.::Himalaya Mortgage::.

Kansas City is a great place to raise a family! The people are friendly, and when living here you feel a strong sense of community. We take pride in our city, and that is abundantly clear on game days! Home to the Kansas City Chiefs, we know how to celebrate along with our team! On any game day Arrowhead Stadium is full of people enjoying tailgating with friends before the game!

Once home to one of the largest cattle stockyards in the country, it's no wonder Barbeque is so popular here! During the summer and fall you will find any number of BBQ competitions around the area. Home to nationally known establishements like KC Masterpiece BBQ, Arthur Bryant BBQ, Gates and numerous locally owned BBQ restaurants.

Kids looking for excitement and fun? Nothing thrills them more than the rides found and Worlds of Fun! Then on those warm summer days you can cool them down next door at Ocean's of Fun.

Located in the Northland, Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun are favorites with kids of all ages.

A day at the zoo is always great fun when you visit the zoo at Swope Park. Covering 200 acres this amazing zoo lets you see animals as they stroll through their own habitat. This zoo is unlike any others. Come see for yourself and bring your family and friends with you!

After a day at the zoo, how about spending a night under the stars? At Starlight Theater you can let yourself enjoy plays, music and more. Starlight Theater is an experience you will never forget.

Spring break, summer vacation, or just a long weekend coming up and you want something the whole family can do together? Head south for a great getaway to Branson and Silver Dollar City!

Tucked away in the heart of the Ozarks, Silver Dollar City and Branson offer laughter and enjoyment for the whole family. Once done there you can unwind in the tranquility and beauty that surrounds you

You don't have to drive far to find fun and relaxation. Not only are you a short drive to Table Rock Lake and the Ozarks, we have several lakes right here in our own back yard to spend an afternoon at.

One of three lakes located on the grounds of Fleming Park, Blue Springs Lake is the only one available for unlimited powerboating. With a full-service marina providing rental boats, concessions, tackle, bait and boat slip rental, people flock to this 725-acre water world. Blue Springs Lake is located south of Hwy. 40 on Woods Chapel Road, Blue Springs, Missouri.

At 970 acres, Lake Jacomo is one of Kansas City's prime boating spots. Located on the grounds of Fleming Park, east of I-435 on Woods Chapel Road, Lee's Summit, Missouri, Lake Jacomo offers many amenities for eager water navigators. The lake includes a full-service marina, concessions, lakeside gasoline pumps and fishing bait and tackle. In addition, boat and canoe rental is available. For a leisurely afternoon in the sun, visitors can rent two- and four-seat pedal boats and tour the water at their own pace or relax at the beach.

A prime lake for fishing, Lake Olathe is located at 625 Lakeshore Drive, Olathe, Kansas. Fishing enthusiasts flock to the 170 acre lake in search of catfish, crappie, bass and even trout. The area near the fishing pier is a favorite casting spot as it is sown annually with Christmas trees, providing new cover and nesting areas for schools of fish.

A popular destination for all kinds of outdoor enthusiasts, Longview Lake sets between Kansas City and Grandview, Missouri. Covering 930 acres, the lake offers ample opportunities for power boaters, water-skiers, jet-skiers and pontoon boaters. The lake's marina provides supplies, gasoline, tackle, bait and an opportunity to rent a variety of water vessels. However, if you don't have a fishing pole, you can still feed the fish as the carp that school around the marina love to be fed. For the nature lovers, Longview Lake offers a 6-mile wooded trail where bicyclists, hikers, joggers and walkers can move at their own pace while enjoying everything mother nature has to offer. Longview Lake is located south of I-470 on Raytown Road, Kansas City, Missouri.

Located northeast of Smithville, Missouri on U.S. 169 and Hwy. 92, this gigantic 7,200 acre lake is a water lover's paradise. With two full-service marinas offering boat rentals, equipment and dining facilities, the lake is a virtual hotspot for summertime recreation. Families come here to enjoy the relatively uncrowded lake with its easy access via five multilane boat-launch ramps, sandy swimming beaches and the Paradise Pointe golf course.

For an enjoyable learning experience, check out the Nelson-Atkins art museum. The Nelson-Atkins features one of America’s finest collections of Asian art, as well as extensive collections of American, American Indian, Egyptian, and European art. With the 4 giant badmitton shuttlecocks on the lawn to welcome you, the Nelson-Atkins museum is hard to miss!

