End Of Summer Road Trips from Kansas City

July 21, 2016 - Mama 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RoadTripOil #CollectiveBias

Summer may be almost over, but there's still plenty of time to sneak in a little last-minute road trip. If you're from the Kansas City area, there are a ton of nearby options for places to travel, so you can sneak in that family bonding time before back to school hits. #RoadTripOil [ad]

I cannot even handle the fact that we’re over halfway through summer. I mean, I looked at the calendar, and we have like… 3 weeks left of the pool being open for the year. As much as I’m looking forward to my fall favorites returning in just a few short weeks, I also know that I want to squeeze out every last drop of summer I can. It’s about this time of year every year that I itch to take a little road trip, a short end-of-summer vacation, a last hurrah before the fall returns and we remember that school is just around the corner… and when you’re from the Kansas City area, you’re incredibly blessed with tons of nearby places that are really awesome to visit, without having to go too horribly far for a last-minute road trip. That means it’s not too late to visit them now… just hop in the car and enjoy!

Top 10 Kansas City Fall Activities (For Families)

September 18, 2015September 17, 2015 - Mama 1 Comment

Looking for something awesome to do this fall in Kansas City? Here's the full list of the top 10 best things to do in Kansas City during the fall if you have a family or children! These are all family friendly and oh-so-fun, so start tackling your Fall Bucket List now!

It is no secret that I absolutely love Kansas City. Everything about living here is so great– it seems like the best of all worlds with it’s small town feel and big city thrill, the fantastic weather (we are so lucky to experience all four seasons, including this beautiful fall weather that we’ve already gotten a taste of this year)… just everything. So whether you’re from here, or you’re just visiting this fall, there is plenty to do if you have a family– from animals to pumpkins and everything in between, this list has you covered with all of the coolest things to do in KC this fall– both on specific weekends and all autumn long. It’s your ultimate Kansas City Fall Bucket List!

Our ASTC Journey: Visiting the Discovery Center of Springfield

April 2, 2015April 1, 2015 - Mama 1 Comment

If you're traveling with kids, a membership to an ASTC affiliated children's museum is a great idea-- admission transfers to over 300 museums world-wide, including the Discovery Center of Springfield in Springfield, Missouri. This great museum has some wonderful hands-on activities for kids, making it the perfect field trip or summer activity. Here's an overview of some of the exciting exhibits!

Awhile ago, I mentioned Zach and I’s plan to use our Union Station membership, which is part of the ASTC Passport program, to visit other ASTC-affiliated museums. We recently had the opportunity to visit the Discovery Center of Springfield in Springfield, Missouri, which had some incredible hands-on exhibits for children. The entire four-story museum is filled with great activities for kids to enjoy, and we couldn’t wait to share our trip with you!

Kansas City Crown Center Staycation Guide: Day 2

November 3, 2014November 2, 2014 - Mama Leave a comment

If you tuned in last Wednesday, you saw a glimpse at the first day of our Crown Center staycation, where I reviewed the Sheraton Crown Center and shared why we love Minsky’s so much. I also talked about why the pool deck of the Sheraton has, hands-down, the best sunset view in Kansas City.

But the first day was hardly the only exciting thing about our awesome staycation. Day two had a lot of really exciting things in store, including Sea Life Aquarium, Legoland Discovery Center, and Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant!

Kansas City Crown Center Staycation Guide: Day 1

October 29, 2014 - Mama Leave a comment

Though I haven’t lived too far south of the metro for most of my life, and while I have been to Crown Center and seen a few of the sites and activities at one time or another, there was still plenty I was missing out on. For the longest time, I was spending my vacation time, energy, and money outside of my own city, trying to see other places. Then I got it through my thick skull that I needed a vacation, pronto. When a local homeschooling week offer came across my inbox, I knew I needed to take the leap and plan a Crown Center vacation for my little one, whether or not we went during that week. There was just way too much family-friendly stuff for us to miss out on Crown Center!

