Anyone going? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Anyone going?

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
After two bad experiences missing something I really cared about to go to someone's wedding, I have decided that I will never again do that. The only exception would have been my own wedding. And I'm already married.

I gave up a concert ticket once upon a time to go to a relative's wedding. He and his wife did not even send a card when I got married. That one really stung. So...not skipping fun stuff for weddings ever again. If someone was getting married on the Saturday of Nats, the one time I'll ever get to go (unless Omaha gets it again someday), I would have said "have a nice time, I can't make it!"

To be fair, going to your relative's wedding vs. being your best friend's maid of honor aren't quite the same thing.... :wink:

I'll look forward to hearing all your reports! :)
 

louisa05

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Thanks for the offer.

Any word on the long range forecast for the city? As we get closer, it would be great to have some idea about the weather. I don't expect it to be warm, but I do want to do some walking. In my town it has been very very cold - about 3-19 degrees. I would love to think Omaha will be up to freezing. Is Omaha windy as a general rule?

Also, what are the distances like. Are the blocks short blocks? Do you know about how many blocks to a mile? One answer I found was about 12 blocks to a mile. Is that about right?

Long range right now is upper 20s to mid 30s. Wind can be vicious here in winter, so wind chill can make it much colder than the temp. And it can be windy. My guess on snow (my big concern as we'll be driving in from out of the city each day--my mom lives an hour in the opposite direction of Omaha from me, can no longer drive and my father is ill...so this got complicated since we bought the tickets) is little to none as we are in the midst of a severe drought. I just don't expect much all winter.

One walking warning--Omaha is not flat, particularly the farther east in the city you go and downtown and the arena is on the river--the easternmost point. City blocks are about what you have found. It is a pretty good distance to the Old Market from the hotels around the arena, but many offer shuttle services to get you there (I know the Hilton does for sure). There are a number of good restaurants there as I linked and interesting shops--mostly locally owned. There is nice walking around the riverfront area which is not far from the arena and official hotels.
 

louisa05

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
To be fair, going to your relative's wedding vs. being your best friend's maid of honor aren't quite the same thing.... :wink:

I'll look forward to hearing all your reports! :)

Yeah...but I also skipped something once in a lifetime to be in a friend's wedding once. That wasn't really worth it either. And I was "co-maid of honor" for that one.
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
One thing I have learned in life....unless you are a really important part of an event, you wont be missed much. There are pleanty of other people there for others to talk to. If you are really an important part...say, the groom, ...you will be consulted first before a date is set for the event. Honest. If you are not consulted, you arent as important as you think you are!!! :) Got my tickets today! So happy....everyone who is going...dont forget to wear orange so we all can recognize each other.....worked out well at SA-Kent, didnt it Mrs. P and Doris? Lots of good info over on the "other" forum about restaurants....


Yeah...but I also skipped something once in a lifetime to be in a friend's wedding once. That wasn't really worth it either. And I was "co-maid of honor" for that one.
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
One walking warning--Omaha is not flat, particularly the farther east in the city you go and downtown and the arena is on the river--the easternmost point. .
Hmmmm...perhaps I am biased as Spokane is pretty hilly in areas...but I have been "walking" around Omaha on google street view...especially from the arena to my hotel and then
South to the Market restaurants.....and I am not seeing anything but flat?????
 

Pikachuusb

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
sadly we arent going this year due to us having a house built. It closes in Feb, so I can use my credit cards again after that. Not that Im counting down the minutes or anything ;)
 

louisa05

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Hmmmm...perhaps I am biased as Spokane is pretty hilly in areas...but I have been "walking" around Omaha on google street view...especially from the arena to my hotel and then
South to the Market restaurants.....and I am not seeing anything but flat?????

People tend to expect the entire state to be like the middle where it is flatter than the definition of flat. You don't know flat until you've been to say Hastings in the middle. Omaha is not like that. Downtown is not hilly but some of the city is particularly just south of downtown (an area where I worked years ago and the area of the zoo--which is a workout to walk around as it is certainly not flat), but it is not what people expect from Nebraska. So not as hilly as the northwest certainly. But not the more than flat vistas people imagine Nebraska as.
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
I lived 20 years in central Illinois.....it was so flat you could see the curvature of the earth....cant wait to try those restaurants!

People tend to expect the entire state to be like the middle where it is flatter than the definition of flat. You don't know flat until you've been to say Hastings in the middle. Omaha is not like that. Downtown is not hilly but some of the city is particularly just south of downtown (an area where I worked years ago and the area of the zoo--which is a workout to walk around as it is certainly not flat), but it is not what people expect from Nebraska. So not as hilly as the northwest certainly. But not the more than flat vistas people imagine Nebraska as.
 