Christmas Joy is all around Kansas City. Each year the Plaza lighting ceremony kicks off the Holiday Season. This breathtaking sight can be enjoyed through New Years.

Or enjoy the season on the outdoor ice rink at Crown Center! Enjoy ice skating out in the fresh air while enjoying a beautiful scenery.

For adult entertainment, check out the Power & Light District. Clubs, music, food all add up to one great night out.

Whether it's shopping, dining, dancing, theater, concerts or other special events, there is ALWAYS something going on in Kansas City to keep you smiling!

Blue Valley - Blue Valley's 2010 graduates earned the highest ACT composite score in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the highest in district history. Blue Valley is the only district in the nation with more than 20,000 students to make AYP for the district and each one of its schools for eight consecutive years.

Desoto Unified School District 232 is ranked in the top ten of area school districts, as listed by Ingram's magazine. The district is also in the top three for the highest percentage of students who take the ACT college entrance exam.

Gardner Edgerton USD 231 serves the communities of Gardner and Edgerton in the southwest corner of Johnson County, Kansas. At the heart of two growing communities, Gardner Edgerton schools currently house approximately 4,700 students. The district includes six elementary schools (K-4), two middle schools (5-8) and one high school (9-12). Gardner Edgerton is one of the top 10 school districts in the state of Kansas.

Olathe is the fastest growing school district in the area, and the community named by Money magazine as one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. Olathe is located about 20 miles southwest of metropolitan Kansas City.

Shawnee Mission school district is ranked in the top 4% of schools nationwide. Two of the high schools in Shawnee Mission school district were named in Newsweeks top schools in America. Shawnee Mission is the only school district in Johnson County to offer the International Baccalaureate program.

Spring Hill school district with more than 3,000 students in six schools, has a reputation for providing excellent educational opportunities to its students. In addition, students may participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities and community service projects. With support from parents and the community, work continues each day by dedicated staff members to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s opportunities.
From our start in the late 1800s, the Spring Hill School District has grown to encompass 71 square miles of land, including three municipalities and parts of two counties. Currently, the district has three elementary schools, one middle school and two high schools, including a traditional four-year high school and an online school that offers educational opportunities to students across the state of Kansas.

Belton School district is Accredited with Distinction by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Programs and services offered are broad-based and include child care, Parents as Teachers, early childhood education (regular and special) inc-district and out-district special education, gifted and talented education, vocational education, guidance and career counseling, and more. A "day treatment" program is operated in the district in conjunction with Ozanam. The Belton School District has recently been recognized at the national and state levels for several exemplary programs.

Blue Springs school district has once again received a perfect score on our Annual Performance Report. This is the ninth year in a row that they have received a perfect score. This is determined by a number of factors including student achievement. Blue Springs is one of only 7 districts to achieve 10 consecutive years of distinction.

Center School District is a fully accredited pre-kindergarten through 12th grade district located in the southern part of Kansas City. The District has a full range of academic programs designed to prepare students for continued education at colleges, universities, and technical schools as well as post high school employment. Although the district is located in Kansas City, its student population of 2500 and the small class sizes provide an urban environment with many of the advantages of a small community. The updated class rooms of the Center District all include SMART Board technology. This 21st century instructional tool provides our talented teaching staff with exciting possibilities to enhance students’ educational experiences. Center High School carries an A+ designation by the state.

Grandview School district serves a diverse student population of approximately 4,000. The district has been fully accredited throughout its history and now includes four elementary schools , one K-8 school Martin City, one 6-8 grade middle school Grandview Middle School (GMS), one 9-12 grade high school Grandview High School (GHS) and the Center for Alternative Instructional Resources (CAIR). At the beginning of the 2009-10 school year High Grove Early Childhood Center was opened offering programs such as Head Start, Parents As Teachers and Success By 6 to name a few.

Independence School District boasts National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, Missouri Gold Star Schools and many awards for academic and athletic performance. The district is accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Our high schools are fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

Kansas City, Missouri School District currently implemented the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) Accountability Turnaround Plan, a blueprint to guide the District toward full accreditation. The plan contains seven objectives in the areas of Board governance, curriculum, safety and security, data management and academic achievement. Implementation of the plan has begun, and the plan is constantly refined.