Our staycation started on a Monday afternoon when we first arrived at Crown Center. We were staying at the Sheraton Crown Center in Kansas City. The Sheraton hotel is one of two hotels that connects directly to Crown Center, which is really convenient– you park once and that’s all you have to do the entire time, since you can essentially walk wherever you’d like to go.

I will note that, regardless of what anyone might tell you when you book your hotel, the parking is $16 per night. I’d initially been informed that it was $16 for the duration of the stay, so I wasn’t a happy camper. However, the Sheraton worked really hard to make it right, which was awesome of them. You’ll also want to note that when driving to the Sheraton, the parking garage has the address of the Sheraton on it, not the Sheraton hotel name– I drove past it three times looking for a parking garage that said “Sheraton.” Oops. Keep an eye out for the garage and you can’t miss it, but if you’re expecting a clearly marked Sheraton garage, you’ll run into problems like I did.

At the front desk, I talked to the really awesome desk attendant, who actually happens to be from the small town right next to mine. Because Sheraton internet is $10 each night, I asked if there was anything he could do for me there, and he was able to waive that fee– the point there is that it never hurts to ask for an upgrade or a special something thrown in when you’re checking into a hotel. When I had booked my room, they actually had me on a lower floor, but when I got there, he was quick to tell me that another room on a higher floor was available, and we were moved up to the 28th floor! Zach loved looking at the amazing view from our window, and watching all of the buses drive by. I’m so glad we were able to stay on the 28th floor, because one of the best parts of our stay was the incredible view.

Even though an SPG rewards account can’t guarantee you upgrades, getting one is a great idea, because it’s free, and if you stay at any of the Starwood Preferred Group hotels (including Sheraton, Westin, and many others), you’ll earn points for your stays that can be redeemed for free nights or even airline miles– it’s worth joining the club!

Finally, the desk attendant also asked us if we’d like to forgo housekeeping. If you’re making a short stay, it’s a wise choice– you’ll get a voucher for $5 off at the hotel restaurants if you do! To me, if I’m staying just a couple of nights, I’m fine using the same towels and sheets. How many of us really change our towels and sheets every night at home? Housekeeping on a two night stay just isn’t necessary for me, and saving $5 is awesome!

For dinner, we decided to order Minsky’s Pizza. Our thought process was essentially that we wanted affordable pizza that would deliver to our hotel, and Minsky’s did just that. Plus, I’d read some good reviews online, and Minsky’s has the distinction of being rated Kansas City’s Best Pizza since 1976– no small feat! While there were definitely other pizza places that delivered to our hotel with a wider variety of options (like a pizza/deli that had cake!), Minsky’s was by far the most affordable choice, and it’s high rating for gourmet pizza made it a must-try. For around $30 including tax, tip, and delivery, we got a large cheese pizza, a good sized order of breadsticks, and some breaded mushrooms. Not bad!

One thing to note that threw me a bit was that even if they ask for your room number on the phone, Sheraton does not allow the pizza delivery to go up to your room (it’s a safety concern). You’ll need to meet them in the lobby, so be ready– they call when they’re approaching and you head down to pick it up. I was totally unaware of this (because I’d stayed in other hotels where pizza deliveries go right to your room), so I wanted to share this detail.

Because the Sheraton has a mini fridge in-room, we were able to save leftovers for a midnight snack. We are a big fan of bringing our own snacks and breakfast foods along to cut down on the expenses that room service incurs (the Sheraton doesn’t have a complementary breakfast, but there is complementary bottled water and coffee in your room!), so we paired our pizza with grapes we had brought along.

After dinner, we decided to head over for a swim. The Sheraton has an outdoor pool, but it’s heated, meaning even when it’s chilly, you are able to go for a swim. To get to the pool, you need to go down to the Mezzanine level from your room, then go across a walkway and over to a small, gold elevator. That will then take you up to the health club, where you can take the stairs or another elevator up to the key-access pool. If you get lost, the front desk is always happy to give directions as to which elevators to take and where they’re at.

