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Providing Superior Customer Service to Visitors
Oftentimes we are quick to criticize, but forget to say thank you when we receive outstanding customer service.
I received the following thank you messages this week praising our front line staff:
"We stopped at McDonalds in Abilene
today (Wednesday) and kudos to their hospitality! They greeted me when I walked in and so did several other employees. This is not like other restaurants I've been to lately. Even listening to them interact with other customers was amazing."
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"My husband and I are from the
Davenport area of Iowa and have taken 2 wonderful trips thru Kansas in the past 6 months. In March we were headed to New Mexico and we drove thru Abilene because of the sign designating the Eisenhower Presidential Library. We had no time to stop and just drove past.
On the 13th of September we stopped at the Visitor Center when reading about the anniversary of the Chisholm Trail. We would like you to know what a wonderful person you have at the Visitors Center--Anna!
What a wealth of information she was! She spent so much time with us (we thought we had all the information we needed, went out the door, and then my husband decided to ask her a few more questions, so we went back inside again). I really wish that we could have been in your town for the Celebration!. I bought a book about the Chisholm Trail at the Visitors Center and we got information from Anna about Garcia's Mexican Restaurant (wonderful, wonderful authentic food) and drove thru the Victorian section of town.
We will return to Kansas next year and will take time to visit your town again, and will definitely stop by the visitor center to say hi to your wonderful Anna!"
Thank you to all of the front line employees who offer superior customer service. Your actions leave visitors with positive feelings about our wonderful community.
Julie Roller, Abilene CVB Director
#AbileneProud #TeamAbilene
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Abilene, KS - Travel Survey
Please assist them in their research by participating in this survey
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Thanks in advance for your help!
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Love's Travel Stop Groundbreaking
In 1956 President Dwight D.
Eisenhower enacted the National Interstate and Defense Highway Act,
creatin
g the Interstate Highway System. Sixty-one years later, we gathered alongside Interstate 70 to break ground for Abilene's new Love's Travel Stop.
The new Love's Travel Stop will not only provide services to truck drivers, but also motorists. Moreover, it will create jobs, expand the tax base and increase sales tax collections in our community.
The City of Abilene is committed to creating a positive environment for new economic development projects and the Love's Travel Stop is one of several new projects taking place in our community to assist travelers.
We appreciate the investment Love's is making in Abilene and wish them many years of success.
-Dr. Timothy Shafer, Mayor
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Someplace Special
At last weekend's
Reitz & Rust Vintage Market
we met many people who
love
Abilene, including Kathleen - the author of The Sister Lode blog. Kathleen believes Abilene is "someplace special". We agree. Read her story about Abilene here.
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Armed with shopping bags and smiles, members of this group tour happily boarded their bus.
Thank you for visiting!
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| Abilene Daily Reflector - 25 Sept. 1901 |
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Throwback Thursday
The National Greyhound Association Fall Meet kicks off October 9, 2017. A full schedule of events is available
online.
The Fall Meet concludes on Saturday, October 14 with the Racing Stock Auction.
Throwback 116 years ago and greyhound pups were sold for $50 cash.
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New Mural Greets Visitors
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Photo courtesy of Holm Automotive Center |
Thanks to the Arts Council of Dickinson County, Abilene is full of beautiful murals including this centennial stamp mural on the side of Tossed 'N' Sauced on Third Street.
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Trip Advisor - Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Have you visited an Abilene business or attraction? Make sure to share your experience by leaving reviews.
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39th Annual Chisholm Trail Day Festival
Visit the Dickinson County Heritage Center on Saturday, October 7 for a classic car show, antique tractor show, live entertainment, history demos and more!
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Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
All aboard! The ASVRR's Steam Locomotive #3415 will wrap up its 2017 season this weekend in conjunction with the Chisholm Trail Festival.
Enjoy rides on Saturday, October 7* from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 8 at 2:00 p.m.
*October 7 trips are half-price short runs and will depart on the hour from the Dickinson County Heritage Center.
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Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home
Bryan Pinkall*, WWII Music Concert
Songs of the Lost, a World War II musical program, will be performed in the Visitors Center auditorium on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.
This immersive recital by Emmy and Grammy award winner Bryan Pinkall will also include performances by pianist Amanda Arrington, violinist Cora Cooper, tenor Reginald Pittman, composer and alto recorder player US Army Captain Patrick Dittamo and flautist Jair Holguin.
Songs of the Lost is a sequel to the World Wars Part 1concert presented at the Eisenhower Library in May 2016. The series celebrates composers, musicians and artists who died during the World Wars.
The concert will present images, stories, music and poetry of Czech composer Carlo Taube, Polish composer Victor Ullmann, American bandmaster Glenn Miller, German composer Anton Weber, French soldier Jehan Alain and poet and Yamaguchi Tsutomu, the only survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
Bryan Pinkall is an Assistant Professor, School of Music, Theatre and Dance at Kansas State University. An operatic tenor, Pinkall often performs as a soloist with ensembles including the Kansas City Symphony. The recipient of numerous awards, Pinkall received a 2016 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance. Pinkall was the Opening Ceremony artistic director for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games which earned four Primetime Emmy nominations, winning one.
*Note: Local Abilene connection - Bryan Pinkall is the grandson of former USD #473 Rural Center teacher, Karen Pinkall, and former Rock Springs 4-H Camp Director, Bob Pinkall.
