Seasons greetings, all!  Dottie here, and once again I’ve found a fabulous family outing to get you all in the holiday spirit.  This past Saturday I loaded up my family and headed back in time to experience Christmas in the 1800s.  Mom, Dad, kids, and even Grandma and Grandpa loaded into the van and took a short ride to the oldest home in Wyandotte County- The Grinter Place Historical Site.  What a home it is.  Built by bricks made on the property and overlooking theKansas River, the house is an amazing example of the ingenuity of our early ancestors.  It is a treat to tour the home on any given day, but the holidays offer a special experience.

For the holiday season, the Grinter house is beautifully adorned in Christmas decorations that fit the time period. Garlanddrapes the beautiful staircase while stately Christmas trees appear on both floors.  The grand balcony in the front of the house is also decorated with fresh pine and offers a beautiful view of the river.

Adding to the festive feel is the presence of Santa, a string ensemble playing Christmas tunes, and the smell of holiday baking wafting throughout the home.  My family and I enjoyed the warmth of the kitchen as we sampled apple fritters and corn bread prepared fresh with the home’s working wood-burning stove.  On top of the stove sat a crock of homemade wassail, which was perfect for washing down the delectable treats.

Every time I go to the Grinter Place, I end up being impressed, and this time was no exception.  The staff and curator of the museum definitely know how to entertain, and my dad could not stop talking about what a great experience it was for him.  Dad’s not from the Wyandotte County area, and the Grinter Place made me proud to show off my stomping grounds. The Christmas event is a once a year event, but the Grinter Place has many other seasonal events that you can impress your friends and family with.  You can find more information about this and other attractions at www.VisitKansasCityKS.com.

As for me, I plan to make this special Christmas event a holiday tradition for my family. I’ll see you there!

-Dottie

Hi, all.  Dottie here, with another great holiday activity for you and your family.  Early Saturday morning I awoke my family amidst grumbles and protests, but the mood changed quickly when I reminded them we were heading to Breakfast with Santa at T-Rex Café.  

Although the weather was frightful, the atmosphere inside T-Rex was definitely delightful, as we stepped into Christmas cheer- Pre-historic style.  After receiving a raffle ticket, we were shown to our seats in front of the giant shark tank where we saw to our amazement, Santa in diving gear feeding the fish!  The jolly employees took our picture in front of the tank and then let us go feast on the breakfast buffet. 

The food was fantastic.  The buffet included chocolate chip or regular pancakes, French toast, sausage, eggs, bacon, donuts, muffins, hash browns, and fruit.  As if that wasn’t enough, there was also a made-to-order omelet bar, which my husband and I took advantage of.  While we were eating, Santa finished up in the shark tank, dried off with his “Magic Towel,” and came around to the tables to greet each family.  My kids were thrilled to shake Santa’s hand.

After indulging in the all you can eat buffet, we headed over to the craft station where my son enjoyed making a snowman ornament.  When he finished, he was able to go see Santa again, this time one-on-one, where he whispered to Santa what he hopes to see in his stocking this Christmas. 

Since we also received a coupon for merchandise with our experience, I had to head over to the gift shop area.  My daughter and I enjoyed the humor of some of the dinosaur t-shirts, and with a coupon, who could resist?  We picked up a couple and promised my husband that they would be Christmas gifts for us.  He had better wrap them soon, or I will be sporting mine this week! 

My family and I left T-Rex full of great food and holiday joy.  If you are looking for a family event to kick start your holidays, I highly recommend Breakfast with Santa at T-Rex Café.  The admission of $12.99 per adult and $7.99 per children over 2 years old includes the buffet, raffle tickets, crafts, visit with Santa, and the 25% off coupon.  The experience we had was well worth the price.  Make your own reservations for upcoming dates (December 10, 11, 17, and 18th) at 913-334-8888.  I’ll see you there!

-Dottie

Hi, all.  Dottie here again, and I am feeling the holiday spirit, thanks to my recent visit to the Legend’s Moonlight Magic event.  Yes, for the first time ever, I participated in Black Friday.  I have always tried to avoid the chaos of the annual shopping frenzy, but I must say, the Legends offered a relaxed, festive atmosphere- not the crazed dash for merchandise that I’ve heard about. 

My husband and I arrived early enough that we were able to park fairly close, but for those arriving late, the Legends provides valet parking for the season.  For a mere $5 per vehicle, you can pull up near Stix or Yardhouse every Friday through Sunday and leave the stress of parking to someone else.  You can even text them when you are close to the end of your shopping experience to have your car warm and waiting for you when you are ready to leave.  Beginning December 12th through the 24th, this service is available daily. 