One unique feature of the pool is the little tunnel– there’s an area where you can enter the pool indoors (no larger than a hot tub) and then swim out through a tunnel. In the cooler months, it helps you get adjusted to the water before hitting the cool air, and allows you to exit and enter in a heated room instead of the cold breeze. Plus, what kids don’t love swimming through a short tunnel? My big recommendation with the pool is to visit around sunset. Whether or not you choose to swim, the pool deck is the best place to watch the sunset– it’ll set just past Union Station, giving you an amazing view. We loved watching sunset over Union Station from the pool– it’s the perfect viewing place! Because the pool is open from 5am until 10pm, there are plenty of hours in the day for a dip in the pool.

I will note that, when we returned from the pool, we had thought we’d watch a little TV before bed. There’s very little children’s programming on the hotel TV, so if that’s part of your routine, I’d suggest just bringing some books to read or a device like we did, so we could Netflix on our Kindle. There is PBS, but that programming ends around 5 or 6pm, and then there’s Nick, but that programming ends fairly early before switching to Nick at Night, also, so definitely plan to bring a backup plan for kiddos.

Overall, we had a wonderful experience at the Sheraton hotel, and definitely plan to stay there again the next time we’re in Kansas City. I’m also a huge fan of Minsky’s pizza now, and can’t wait until I’m able to grab those breaded mushrooms again– yum!

Stay tuned to hear more about our staycation adventure, with reviews of other great Crown Center hot spots like Legoland, Sea Life Aquarium, and Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant!

Alabama’s Best Kept Secret: The Beach Destination You Should Know About

July 2, 2014January 20, 2016 - Mama 6 Comments

I don’t think Alabama necessarily intends to keep their best-kept beach getaway a secret, but somehow, it’s quiet, hidden under the shuffle. In fact, it’s so calm and perfect there that I almost didn’t want to share it. After all, if I spill the beans and let you know about my favorite beach vacation, what’s to keep you all from rushing there? But then I realized that a good beach vacation spot is just too good not to share.

For being a secret, Dauphin Island really isn’t too much of a secret at all. After all, it recently ranked in the top 8 Southern Islands You Should Be Visiting This Summer by Huffington Post and that isn’t it’s first time receiving a similar nod. But somehow, tucked away between Florida beaches and the Orange Beach/Gulf Shores area that everyone’s familiar with, Dauphin Island is the perfect quiet getaway, especially for families.

After nearly a decade of summer vacations spent at Dauphin Island, I’ve made a list of the absolute most important things to do, see, and enjoy on the Island, as well as a few reminders that the best part of the island is the fact that you can just sit and relax.

20 Can’t-Miss Vacation Photo Opportunities, Plus Tips for Vacation Photography No Matter Your Destination

June 4, 2014 - Mama 5 Comments

With summer vacations coming up, it’s so easy to get caught up in the planning that you miss out on capturing those memories. Of course, you don’t want to spend so much of your trip behind a camera that you forget to actually enjoy it, but there are a few photos that you should definitely take time to snap, whether it’s with your DSLR or you’re Instagramming it!

Louisburg Apple Cider and Lost Trail Root Beer Doughnut Cookies

October 9, 2013January 21, 2017 - Mama 3 Comments

While at the Cider Mill in Louisburg, I couldn’t help but pick up their famous Lost Trail Rootbeer and Louisburg Apple Cider. But really, there are some amazing things you can do with those two drinks. Other than, you know, drinking them.

And that’s where doughnut cookies come in. They’re not doughnuts. But they’re also not totally cookies. They’re like… if doughnuts and cookies had a baby. A sweet, sweet, delicious baby.

The best part is the two different varieties, meaning there is a little something for everyone.

For the Apple Cider Doughnut Cookies….

