Greetings to all of you from retirement-land! I am enjoying the summer weather in Maine, although it was slow to arrive! Conditions for boating have been spectacular lately, and I am doing what I love best, going out to sea as often as I can.
Linda Kelly and the rest of the ASET crew are very busy planning the 2019 ASET annual conference and addressing all the last minute details to make this the BEST EVER 60th anniversary celebration for ASET!
What I would like to share with you today, are my thoughts on Kansas City. My first visit to Kansas City was in 1997, when I was newly elected to the ASET Board of Trustees and arrived to be sworn in and partake of my first Board meeting. That was the year that some of us on the Board put on the infamous “Wizard of Oz” skit. My partners in crime were Bobby Taskey, Willy Riordon and Gary March, along with Dave Weaver, Larry Head and Margaret Walcoff. I played the part of the Wicked Witch!
Once I became ASET’s Director of Education in 2004, I have traveled to K.C. and ASET’s headquarters at least once a year. I have had ample opportunities to explore the city.
Since I have always lived in New England I know that East Coast (and West Coast) folks tend to discount the Midwest as not so hip or cool. I shared this limiting perspective too. But since I have been in K.C. at least 15 times, I have discovered how hip a Midwestern City can be! A new, free streetcar line makes it easy to explore.
So, I encourage you to come to K.C., ASET’s home base, for our 60th anniversary celebration and I will share with you some of the best things about this great city!
The Food! – This foodie heaven is known for BBQ and great steaks! There is also a great local brew pub scene!
Great Neighborhoods to explore:
Crown Center: Where the conference hotel is located – has a shopping center and many good food choices, plus great things for kids! – Legoland, Aquarium, and Hallmark’s Kaleidoscope creative arts center for kids, with daily sessions that offer a free art experience for them. Also for kids – the nearby K.C. Zoo!
Union Station – An historic gem of a train station in the Crown Center area, now home to restaurants.
Power and Light District – this neighborhood is named after the 1931 Art Deco skyscraper that anchors the area. You will find 9 walkable blocks of restaurants, pubs, night clubs and outdoor music venues.
Country Club Plaza – Started in 1922, with beautiful Spanish architecture, this is a mecca for shopping and dining, another walkable district that you can spend a full day or evening exploring!
Westport – A small, edgy neighborhood known for nightlife, that was once a landmark on the historic Santa Fe trail.
Casinos – On the riverbank on the outskirts of the city you will find a very lively casino scene!
Don’t miss list”
BBQ
Live Blues and Jazz music in the Power and Light District
Fountains everywhere!
Shopping at the Country Club Plaza
And of course, don’t miss the ASET 60th Annual Conference with a great program of educational events and lots of opportunities to network! Register for the conference here: ASET Annual Conference Registration