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Country
United-States
V. Mertz is also in the Old Market. Block 16 is downtown. Blatt Beer & Table is pretty close to the arena, near the new ballpark.
V. Mertz used to be pretty fancy and expensive.
 

louisa05

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
V. Mertz used to be pretty fancy and expensive.

It isn't cheap. But it is good. The Old Market link I posted earlier in the thread divides restaurants by "fine dining", "casual" and "fast food", so that should help people who need an idea of price ranges.

My husband's and my favorites in the Old Market are M's Pub, Stokes, Zio's Pizza, Upstream Brewery and Roja. For wine, don't miss La Buvette. Wheatfield's has divine baked goods and if it is not too cold for ice cream, check out Ted & Wally's.

The Hilton's restaurant has amazing, but very pricey, steak. Our favorite place for steak or prime rib is The Drover which is away from downtown. Link: http://www.droverrestaurant.com/

Another local favorite of ours, away from downtown, is The Brazen Head Irish Pub. Link:
http://www.brazenheadpub.com/
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Oh no. I have been parusing the beer list at Upstream Brewery.....I am lost forever....Louisa, can you carry a 6'2" 160 lb man back to the rink if he were over self medicated?????

Snow Blind Imperial Stout, 10%ABV,

Snow Blind Imperial Stout is a titanic wonder of a stout, immensely viscous, and loaded with neck-deep flavors of chocolate, malt, coffee, cocoa and oats. It's the beer equivalent of decadently rich milkshake made with Whoppers malted-milk balls and Heaven's best chocolate ice cream. Snow Blind Imperial Stout is about 10% ABV and is made with enormous amounts of two-row malts, chocolate malts, roasted barley, flaked oats and hops. Snow Blinds huge-but-comforting flavors hide a whopping 60 IBU's that are deftly tucked underneath the beer's mountains of malty goodness then


It isn't cheap. But it is good. The Old Market link I posted earlier in the thread divides restaurants by "fine dining", "casual" and "fast food", so that should help people who need an idea of price ranges.

My husband's and my favorites in the Old Market are M's Pub, Stokes, Zio's Pizza, Upstream Brewery and Roja. For wine, don't miss La Buvette. Wheatfield's has divine baked goods and if it is not too cold for ice cream, check out Ted & Wally's.

The Hilton's restaurant has amazing, but very pricey, steak. Our favorite place for steak or prime rib is The Drover which is away from downtown. Link: http://www.droverrestaurant.com/

Another local favorite of ours, away from downtown, is The Brazen Head Irish Pub. Link:
http://www.brazenheadpub.com/
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
It is an 11 minute walk at 3 mph from the arena to Rock Bottom Brewery....a few minutes father to the Upsteam brewery.....
Nothing like a little walking after sitting for so long....
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004

louisa05

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Louisa, how would you rate Rock bottom brewing with M's pub and Upstream brewing?

We haven't actually been to Rock Bottom. Must try it sometime; if we manage before Nats, I'll let you know. My husband is not usually a fan of local brews (quite frankly, he likes cheap beer), but there are several beers he likes at Upstream. And the food is wonderful.

As for carrying you back from the Old Market to the Arena...well, I'm a wuss, but my 68 year old 5'0" 95lb mother is deceptively strong. I'll see what she can do. LOL.
 

louisa05

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
I would also add that while Rock Bottom is a chain (in cities in 17 states), Upstream is local and only in Omaha.
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Do you have a wheel barrow???? Well, I will just have to try all three brew pubs.....but so far I am looking forward to the Upstream the most.....Your...husband....likes.....cheep....beer......I dont understand???? Does not compute.....all those lovely microbrews...
We haven't actually been to Rock Bottom. Must try it sometime; if we manage before Nats, I'll let you know. My husband is not usually a fan of local brews (quite frankly, he likes cheap beer), but there are several beers he likes at Upstream. And the food is wonderful.

As for carrying you back from the Old Market to the Arena...well, I'm a wuss, but my 68 year old 5'0" 95lb mother is deceptively strong. I'll see what she can do. LOL.
 

louisa05

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Do you have a wheel barrow???? Well, I will just have to try all three brew pubs.....but so far I am looking forward to the Upstream the most.....Your...husband....likes.....cheep....beer......I dont understand???? Does not compute.....all those lovely microbrews...

Don't ask me. I just pretend to understand the preference. I rarely drink beer, so I just don't comment.

If you will have a car in Omaha, there is a third local restaurant and brewery you might want to check out way in the western part of the city. Lazlo's: http://www.lazlosbreweryandgrill.com/

Their food is my favorite.

Their food is my favorite.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Looove microbrews! Didn't realize Omaha had so many great breweries. Chris I hope you'll share your reports of the beer -- never been to Omaha, maybe the beer will motivate me to visit.
 
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