For a richer taste, you may want to sub in the Maple flavor of Pillsbury Funfetti Lil Doughnuts, but I had the vanilla on hand. They’d both fit perfectly with apple, so it just depends on the flavor you’re looking for.

When you open the boxed mix, set aside the funfetti sprinkles and the glaze mix. You won’t need them for this recipe, so save them for another treat or discard them. The reserved glaze mix and sprinkles are PERFECT on pancakes or waffles!

Prepare the doughnut mix according to package directions, but instead of using water, substitute an equal amount of Louisburg Apple Cider! Basically, ditch the water, add the cider.

Dice up 1-2 small apples, then fold them into your doughnut dough.

Also prepare some cinnamon sugar. Most people have a specific preference for their cinnamon sugar ratio, so just prepare it however you like best. You’ll need enough to roll about 24 doughnuts.

Roll your doughnuts into balls. If you find that the dough is a little sticky, you can spray your hands with a slight mist of cooking spray, and they’ll be fine.

Then, roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place them on a greased baking sheet an inch or two apart. Bake according to package directions, but check them about 2 minutes before the package says they’re done. As oven temps and times may vary, these could finish a minute or two early, or they could finish right on time.

These are best served warm, fresh out of the oven, with a large glass of hot Louisburg Apple Cider!

The Lost Trail Root Beer Chocolate Cherry Doughnut Cookies are also easy!

Start with your Lost Trail Root Beer and Pillsbury Funfetti Chocolate Lil Doughnut Mix! You’ll also need 1 can of your favorite cherry pie filling.

Set the sprinkles aside– you won’t need them for this recipe, but can use them for a different project or discard them.

Start by preparing the mix according to package directions. However, instead of the listed amount of water, use 4 Tablespoons Lost Trail Root Beer and 2 Tablespoons water.

Shape your dough into balls. Then, using a spoon or your thumb, press a slight dent into each doughnut cookie.

Fill each little dent with a cherry, then bake the doughnut cookies according to package directions. Check on them a few minutes before the end just to make sure you don’t overbake them.

While your doughnut cookies bake, prepare your glaze. For the listed milk content, substitute with half milk, half Lost Trail Root Beer. Once mixed, add a teaspoon full of the cherry pie filling (trying not to get any cherries in the glaze!)

When the doughnut cookies are done, allow them to cool for two minutes, then spoon glaze on each doughnut cookie.

Serve the doughnut cookies with ice cold Lost Trail Root Beer straight out of the bottle (or in a frosty mug!)

If you’re in the Kansas City area and can’t make it out to the mill, you should be able to find Louisburg Apple Cider and Lost Trail Root Beer at many local retailers. However, if you’re outside of the Kansas City Area, you can order online at www.louisburgcidermill.com or request a catalog. You can also substitute your favorite apple cider or root beer, but I prefer the taste of Louisburg Cider and Lost Trail Root Beer for my doughnut cookies!

Let me know what you think in the comments below! Which doughnut cookie do YOU think looks best?

A Trip to Louisburg Cider Mill

September 27, 2013 - Mama 3 Comments

Growing up in Kansas, the fall gets a bit chilly, with winter following after, and during those seasons, hot apple cider is a necessity. However, I just so happened to win hometown jackpot in that I grew up only about 15 minutes away from the absolute best cider mill, Louisburg Cider Mill. Family owned since 1977, it’s been a part of my entire life, and I was able to get a personal tour of the mill recently. I was shocked to see exactly how much had been added since I was last able to make a trip out there, making it a perfect field trip for Zach, and even Jeffrey.

Greeted by a simple sign proclaiming “Fresh Apple Cider” as I turned off of 68 Highway, I honestly felt flashbacks to childhood. I didn’t realize, though, that a lot had changed at this family-run business, and a lot of that was thanks to Clea, my tour guide for the day. Before I got to the Apple Cider Mill I knew and loved, I was directed to the other half of the Louisburg Cider Mill– the pumpkin patch and corn maze.

