Live Local

« Our Magazine

Share

Live Local

BY TINA KING

Photos by Jeffrey Bebee, Kurt A. Keeler, Scenic Wind Balloon Tours, Omaha World-Herald archives

Mid-summer brings with it great shows of patriotism and a slowed-down pace. (Is everyone on vacation?) It also brings soaring, blazing temps, making us forget how not so many months ago we yearned for just a few warm rays. The scorching sun and the muggy, humid air turn our thoughts to relief. There are opportunities for respite all around.

Gather with friends on the wide, welcoming and shade-covered patio at Soaring Wings Vineyard in Springfield. Enjoy the crisp finish of a chilled glass of award-winning Ice Falcon blend, made from Vignoles, Chardonel and LaCrosse grapes. Bring chairs and a picnic of sausage, cheese and crackers and sit back to enjoy the Platte River Valley vineyard views, Friday night bands and Sunday acoustic sessions.

To learn about other Nebraska-made wines, chat with Sandy Kucera at Too Far North in not-too-far Fort Calhoun. Kucera prides herself on matching the tastes of her wine bar customers to just the right Nebraska wine. She sells bottles from more than 20 of the state's wineries and even has a few locally produced microbrews on tap. The tasting room is housed in a 1904 Metz Brewery saloon, which is both a Nebraska Wine Trail and Nebraska Passport attraction. On a recent Sunday afternoon, the tasting room was bustling with couples and small groups of women eager to sample and shop. Kucera, an eclectic collector, has decorated with antiques and antique reproductions, Metz memorabilia, and gift items for wine lovers. (Look for Omahan Leslie North's Wild at Heart critters sculpted from modeling clay, $18 to $35. And take note of the clocks. "If one leaves the shop, I get to go shopping again," Kucera quips.)

Closer to Omaha nightlife, drop by Hiro 88 at the edge of the Old Market and wind down with the "cool" crowd. The distinctive Japanese and Chinese menu choices include light fare like sushi and Michigan rolls. They're great with a vodka IceTini or Lemon Drop from the bar.

Be your own chef and enjoy the cooler morning hours milling around a farmers market. Stock up on fresh-from-the-field produce like sweet corn, cukes and zucchini. Saturdays, you can hit the Omaha Farmers Market in the Old Market, the Midtown Crossing market, and the Village Pointe Farmers Market. Sundays, Aksarben Village hosts a market.

Dress your greens with a light vinaigrette made with George Paul Vinegar from Cody, Neb. The vinegars, including Edelweiss, Prairie White and Apple Cider, are sold online and at local wineries.

If your summer's day includes a welcome breeze, why not cool off above the water rather than in it? Scenic Wind Balloon Tours operator Steve Lacroix pilots rides over the lakes and ponds of west Omaha neighborhoods.

Inspired Home Omaha Editor Chris Christen contributed to this report.