Eatin' and Drinkin' • Re: pizza 51 West

2011-10-02T07:55:33-05:00

It looks like pizza 51 West is open now. They couldn't have picked a better time, either. Their patio was packed with folks enjoying a Friday lunch.

Statistics: Posted by amoore — October 2nd, 2011, 7:55 am

Kids in Kansas City • KC Zoo Visitors' Guide

2011-10-01T15:31:03-05:00

The Kansas City zoo has been improved tremendously over the last few years, with the addition of new exhibits like the polar bear, the improved entrance area, and the African sky safari. We're also expecting many more improvements coming soon such as the penguin exhibit. But, for some reason I've been unimpressed by the information on the zoo's website. There's not a very comprehensive "visitors' guide that describes how to get the most out of your zoo visit. I'm hopeful that we can assemble here a collection of favorite ways to enjoy a visit to the zoo.

Layout of the Zoo

The KC zoo can be reasonably divided into three areas Africa, Australia, and the Front Entry Plaza and KidZone. From the World Gate tram and train station near the front entry plaza, you can either hop on the train which takes you to Australia and back or you can catch the tram which can take you to Africa and back.

Front Entry Plaza and KidZone

When you first enter the zoo, make sure to get a zoo map from the ticket window or from the person who checks your tickets. Not only does it help you navigate the huge zoo, but it also lists the times when many special events take place. For instance, the sea lions are pretty boring unless you happen to be there during one of their three shows throughout the day.

The front entry plaza features the river otters and the Nikita the polar bear as well as stroller rental. The polar bear exhibit is one of the most popular exhibits at the zoo. Not only is it new, but Nikita the polar bear is really playful, often doing back summersaults off of the front glass.

If you head up the hill, you get to the heart of the KidZone. It features a great carousel as well as the Discovery Barn and tropics building, which are pretty good places to hide out if the weather is unfriendly. The lorikeets seem to be a pretty big hit with the kids since you can walk inside their aviary with them.

An African Tour

A tour around the loop of Africa is about a mile long, plus you have to walk through the KidZone area to get there, so it can make for quite a bit of walking. You can cut it about in half by taking the sky safari across to the other side of the loop. If you're up for walking around Africa, you can get there either by taking the tram from the world gate station or you can walk across KidZone and take the "shortcut to Africa" past the Elephants and across the bridge to Africa. If you're going to walk, I recommend walking to Africa instead of planning to walk back. It's downhill on the way there, and you might get too worn out while you're there to want to walk back. Once there, you can stop to use the bathrooms and grab a drink if you need to before you head out on your African tour.

Many folks hop right on the sky safari, which takes you to the other side of the loop. I prefer to start by walking, that way if you get to the other side and you're tired you can take the sky safari back. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, you can continue your walk back around the loop. At the other side of the loop, there's a snack bar and bathrooms. The snack bar may be closed, depending on the season.

Don't miss these attractions in Africa:

You can get really close to the 5 female elephants we have. I recommend trying to time it during the elephant keeper chat since the animals come over and show themselves off.
The chimps are great to watch since they're so similar to humans. I think there are three groups of chimps that are rotated around depending on the day. Some of them have pretty small ones, which are incredibly cute.
There's a great pride of lions, and the way they're exhibited really makes them interesting to watch. They don't really appear to be in a confined area, so it looks like they're just on the plains of Africa. You can even watch from an air-conditioned building if you want.
If you're feeling worn out, take the sky safari across the lagoon instead of walking around it. It's a great way to see the giraffes, zebras, kudus, and oryx.
The boat ride is also a pretty good way to see some wildlife without having to walk much. I'd skip the paddleboats, though.
If it's really hot, head across the swinging bridge to the leopards, gorillas, and a few other animals. It's really shady and pretty cool back there.

An Australian Tour

I'm a big fan of touring Australia for two reasons. The first is the kangaroo exhibit, which is one of the best around. You can get pretty close to a pretty large troop of kangaroos, and they often get in the way of the train. The other is the sheep exhibit. While sheep aren't that exotic, you can walk through their pen to feed and pet them. It's always a hit with the kids.

As you leave the polar bear exhibit in the entry plaza, continue left over to Australia. Just before you get to the Australian loop is the Tiger Trail. It's worth heading around this one for the tiger alone, but you also get to see some small, black monkeys known as langurs as well as a few other interesting exhibits.