Just past the metal sign welcoming you to the patch is a family-friendly fall wonderland, made of pumpkins and bonfires and really fun homemade playsets, which were designed with the intention that families could borrow a lot of the playset ideas for home.

For $8 (or nothing, if you’re under the age of 3), you get access to all of this, and then some. Tires, a hay fort, the corn maze, pallet maze, wagon ride…. all of it.

I think Zach’s favorite part was the pallet maze, which was bright and exciting. Inside of the maze are some super secret letters. Find all of them, unscramble them on an entry form, and you could win a $25 gift card to the country store! Fun, AND educational. The giant corn maze (10 acres!) also has a word puzzle hidden inside.

Speaking of the corn maze… it’s a scarecrow this year. Isn’t he cute?

While there, we got greeted by some friendly little guys, but this one was a bit rude– he stuck his tongue out at us!

The funny thing about a pumpkin patch in Kansas is that, many times, you have to kind of search for a pumpkin at the beginning of the season. Even though there are 10 acres of patch, and there are gobs of pumpkins, large and small, to be picked, we haven’t had a frost yet, which means all of those green vines are intact. Once the frost hits, the vines die out, and the pumpkins gather at the base of the fallen vines, becoming a sea of orange.

I never realized how many things that the Cider Mill had to offer on the patch side. The wagon ride takes about 15 minutes and brings you all around the property, including past the witches’ house (which, I’ll let you in on a little secret, isn’t a witches house at all, but the home that the owners of the Cider Mill used to occupy). New this year is a huge jump pillow, which looks like an absolute blast (for an additional $2). The admission fee gives you access to everything so you can take your time exploring and playing, and with it being open until 10pm, there’s plenty of playtime to be had. You’re even able to bring a flashlight and go through the corn maze at night, until close– spooky! Many weekends, they light up the big bonfires and play live music on the stage, so it’s a perfect way to get the family out for a great night under the stars, next to a cozy fire. It even makes a really romantic date night. You can check out all of the live music dates on the Louisburg Cider Mill website.

Of course, pumpkins and mazes aren’t all the Cider Mill has to offer. They also, obviously, have cider. And, the pumpkins you see there are the pumpkins you can purchase if you don’t feel like taking a trip over to the patch to pick one yourself. Believe it or not, this barn was once just a neglected hay barn that was over 120 years old. In 1977, it was restored, and that fall, they bottled a jug of cider for the first time in that barn. It didn’t take much time after that for the cider to become hugely popular in the area, which led to a second barn being purchased from a neighbor, then assembled right near the old one to make the country store.

An operation that first started out of the barn in small batches has become a huge operation for the owners of the Cider Mill, with apples coming in by the truckload getting washed and turned into fresh cider. All of the apples come from orchards in Kansas and Missouri, a blend of Jonathan, Red Delicious, and Golden Delicious apples in 1,000lb bins.

The clean apples move up a conveyor belt into the barn for processing.

The conveyor belt leads them into the blademill, cutting the apples into pomace, which is a raw apple sauce.

From there, pomace is pushed through a cider press, squeezing the juice out of it for cider.

The cider is pushed through a rotating filter screen which finishes making sure all of the apple bits are out and it’s just cider. It’s then cooled in a cooling tank to 38 degrees. Once it gets cold enough, it goes to a bottling room to be filled into jugs.

Like these! Which can be found in the Country Store and also in grocery stores all across the metro, and even beyond that.

So what happens to the apple pomace and the rest of the apple-y goodness? Well, it’s turned into apple butter! And anything leftover from that goes to compost or cattle feed, meaning the entire apple is used, with little waste.

After exploring everything, I knew we couldn’t leave without stopping in the Country Store near the barn.

We each ate an apple cider doughnut, fresh made (they stopped making them for the morning literally minutes before we bought ours, so they were extra fresh!), and of course, a cup of fresh apple cider.