Cokie Roberts will moderate a discussion with directors Ken Burns and Lynn Novick about their PBS documentary series, The Vietnam War PBS, in conjunction with the November 10 opening of the US National Archives exhibit, Remembering Vietnam.
Presented in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of L3 Technologies.
The Chisholm Trail: Driving the American West
August 24 - October 12 | Library Lobby
This traveling exhibit, a collaboration between Symphony in the Flint Hills and Flint Hills Design in partnership with Lost Trail Soda, invites visitors of all ages to explore the Chisholm Trail from its inception in the 1860s to today. The Chisholm Trail revitalized the cattle industry following the Civil War, and gave rise to the iconic American cowboy. Exhibit highlights include an interactive musical exploration of the scores of verses to the cowboy song, "The Old Chisholm Trail," video and audio clips of movies and songs that reference the Chisholm Trail. Younger visitors can create their own brands with the "Brand Your Beeves" interactive station.
Chisholm Trail and the Cowtown that Raised a President
Exhibit in the Museum Temporary Gallery until May 2018
Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Chisholm Trail, which brought nearly two million cattle from Texas to the railhead in Abilene, Kansas, between 1867 and 1871. See rare artifacts and historic photographs. Learn about the square meal, the real McCoy, origins of the cowboy boot, and "the wickedest town in the West." Discover stories behind the legends of T.C. McInerney, Bear River Smith, and Wild Bill Hickok among others. Find out why Dwight Eisenhower developed a love for all things western in the Cowtown that raised a President!
Eisenhower and the Great War
Exhibit in the Upstairs Library Gallery until May 2018
War erupted in Europe in 1914 and soon involved nations around the globe. The Great War, as it became known, shocked the world with its massive scope and the industrial-like slaughter created by advances in military technology. The United States reluctantly joined the conflict in 1917 and began to build a large professional army from the ground up. One of the young officers who helped in this endeavor was a lieutenant by the name of Dwight Eisenhower. Eisenhower showed remarkable talent for organization and leadership during the years of American involvement in the war. Tasked with training thousands of inexperienced troops in the new and untested art of armored warfare, Eisenhower quickly built a strong and motivated group of soldiers while overcoming severe obstacles and setbacks. This exhibit tells the story of the Great War and its influence on Eisenhower's leadership abilities. World War I, as it would become known later in the century, proved critical to the making of this American Icon.
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Great Plains Theatre
Bonebrake Concert Series: Ann Zimmerman
Ann Zimmerman is live at Great Plains Theatre on October 7th at 7:00 PM. Ann has been performing all over Kansas, and the rest of the United States, for years, and you will not want to miss her on the Great Plains Theatre stage. With an irresistible stage presence and a beautiful voice, Ann Zimmerman is a treat to watch.
Ann accompanies herself on the piano and guitar, and often uses the audience as her backup vocalists! Mixing classical country music styles with her own personal taste, Ann creates comforting music that will paint you a picture of life on the prairie.
The concert will begin at
7:00
Saturday, October 7th at Great Plains Theatre. Tickets for general admission are $15, with tables of four down front for $80. The Bonebrake Concert Series provides big entertainment in an intimate venue, bringing the audience closer to the performers with opportunities to meet and mingle with the musicians and artists. Don't miss your opportunity to enjoy live music right here in Abilene.
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DATE
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EVENT
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LOCATION
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DETAILS |
| 10/7/2017 |
Impact the Cure |
Downtown Abilene |
7:00 a.m. |
| 10/7/2017 |
Chisholm Trail Day |
Dickinson County Heritage Center |
All day |
| 10/7/2017 |
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad Steam Engine Rides (short runs, half price) |
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad |
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. |
| 10/7/2017 |
Bonebrake Concert Series "Ann Zimmerman" |
Great Plains Theatre |
7:00 p.m. |
| 10/7/2017 |
Bryan Pinkall - WWII Music Concert |
Eisenhower Visitors Center Auditorium |
7:00 p.m. |
| 10/13/2017 |
VFW Vigil |
Eisenhower Place of Meditation |
4:30 p.m. |
| 10/14/2017 |
Presidential Wreath Laying Ceremony |
Eisenhower Place of Meditation |
10:30 a.m. |
| 10/14/2017 |
American Legion Pilgrimage |
Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum |
10:45 a.m. |
| 10/14/2017 |
Eisenhower Legacy Gala |
Eisenhower Library & Museum |
6:00 p.m. |
| 10/22/2017 |
Operation Veterans Suicide Outreach Program |
Eisenhower Visitors Center |
1:00 p.m. |
| 10/28/2017 |
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad Silver Flyer Railbus |
ASVRR |
10:00 a.m. |
| 10/28/2017 |
3rd Annual Tombstone Talks |
Abilene Cemetery |
6:00 p.m. |
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Stay in Abilene
Abilene Lodging Establishments
Abilene
is home to more than 200 rooms. Whether you're in town to visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum, enjoy a show at the Great Plains Theatre, attend the Central Kansas Free Fair, meet with greyhound industry leaders or take a ride on the
Abilene
& Smoky Valley Railroad, we invite you to extend your visit, spend the night and enjoy all
Abilene
has to offer.
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Help us, help you
Share your News!
Have an upcoming event? Help us, help you. We do our best to stay up-to-date, but please make sure to include us in your event and special promotions. Please send announcements to:
[email protected]
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