Hey Dorothy Look - It's Kansas! - IgoUgo Kansas City Journal

Crazy Weather!

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Sun Setting Over The Soccer Fields Photo - Kansas City, Kansas

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Several in our group did not make it to Kansas for the US Youth Soccer Association's (USYSA's) National Championships and Annual Membership Meeting due to severe weather and rains in Milwaukee. The flooding was disastrous making for very challenging travel. Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee was closed until 2:00pm due to the flood waters. I arrived the day before so I was ok, but to watch them using snow plows and blowers to clear the runways of the high water on the national news as a bit too surreal.Once in Kansas, it was sweltering hot and humid. The athletes had to be very careful to hydrate so as to not fall ill to heat stroke. During the week, games had water breaks throughout to ke...Read More

Several in our group did not make it to Kansas for the US Youth Soccer Association's (USYSA's) National Championships and Annual Membership Meeting due to severe weather and rains in Milwaukee. The flooding was disastrous making for very challenging travel. Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee was closed until 2:00pm due to the flood waters. I arrived the day before so I was ok, but to watch them using snow plows and blowers to clear the runways of the high water on the national news as a bit too surreal.

Once in Kansas, it was sweltering hot and humid. The athletes had to be very careful to hydrate so as to not fall ill to heat stroke. During the week, games had water breaks throughout to keep the players well. When I arrived at 5:00pm it was 98 degrees and I heard that evening that the heat index was 115 at 9:00pm. YIKES!

Saturday saw late afternoon thunderboomers with very vivid lightning. The championship games scheduled for that evening were delayed up to 90 minutes for the storms to pass through. Once the storms had ended, the skies were such a sight as the sun set behind the storm front. The games were all played under the lights without incident. Congrats to USYSA for a fantastic event!

Sunday was my departure day and I was so happy to see sunny, clear skies as the sun rose . . . and throughout my travel day. My flight was from Kansas City to Minneapolis, where the weather was equally beautiful. The skies were clear for the entire flight that pretty much followed I35 north, a drive I was very familiar with from our time living in Ames, IA. The farms and lakes below were visible for the entire flight.

Once in Minneapolis, I was connecting for my flight home to Milwaukee. From the skies approaching from the west from Madison, it was remarkable to see all of the standing water and what appeared to be creeks and rivers way over their banks. Flying over Muskego, I saw the Muskego Golf Course that looked to be completely under water.

It was very tragic to drive into my neighborhood and see all of the personal belongings out on the curb waiting pick up from homes that had flooded basements. People lost a lot of personal property during this unexpected flood storm. Hopefully the Federal Government and FEMA will help those who lost so much.

It's summer . . . and the weather's crazy!
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Cinzetti's Italian Market Restaurant

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Restaurant | "OMG Dining Experience"

Cinzetti's - Overland Park, KS Photo - Cinzetti's Italian Market Restaurant, Overland Park, Kansas

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In town for soccer meetings, our work group was in need of a dinner spot that would provide decent food in an atmosphere conducive to do some business too. The local host association (Kansas State Youth Soccer) suggested Cinzetti's to USYSA and it was perfect.We had a 6:30p reservation for eight and our small private dining area was ready upon our arrival. The restaurant has two or three very large dining areas but also has several of these little nook areas with tables suitable for private dining and meetings. For a little added privacy, there are hanging linen curtains.Cinzetti's is a buffet style Italian feast with 14 stations with a very eclectic assortment of salads, en...Read More

In town for soccer meetings, our work group was in need of a dinner spot that would provide decent food in an atmosphere conducive to do some business too. The local host association (Kansas State Youth Soccer) suggested Cinzetti's to USYSA and it was perfect.

We had a 6:30p reservation for eight and our small private dining area was ready upon our arrival. The restaurant has two or three very large dining areas but also has several of these little nook areas with tables suitable for private dining and meetings. For a little added privacy, there are hanging linen curtains.

Cinzetti's is a buffet style Italian feast with 14 stations with a very eclectic assortment of salads, entrees, appetizers and desserts. Much of what you might expect from an Italian restaurant, I was surprised by the BBQ ribs, although we are in Kansas where KC BBQ is famous.

As for my meal, I opted for a first course of fruit and salad (Caesar). For dinner I sampled the chicken cacciatore, a couple of fish filets, oven roasted potatoes, glazed carrots and calamari. Everything is prepared right there before you as chefs keep the pans and serving dishes fresh and hot. Other entree options included spaghetti, lasagna and pizza. There were also lots of veggies to choose from including a squash & zucchini medley and fried zucchini.

With dinner complete, the biggest decision may be what to have for dessert. Why choose just one is always my mantra so I sampled their Cioccolata Amore (rich chocolate brownie served warm with a chocolate drizzle), the rasberry crostata and a cannoli . . . all prepared fresh before your eyes as well.

They do have their menu posted on the website so check them out if you're curious about more dining selections.