Needless to say, we’re all big fans of the cider doughnuts.

Nearly everything that isn’t made on-site at the Cider Mill is purchased locally, including the apples, and many of the preserves found in the Country Store. However, a good chunk of the products are made right there on the site, like the pumpkin and apple butters.

The cider isn’t the only claim to fame that Louisburg Cider Mill has, either. They’re also known for Lost Trail Root Beer, which I remember being the only root beer that our local BBQ joint, K&M, would serve. It was always so special to sip root beer out of a glass bottle; it’s something I still enjoy to this day. It’s microbrewed and made from an original formula that the great-great grandfather of one of the owners of the mill encountered while on the trail; an excerpt of his journal entry about the root beer is printed on the bottles still.

Honestly, you can’t beat a trip to the Louisburg if you’re looking for a fun thing to do with your family. It’s not that far from the Kansas City Metro, less than half an hour, and it’s worth every minute.

Looking for a reason to head out that way? The annual CiderFest is this weekend, September 30-October 1, and the following weekend, October 5-6. CiderFest is a free event and craft fair with plenty of exciting booths to explore. They also always have fresh, hot apple cider doughnuts and their famous cider for sale the entire weekend.

If you don’t live near the KC area and want to find out more about Louisburg Cider Mill or buy things like their Cider Doughnut mix so you can make your own Cider Doughnuts at home, you can order online at louisburgcidermill.com.

They do offer school tours and tours for homeschooling groups if you contact them in advance to schedule a trip out there. It’s an amazing educational opportunity for fall, and fits perfectly with an apple-themed unit study.

Want to see more photos of my trip to the Louisburg Cider Mill? Be sure to LIKE my Facebook page, over in the sidebar!

We Live For It

August 3, 2012 - Mama 4 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWmzNKugwHs]

My family takes that video pretty seriously. Whenever a Sporting Kansas City game is on television, we’re glued to the screen. If I were able to be at every single home game, or better, every single game, I would be. That’s why, when my family was given the opportunity to tour Livestrong Sporting Park, home of the team I love the most, we jumped on the opportunity.

Livestrong Sporting Park is the first, and right now, the only, major league stadium in the state of Kansas. All of Kansas City’s other major league stadiums fall on the Missouri side. But that’s not the only thing that makes Livestrong Sporting Park special. When LSP was built, it was made in partnership with Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong foundation, and over the course of the next six years, over $7.5 million dollars will be donated. You see, every time you purchase anything there, from merchandise to food, you’ll be helping support cancer research in association with Livestrong.

One of my favorite places in the stadium is the Member’s Club. After a win, hundreds of fans flood the Member’s Club for an all-out party, cheering, hooping, and hollering about our win, and singing the chants that express our love for the team. It’s in this club where you feel less like fans and more like a family.

One of my favorite features of the Member’s Club is the scarf wall. If you’re not familiar with soccer, you’ll need to know that instead of baseball caps for baseball, or jerseys for hockey, Stadium Scarves are the item to have at a soccer game. After the game, it’s traditional that fans will trade stadium scarves. For example, if we play Chicago, then after the game, I could chat up a Chicago fan, and we could trade scarves. The teams also trade scarves, which is where they got such an extensive display of scarves not only from the MLS teams, but from around the world.

From the Member’s Club, you can enter the Cauldron, which is arguably one of the loudest, rowdiest fan supporters in Major League Soccer. On many occasions, it’s been said that they are the 12th man of the team, intimidating the other team and supporting our own players so much. When the stadium first opened, the Cauldron was the only one who knew the chants and cheers of the stadium, but surely after a few games, the chants spread like wildfire, and now the entire stadium lights up with song at the games, starting with the legendary “I believe that we will win” chant, and not stopping until full time.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Sl4qTSwjh4]

Even the players recognize I Believe That We Will Win as the chant that really exemplifies the fan spirit, but each and every cheer for the team gets the players and the fans even more pumped up.

