.  Nice job from the photographer of getting us ready for the experience as well as validating our parking…..very smooth.  A quick tour begins the adventure with the history of the Lego, how it is made and a small souvenir.  After that the fun really begins with a ride.  Surprise to us….we didn’t even know they had rides.

Mock Kansas City at LEGOLANDMy daughter is huge into the Friends line of Lego’s, which is geared towards girls.  She especially liked the life size figure of Olivia in the Friends area, which happens to be her favorite.  We rode the other ride, crawled through all the tunnels, and built cars to race against all the boys.  My favorite area was the Kansas City themed area were they had built Union Station, Downtown, the WW 1 Monument, Arrowhead, Kauffman, Live Strong, Kansas Speedway, the Plaza, and the Performing Arts Center.  This was just amazing.  I could not believe the detail.  Check out my pictures. Mock Union Station at LEGOLAND

The staff was great, very friendly and accommodating.   I have to mention my service experience.  We stopped and got a snack and drink at the café.  The server gave us two cookies each, but I had only ordered one.  She thought we would like to try the others as well, on the house.  Once we began to eat the first cookie I understood why she placed another cookie in the bag.  The first one was a little over cooked.  My daughter turned her nose up at the hard cookie and ate the other.  Thanks!

My final observation was that LEGOLAND is geared to children ages 3-10.  My daughter is currently 9; therefore she was not as excited as many of the younger children, but still had a great time.  For the adults who played with lego’s when they were young the Kansas City display is really cool.

SEA LIFE
Shark at SEA LIFEOur aquarium experience was just as good as Lego Land.  The staff was very informative and helpful. The Aquarium visit begins with a picture too, but make sure to act surprise during the second photo.  You will see why when you go.

I was pleasantly surprised on how big the aquarium was and the selection of sea animals.  From the sharks, sting rays, variety of fish, sea horses this was a great experience.  The variety of displays and areas to view kept going on and on.  Great design and easy to navigate.

For anyone looking for a unique day out with the kids, I would recommend the LEGOLAND and SEA LIFE combo pack for a day of fun and adventure.

~Kelly

Are Your Ready for Some Football: Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp

Posted: August 8, 2012

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Future Chief in TrainingAre you ready for some football?  As a Kansas City sports fan, I can only say yes. With baseball not going our way, at least the Chiefs give us hope and the opportunity to compete. On Friday August 3, I loaded up the car with my 6th grade nephew, Blake.  I may be a little biased and have only been to Chiefs training camp, but I believe it is very well put together and geared towards all ages and family members.

Chiefs Training Camp DrillsWhen planning your trip to training camp, the first thing I would suggest is to check out the Chiefs website.  This website gives the schedules, maps, cost of concessions (which are very reasonable), and anything else you need to know.  The second website is for the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau.  It gives you everything you need to know about St. Joe, including restaurants and attractions.  We had lunch at the Rib Crib Restaurant before heading to camp.

We arrived a little early just to get the layout of this year’s camp, they keep improving every year for example the covered seating and misting tents.  As we made our way to the fields we were greeted by a guy on a bicycle.  He got off his bike and began speaking with my nephew Blake.  He asked if he had been to camp before, if he played football, and who were his favorite players.  He also stated that he had a son about the same age.  Finally he reached his hand out to me and introduced himself as Brian Daboll.  Holy Smokes this is the new Offensive Coordinator of the Chiefs.  I welcomed him to KC and chatted a little about camp and this year’s chances.  Very cool!  Thanks coach you made my nephews day and we haven’t even entered camp yet.

Chiefs Training CampWe stayed 2 ½ hours watching both the offensive and defensive and finally the full 11 on 11 scrimmage.  My nephew could not stop talking about how big and fast the players were and the sounds they made when hitting each other.  It was only one practice, but I am looking forward to this season.  Especially watching the progress of a few players and the impact they have on our season.  Those players are:

~Jonathan Baldwin
~Eric Berry
~Peyton Hillis
~Dontarie Poe
~Eric Winston

Go Chiefs!

~Kelly

Schlitterbahn: An adventure in our backyard

Posted: August 6, 2012

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I recently had an adventure right in our backyard!  Well, almost, just 15 minutes from Overland Park.  I am talking about Schlitterbahn Waterpark.  Schlitterbahn Waterpark has so much fun to offer.  Whether you are a free spirited toddler, a fun-loving teen, or a fearless adult, you will enjoy something at Schlitterbahn.  They have waterslides, tube rides, lazy rivers, wave pools, rapids and much more.

While at first-glance the ticket prices seem a little steep, there are many other options available to make it a more affordable family-fun day – be sure to check online promotions or the combo packs.  Also, the rate includes some items that are not typically included at other waterparks or amusement parks – free parking, free tubes, free lifejackets and picnics are welcome inside the Park!  That’s right you can bring in your own food and drinks.  Now mind you, you cannot bring in your own alcoholic beverages, but they do have a swim up bar available for those fearless adults!

Schlitterbahn Kansas CityThe park area is very spread out, with most of the rides either side of park, with the “Kristal River” in between them.  Be ready to walk or float a long distance from one side of the park to the other.  The river and waterways connect to make a big circle around the park.  The rides are fun and some are daring and just a little bit scary. My daughter’s favorite ride was the “Twister.”   The “Twister” is one of three attractions on top of “Tornado Alley.”  She really like the “Cyclone” as well.   She felt that the mat rides were the most fun in general.  I really enjoyed the beach.  It is small but a little more relaxing than any other place in the park!    The “Lazy River” was anything but lazy, since many of the rides feed into the river the pace is faster than what you would expect while floating.

There are plenty of picnic areas available and you can stake out your claim if you arrival early enough.  There are also many food options available in the park to choose from.

All in all, we really enjoyed our time at Schlitterbahn Waterpark Kansas City and plan to make a family day of it at least once each summer.  I am glad Schlitterbahn is a new addition to the Kansas City Metro attractions.  I look forward to exploring it again as it grows and more rides and attractions are added.

~Mindy

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