I have to say as great as the food was, the most impressive thing was the price. During the week adults are just $14.29, with weekend pricing a dollar more. Seniors are $9.99 during the week and $11.99 on the weekends. Kids 12 and under dine free on Mondays & Tuesdays.

They do have a full service bar and without reservations you can expect a moderate wait. They also offer a full service catering for very reasonable prices; $9.25 to $11.25 depending on the entrées and menu selected.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on July 23, 2010

Cinzetti's Italian Market Restaurant
7201 W 91st Street
Overland Park, Kansas
(913) 642-0101

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Hereford House

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Restaurant | "Nice Dinner Among Soccer Friends"

Hereford House - Kansas City Photo - Hereford House, Kansas City, Missouri

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On our last night in Kansas, our little group from Wisconsin went out for dinner, looking for that legendary Kansas beef. We had been given several recommendations, but Hereford House seemed to fit the bill in terms of location, available reservations and close proximity to the soccer fields where we wanted to be by 7:30pm.We were immediately seated at our table which was in a semi-private area at the front of the restaurant that largely looked like an enclosed lanai. Our server was by promptly to take our beverage order. We also ordered an appetizer sampler.The appetizers included on the large platter included onion rings, fried calamari and stuff mushrooms. Everything was...Read More

On our last night in Kansas, our little group from Wisconsin went out for dinner, looking for that legendary Kansas beef. We had been given several recommendations, but Hereford House seemed to fit the bill in terms of location, available reservations and close proximity to the soccer fields where we wanted to be by 7:30pm.

We were immediately seated at our table which was in a semi-private area at the front of the restaurant that largely looked like an enclosed lanai. Our server was by promptly to take our beverage order. We also ordered an appetizer sampler.

The appetizers included on the large platter included onion rings, fried calamari and stuff mushrooms. Everything was very tasty although I thought the marinara sauce was a bit bland.

There was a lesson in "know your cuts of meat" that David Letterman would have been proud of. We were curious about the difference between a KC strip cut and a NY strip cut. Truth is . . . nothing. In Kansas they take pride in their cut so you won't find a NY cut anywhere.

In our group we were all going to indulge in the beef. I had the small cut (10oz) prime rib end cut, while the others had bone-in rib-eye (that was huge) and the KC strip steak. All dinners came with a choice of sides, which could include a dinner or Caesar’s salad or soup. There were also a number of potato and veggie choices. I had the twice baked potato which was really not to my liking. It had too much "stuff" in the mashed part, including chives and bacon, with a heavy dose of cheddar on the top. Others had the mashed sweet potato and the steamed veggies.

Had we saved room for dessert (or avoided the appetizers) they had a great assortment in the front case. The crème bruleè looked really good, as did the assortment of cakes and pies. Again, we took a pass on the sweets.

For those not looking for beef, they also featured a nice selection of fish and seafood, as well as other meats (chicken & pork), to include the obligatory KC BBQ ribs. The entrees were a bit on the pricey side ($20-$35) but seemed reasonable given the ample cuts provided.

Here is the link to their website: http://www.herefordhouse.com/content/leawood.php . Please note they are actually located in Leawood, which is a suburb of Kansas City. I think locals do refer to the area in general as "Kansas City."
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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 31, 2010

Hereford House
5001 Town Center Drive
Kansas City, Missouri 66211
(913) 327-0800

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Sheraton Overland Park Hotel

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Hotel | "Outstanding & Attentive Service Oriented Hotel"

Inside My Room at the Overland Park Sheraton Hotel Photo - Sheraton Overland Park Hotel, Overland Park, Kansas

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US Youth Soccer held several events in Overland Park, starting with the ODP boys camp for three weeks and culminating with the USYSA National Championships and Annual Membership Meeting. This Sheraton Hotel was home away from home while working these large national events.Our Wisconsin delegation was weather impaired in travel due to the floods in Milwaukee, but most of us eventually made it in OK. The hotel was very helpful in providing refunds on prepaid reservations that could not be used for the first night. In fact, one person in our group had to cancel altogether and they took care of providing a full refund of his prepaid two-night reservation.The lobby area was wide ...Read More

US Youth Soccer held several events in Overland Park, starting with the ODP boys camp for three weeks and culminating with the USYSA National Championships and Annual Membership Meeting. This Sheraton Hotel was home away from home while working these large national events.

Our Wisconsin delegation was weather impaired in travel due to the floods in Milwaukee, but most of us eventually made it in OK. The hotel was very helpful in providing refunds on prepaid reservations that could not be used for the first night. In fact, one person in our group had to cancel altogether and they took care of providing a full refund of his prepaid two-night reservation.

The lobby area was wide open and spacious in seating; a nice feature for a hotel filled with teenage youth soccer players. The lobby bar was also in the area, making it a very comfy spot to sit with others from around the US to discuss soccer. They also had a business center area where guest could log onto the internet free of charge. (NOTE: It was $9.95/24 hour period for WiFi in your hotel/sleeping room.)