Once you're back up the hill on your way out of the Tiger Trail, you pass some restrooms before you start on the Australian loop behind the snack bar. A little bit after you pass through the aviary will be the kangaroo exhibit. If you're lucky, they'll be pretty close to the rocks where you stand to watch them. A little further along is the sheep pen. You can buy sheep food for a quarter out of the vending machine. Sheep can be pretty aggressive when they know you have food, so don't give a bunch to your little kid unless you want her to get a terrifying encounter with a herd of hungry sheep! From there, you head back up the hill, under the zoo train bridge, past the camels and return to the start of the Australian loop. The train stops here, so you can take it back to the World Gate Station if you like.

If you complete the Australian loop and you still have a little bit of energy left, cut behind the train stop to take the back route to the KidZone. You'll pass an abandoned zoo building before the large playground and other KidZone attractions.

Don't miss these attractions in Australia:

You can get close access to a large troop of kangaroos.
Don't forget a few quarters to feed the sheep.
Hop on the train!

More zoo tips and tricks:

I've been to the zoo in every month of the year, and about 20 times in the past calendar year, so I've picked up some tips that I think can make for a better experience:

The zoo opens at 9:30 and starts filling up fast. Get there at 9:30 for the best experience. I can't tell you how many times I walked in at 9:30 when it wasn't very crowded at all, only to see a huge line of people waiting outside to come in when I left around noontime.
You can bring your own food and drink in. Not only are there are a few great spots for picnics, but it's also wise to just bring a bottle of water in the summer.
The zoo can be extremely hot, especially on the African loop. Wear sunscreen and carry a bottle of water.
Keep an eye out for docents and other zoo volunteers. They often have interesting things to show you and can tell you fun facts about nearby exhibits.
Check ahead for special events. Some are a real blast, but if you're not interested in the event it might make the zoo more crowded than you want to tolerate. As I write this in October, I'm thinking of the ton of halloween-related special events that are featured.
Bring a few quarters if you want to feed any of the several animals that you can feed. There are sheep, coy, and a few other.
Finally, get a FOTZ membership, and pay for the platinum level. You'll save money after only two visits. Believe me; you'll go back again and again!

Now it's your turn. What are your favorite things to do at the zoo? What tips would you give a first-time or even seasoned visitor to the zoo?

Statistics: Posted by amoore — October 1st, 2011, 3:31 pm

Events in Kansas City • Liberty fall festival

2011-09-23T10:11:13-05:00

The Liberty Fall Festival is this weekend. Head up there and check it out!

Statistics: Posted by amoore — September 23rd, 2011, 10:11 am

Events in Kansas City • Re: 2011 Kansas City Art Fair - September 23, 24, and 25

2011-09-22T13:54:47-05:00

You can also head up the hill to the UNPlaza Art Fair.

Statistics: Posted by amoore — September 22nd, 2011, 1:54 pm

Events in Kansas City • 2011 Kansas City Art Fair - September 23, 24, and 25

2011-09-22T13:53:46-05:00

It's art fair time again this weekend. Here's a little overview for you folks who have never been before.

A few blocks of the country club plaza are blocked off and filled with booths for artists to show off their work. Many local restaurants then set up booths to serve food right on the street. I always find it a bit funny to get a drink or a bite to eat from a miniature version of some of the high end restaurants. There are typically a bunch of activities for the kids near 47th and Broadway. Then, there's a stage on the bridge over Brush Creek where Wornall changes to Broadway.

Saturday and Sunday are great times to take the family to go wander around the Plaza to take it all in. In the evenings on Friday and Saturday, it gets a little wilder with the crowd taking advantage of the music and the festival liquor license that allows open containers on the street. It's not as wild as Westport or anything, and the plaza folks do a pretty good job of shutting it down at 10pm when they stop selling booze.

Parking is often a bit difficult. The Plaza does have a zillion free parking spots, but folks park on the streets in the neighborhoods to the North, South, and West. I usually find a reasonable spot somewhere in the neighborhoods to the North up the hill. Perhaps no one else wants to walk up that monster hill.

You can find some more information on the Plaza's website. But, I'd love to hear what parts of the Art Fair you enjoy the most!

Statistics: Posted by amoore — September 22nd, 2011, 1:53 pm

Kids in Kansas City • Re: Pumpkin patches

2011-09-16T08:53:03-05:00

I notice that there's a groupon today for a 60% discount to Carolyn's Country Cousin's patch, which is next to the corn maze, I believe.

Statistics: Posted by amoore — September 16th, 2011, 8:53 am

Kids in Kansas City • Kids' activities this weekend: September 16-18

2011-09-12T15:05:22-05:00

Carnival for CASA in Lee's Summit, Saturday, September 17.
Mission Arts & Eats Festival
Renaissance Festival continues this weekend and runs through October 16
The Zoo Run is Saturday, September 17
more to come...

Statistics: Posted by amoore — September 12th, 2011, 3:05 pm

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