The Cauldron has a great view of the field, as well, overlooking the entire stadium. They are right there behind our goalkeeper for half of the game.

When the stadium was first built, there were 400 season ticket holders. The stadium was built to accommodate 18,467 seats, with additional space for standing room, and when I first got into soccer, there was a little bit of question as to whether or not it would really ever get filled. Kansas City had a very small, but very loyal fan base. In the second season at Livestrong Sporting Park this year, there are 12,000 season ticketholders, and almost every game ends up being standing room only.

On one wall of the stadium, you can see some of the championships that the team has won. In addition to the team being award-winning, though, the stadium is also an award winner.

Just this year, Sporting Club received four awards for Livestrong Sporting Park. First, the Venue of the Year award, which they beat out many other incredible stadiums to win, including the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in China. The CEO of Sporting KC, Robb Heineman, was awarded the Executive of the Year award. It won the Community Award, beating out Miller Park in Milwaukee. And, most importantly, in my opinion, they won the Product Innovation Award for something called Fan360.

Fan360 is an incredible fan experience, starting with a very technologically advanced park. Because of the multiple wifi routers, they have made it so that every fan in the stadium, all 20,000 of them, can actively be using their cell phones at once, for calling, checking in to the stadium with things like 4square, Tweeting, updating their facebook statuses, or whatever else they would do, and not a single call would be dropped or connection lost. In addition, the stadium is state of the art, allowing fans to easily interact with the stadium and with each other.

While we were at the stadium, we had a chance to sit in the very seats that the players sit in on game day. These seats are the same seats you would find in a Ferrari. I loved that my shirt matched the seats perfectly!

Right after sitting in the seats, we headed through the doors to the Field Club. It is a beautiful room off right off of the field, and it’s open to anyone who is sitting in a specific set of seats in the stadium (the average cost of those seats? $3,000 per game, and they’re sold out for the rest of the season and next season… popular place!)

This is also where the team prepares to head on the field before the game, with their young soccer buddies. Each player from the teams, home and away, walks onto the field with a child, and before the game they give the children words of encouragement, ask them about school and about sports, and really talk to that child one-on-one.

Right off of the field club is the interview room, where the coach and a few players talk to the media after the game. This air conditioned room stays very cold, but then again, if you had just finished playing a soccer game in 115 degree weather, wouldn’t you want a very cold room?

Our next stop on our tour of Livestrong Sporting Park was the locker room. I was so excited to get to take a peek inside the room, because I really feel like this is where players get amped up for the game. Each player has their own chair and locker space. The table in the middle is where they put their laundry (SKC has a kit man who takes care of the laundry, and he has a pretty funny twitter account). Like the chairs outside, these are also very expensive chairs from a sports car, and each chair has it’s own power source so players can plug in their iPod before the game and chill out, getting in the zone for the game. So who has the best and worst taste in music in the locker room? The players talked about that very subject on the Sporting KC Youtube channel.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On7JVQCU8ZY]

While the jersey for the great Jimmy “Puma” Nielsen and many of the other starting players’ jerseys were not there, there was one very special jersey I was excited to see…

Michael Thomas is one of my favorite players at the moment, and one of several hometown heroes on our team. There are five players from the Kansas City area on the team, and I love each and every one of them. He’s also one of the newest players on the team, and he went to school literally 15 minutes away from me. Too cool!

Before the game the players are only allowed to drink water or Gatorade. At half time, they have access to a smoothie station where they can get a smoothie tailored to their specific needs. If they feel a cramp coming on, they can have a smoothie with extra potassium. Are they needing to re-hydrate? There’s a specific recipe they can get for that, too!