As for the rooms, they were spacious and well laid out. The sitting area was comfortable and the work area and desk were big enough for work or eating an in-room meal.

I did enjoy my two room service breakfasts. I had egg meals which came with hash browns and toast. The bacon on one morning was good, as was the omelet the day before. With a skim milk and diet coke, plus taxes and service fees, the meals came to $19 which I thought was reasonable.

I did dine in their on-premises restaurant twice for lunch. The first time I had the chicken cobb salad and think that the chicken may have been slightly "off" as my stomach didn't seem to agree with it for the rest of the day. The following afternoon, they were poorly equipped for the large rush of people trying to get lunch crammed into an hour break. We had to take our sandwiches "to go" after they finally came out 45 minutes later. I had the crab cake sandwich which was good, but the fries were useless as they were cold and soggy by the time I finally got to eating my lunch.

This hotel is adjacent to the Overland Park Convention Center and for that reason seemed to be a bit on the "nickel & dime" pricing. I already mentioned the WiFi; there was also a $14/day parking fee. I later learned that the valet was optional and that guests could have self-parked in the parking deck for free. Oh well . . .

The group rate for USYSA was $109/night. I was able to find those prepaid internet deals on the Sheraton website. For those of us who arrived on Thursday for three nights, we paid $92/night. For those scheduled in on Friday for two nights, we paid $71/night. So be sure to shop around if you have a conference or event that brings you to the convention center as you may be able to find a better room rate direct from Sheraton.

I cannot speak highly enough for the hotel staff. From the valet to the front desk, to the young lady who brought my breakfast up . . . everyone was very cordial and anxious to assist in making our stay as good as possible. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 1, 2010

Sheraton Overland Park Hotel
6100 College Blvd.
Overland Park 66211
(913) 234-2100

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2007 NFC North Champions - The Green Bay Packers

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David & Von 11/4/07 Photo - Kansas City, Missouri

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You cannot talk or write about winter in Wisconsin without including the legendary Green Bay Packers. Many know that the Packers are unique in that they are not owned by some rich spoiled business man (or woman) but instead, are truly a community asset with ownership held through stocks owned by average people in Green Bay, surrounding communities in Wisconsin and in fact, throughout the United States. Some would say, due to this unique ownership arrangement, the Green Bay Packers is the only team that can be called AMERICA’S TEAM.As a Packers’ fan, residents of Wisconsin find that going to a home game at Lambeau Field is a real rarity. Even with the recent stadium expansion and 65,000 se...Read More

You cannot talk or write about winter in Wisconsin without including the legendary Green Bay Packers. Many know that the Packers are unique in that they are not owned by some rich spoiled business man (or woman) but instead, are truly a community asset with ownership held through stocks owned by average people in Green Bay, surrounding communities in Wisconsin and in fact, throughout the United States. Some would say, due to this unique ownership arrangement, the Green Bay Packers is the only team that can be called AMERICA’S TEAM.

As a Packers’ fan, residents of Wisconsin find that going to a home game at Lambeau Field is a real rarity. Even with the recent stadium expansion and 65,000 seats, there is still an estimated 20 year wait to obtain season tickets. If you have plenty of money, you can buy tickets from brokers for up to ten times face value, depending on the opponent. I was lucky to have the opportunity to go to a game back in November 1998 against the visiting Detroit Lions. It really is an experience to see an NFL game live, especially at the frozen tundra known as Lambeau. Just ask John Madden.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the connections to score tickets for games here in Wisconsin, so we’ve had to find tickets for other cities where the Packers were playing. We decided to make the most out of still owning a house and living part-time in Iowa by going to games in a couple of other Midwest cities. The first weekend in November, we enjoyed a sunny warm fall afternoon in Kansas City. The Packers won, making it look easy. The drive from Ames was approximately three and one-half hours, so that made for a very easy (but full) day.

We found the KC fans to be friendly, even though their team wasn’t doing well. On the KC Chief’s post game radio show they were saying that Arrowhead Stadium was nearly one-third filled with the green and gold of cheeseheads from “up north der hey.”

We later scored tickets for the Packers’ game down in St. Louis on December 16th. Unfortunately the winter weather forecast was too bad to make the 400 mile trip so we had to watch the game from the comfort of our living room.

This year Brett Favre has been setting new NFL records, often surpassing the Miami Dolphins’ retired QB Dan Marino. It has been a wonderful time watching him playing like that MVP and Super Bowl champion from the 1996-1997 season. In deed - - it’s a good time to be living in Wisconsin!!

If you happen to be lucky enough to get tickets for a home game in Green Bay, you'll have a great time. I hope to again go up to the frozen tundra for a Packers' game while living in Wisconsin. Read Less

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Hey Dorothy Look - It's Kansas!

Crazy Weather!

Cinzetti's Italian Market Restaurant

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2007 NFC North Champions - The Green Bay Packers

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