I started Moonlight Magic off with a cup of Scooter’s hot chocolate.  That was enough to put me in the Christmas spirit, but the 45 foot tree, the music and light show, and the enormous holiday wreaths added to the cheer.  It was a bit cold, but I warmed up by ducking into my favorite shops for some shopping.  Charming Charlie’s was a popular spot, as were other newer retailers such as Under Armor and J.Crew.  The old standbys, such as Old Navy, were also hopping.  I was able to complete part of my Christmas shopping, all the while experiencing festive attitudes from employees and fellow customers alike.

The Legends is also offering some exiting things for those of you who love technology.  They have a new text-to-win promotion where you have a chance to win a $500 shopping spree by texting “shopper” to 77950 each week through December 24th.  They also have a new mobile app available on iphone and Android phones, where you can check your Legends gift card balances, redeem digital coupons, or access specials. Simply search “Legends Outlets” to take advantage of the offer. 

Of course, let’s not forget visits with Santa. Take your kids (or yourself) to Books a Million on December 3rd, 10th, and 17th, to visit the jolly old man.  Or, if you’re hungry, you can also see Santa at T-Rex’s Breakfast with Santa event Saturdays beginning December 3, and running every Saturday through December 18th.  Reservations are required.

With over 100 stores and restaurants, I was unable to visit every place, but you can be sure I will return many times over the holiday season.  The atmosphere, the bargains, and the variety of options at the Legends make this my favorite place to go for holiday shopping.  I’ll see you there! 

-Dottie

Hi, all.  Dottie here.  As the end of summer approaches and that “back to school” feeling is in the air, I decided it was a great time to give my family a little history lesson.  If you’ve been following me, you know that I have been to many fascinating historical sites and museums right here in Kansas City, but for those of you who are visiting our city and would like to try a quick day trip, you should check out the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial.  Within a short drive from our fantastic hotels, the museum offers a few hours of educational entertainment for all ages.

We started our tour by checking out the 217 foot tower on the Liberty Memorial Deck.  A quick ride up the elevator positions you to take in a panoramic view of the Kansas City skyline.  The sphinxes on the deck are also quite interesting, and symbolize the horrors of the war as well as the unseen future. 

Our next stop was the glass bridge inside the building.  The kids were thrilled to walk over the glass bridge, which spans a field of poppies which represent lives lost in the war.  Our history lesson began with a short but informative movie about WWI, and then we were able to walk through all of the exhibits, which span the years 1914-1919.  The many interactive tables, galleries full of objects from the war, and scenes set up with audio of soldiers make the museum not only educational, but also entertaining. The special exhibit was “Man & Machine: The German Soldier in WWI,” which featured various machines of the war.  The exhibition runs through 2011, but there are many other activities and special events coming up as well. 

Of course, our visit wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the museum store, which had reasonably priced souvenirs, and the museum café, where we bought candy bars that were popular during WWI.  All in all, we had a very enjoyable day at the WWI Museum and we plan on returning for their next exhibit.  I’ll see you there!

-Dottie

Hi everyone.  Dottie here, and I am once again venturing out a ways from Kansas City, Kansas.  Many people don’t realize it, but vacationing here in Kansas City provides ample opportunity to explore culture in two states.  If you visit or live in Kansas City, Kansas, you are just a short drive from a cultural icon known as 18^th and Vine in Kansas City, Mo.  My family and I visited the American Jazz Museum recently and were quite impressed with what the museum had to offer. 

We began our tour with a short film that educated us not only about jazz music in Kansas City, but also about how it tied into civil rights and helped formed the culture of 18^th and vine.  From there we went into the museum and enjoyed viewing the exhibits.  The museum is interesting and entertaining in itself, but we had the added pleasure of hearing stories from the well-informed staff as well.  As we stood in the Blue Room,  which is named after the famed 1930s Street Hotel Club in the 18^th & Vine District, we were entertained with stories about Charlie Parker and his connections to Kansas City. Listening to the curator tell his stories, it was obvious that he loves his job and his jazz.  He told his stories in such a way that I could envision being a part of them, and I left with a newfound appreciation of not only jazz music, but of the history of 18^th & Vine as well.

What I didn’t know about the museum is that it is much more than just a building where you can view exhibits.  Music lovers should know that on Fridays from 5:00-7:30 you can kick off your weekend with food, drinks, and local contemporary live music during the “Indigo Hour.” The Blue Room also offers live shows on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.  If you are lucky enough to be a talented musician yourself, you can even go to the weekly Blue Monday Jam and play along in a jam session.  The American Jazz Museum also offers headliner concerts and on October 8^th will be hosting the Rhythm & Ribs 18^th & Vine Jazz and Blues Fest with tickets as low as $10.  Ribs and music?  Sounds like the perfect combination to me!  I am so glad my family and I were able to experience the American Jazz Museum.  I didn’t realize we had such a rich cultural experience just a short drive down the interstate.  I am looking forward to going back to enjoy more of what Historic 18^th & Vine has to offer.  I’ll see you there!

-Dottie