The training room is another place that is crucial to the team, considering it’s where the players go when they need healing or relief. There are massage tables lined up so after a game the guys can get a massage and relieve the tense muscles. Ice baths and whirlpools are available to the team, and there’s even an on-site pharmacy in case anything happens. Players have to be kept at peak physical performance, and the training room is the best location for them to work on that.

From the Field Club level, we were able to go up to the Signature, Executive, and Shield club areas. Each of them has it’s own specific type of accommodations. In the signature level, there are suites available to rent out. Each suite in the Signature Level is controlled by it’s own iPad, and each has it’s own refrigerator. On nice evenings, the entire suite walls can be opened so you can enjoy the fresh air as you watch the game. The refrigerators are fully stocked with adult beverages, sodas, and water, and if you start to run low, all you have to do is order more via the iPad; it will be restocked, on average, within three minutes. If you have a Signature Level suite, not only can you use that on game day (they’re rented by the season rather than by the game), but you also have access to it any time for business meetings and more… you just have to give a little bit of advanced notice and you can head right into your own suite.

The Executive Level is very similar to the Signature Level, but there is one very important, special difference on that level.

Lance Armstrong, the founder of Livestrong, has a special reserved seat that he is welcome to use whenever he’d like. It’s the same sort of chair that the players sit in, but this time, his own seat is in Livestrong’s signature yellow color. The seat is the seventh seat from the end in it’s row, one seat over for each Tour de France Lance Armstrong has won. While Lance has not made it out to the park yet this season, there is talk that he will be coming in the fall. When the seat isn’t in use by Lance Armstrong himself, a special person is honored at each game with a chance to watch the game from Lance Armstrong’s seat.

Also on this level is the owners’ personal wine collection, including a very special gift. The bottle with the red leather around it was a gift from the German Bundesliga as a congratulations gift on the opening of the new stadium.

As the tour continued, we left the Executive Level and went to the Shield Club.

I feel like the ceiling is one of the coolest features of this part of the stadium. I seriously just love it.

Also in the Shield Club, there is a very unique painting. Last year, the MLS Super Draft was held in Kansas City. Each new player who was drafted was asked to go to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art to collaborate on this piece. Each of them dipped their toes into paint and touched them on the canvas. It is a very interesting piece of art, and you’d never know that it was done with their toes until you’re told.

The stadium is simply incredible. It’s beautiful, and fully-equipped. There are 370 televisions in the stadium, and the Members’ Club has 30 of them. Need to use the restroom? If you’re in the Executive or Signature areas, even the restrooms have televisions!

Every television, light, camera, wifi connection, or anything else is controlled entirely from an iPad. Essentially, if you were sitting over in the Cauldron cheering, if you were using that iPad, you could be turning the lights on and off in the Executive Level bathroom. You could literally be anywhere in that stadium and controlling everything.

Another unique thing about Sporting Kansas City? All of the owners, the builders of the stadium, and the designers who designed it are all from Kansas City. It’s the only entirely locally-owned team in Kansas City.

And, each of the five areas I told you about today (Member’s Club, Field Club, Executive Club, Signature Club, and Shield Club) can be rented out for wedding receptions and private parties.

Honestly, if you haven’t been out for a Sporting Kansas City game yet, I don’t know what’s stopping you. There are many great chances to check out Livestrong Sporting Park, whether you’re experiencing the roar of the fans at a Sporting Kansas City game, or headed to a concert, it is definitely the new hottest venue in Kansas City.

Want to see for yourself? Check out tickets to the Journey and Pat Benatar Concert here, find out about booking space for your upcoming event here, or, my favorite option, support your Kansas City team by getting tickets, single game or season, here.

And, there’s one very, VERY important event coming up for Sporting Kansas City.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frFYUyDFKXc]

This video from earlier in the season talks about how Sporting KC was on their path to the US Open Cup Final Game… and it’s here. We’ve made it, and there’s only two teams left vying for the cup.

August 8, the Cup comes to Kansas City for a final game. I only have one thing to say about it…

I believe that we will win.

Mama Plus One

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