Kearney R-1 School District encompasses 92 square miles in northern Clay County and eight square miles in Clinton County. The district has a student population of approximately 3,400 students. It has seen a growth rate averaging five percent in recent years. Classrooms and staff have been added to keep ahead of the growth. The district employs over 200 classroom teachers. The student to teacher ratio is approximately 22 to 1.

Lee's Summit R-7 School District has received SchoolMatch's What Parents Want Award for many years. In addition, the R-7 School District has won Missouri's Distinction in Performance Award, the state's highest recognition for academic achievement. The district exceeded the criteria for this prestigious award by earning a perfect score on the Missouri performance indicators every year since the program began. Lee’s Summit was recently featured in BusinessWeek magazine as Missouri’s “Best Place in America to Raise Kids.” Only one town was selected from each state, and most important factors in this analysis were school performance, affordability and safety. Money magazine named Lee's Summit R-7 schools as seventh best in the nation in its annual "Best Places to Live" issue focusing on the nation's top 100 small cities.

Liberty Public Schools has been named a "High Performing School District" by the state of Missouri for seven consecutive years. “High Performing” is the highest accreditation ranking given to a Missouri school and recognizes Liberty as one the state’s best school districts. Liberty students consistently score above state and national norms on standardized tests. Liberty High School’s ACT scores rank it among the areas best, and the high school continues to graduate a high number of Bright Flight Scholars National Merit Scholarship winners. More than 86 percent of graduates seek higher education.

North Kansas City Schools is fully accredited by the state of Missouri and has earned the state’s prestigious “Distinction in Performance” award for high achievement numerous times. The district also is nationally accredited by the North Central Association’s Commission on Accreditation and was the first school system in Missouri to meet that organization’s rigorous quality standards. The National School Boards Association has twice honored North Kansas City Schools as a leader in educational technology and the district received the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) national Technology TEAM Award. Additionally, the U.S. Secretary of Education saluted the district as a national model for professional development. All four high schools are designated as A+ Schools by the state, allowing students who meet academic, attendance and citizenship criteria to receive two years of college tuition reimbursement from the State of Missouri. Each high school offers the Distinguished Achievement Program which includes the Gold Medallion diploma option, dual credit classes and AP courses. Students consistently are recognized each year through national scholarship programs such as National Merit Scholars, Gates Millennium and Horatio Alger. High school students also can elect to participate in the rigorous International Baccalaureate diploma program or choose one of the specialized study options such as the Cerner Scholars program, the Information Technology Academy, or the Automotive Technology program.

Park HIll has received the Meritorious Budget Award for the last 4 years because of its effective use of tax payer dollars. This year Park Hill has also been awarded the Missouri Quality Award. This is the only school district in the 17 year history of this award to earn this distinction. Park Hill has also received this year an AdvancED District Accreditation disinction this year.

Platte County R-3 Schools have achieved the highest honor of academic distinction in the state of Missouri by earning the classification of "High Performing District" since inception. Platte County R-3 has received a perfect 14 out of 14 score on the Annual Performance Report by the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education five out of the last six years. The Platte County R-3 Board of Education was recognized as Missouri School Board of the Year for 2008. The district also boasts excellent extracurricular programs with state championships in Missouri Girls Softball and Girls Basketball for 2009 & 2010, three consecutive Class 3 State Championships in football, back-to-back Class 2 & 3 State Championships in wrestling and a state championship in baseball. Platte County's fine arts department has also received numerous state level accomplishments in vocal, instrumental music, drama and other activities.

Raymore-Peculiar school district covers 94 square miles and includes 5,900 students. Each year since 2006 Ray-Pec school district has received the Distinction in Performance recognition.

Raytown C-2 School District serves three municipalities in Eastern Jackson County, including its namesake Raytown, parts of Kansas City and Independence. The district boundaries cover more than 32 square miles of land with excellent access to highways 435, 70 and 350. The district shares these boundaries with the Crossroads Chamber of Commerce.

Smithville R-II School District has earned "Distinction in Performance for High Achievement," the highest level of accreditation available to Missouri School districts. High Performing Students - Smithville students traditionally perform well above state and national averages on standardized achievement and college entrance exams. Smithville High School is a designated A+ School, which means qualifying graduates can receive free tuition to Missouri public community colleges and vocational/technical schools.

Kansas City International Airport (KCI) - Located north of Kansas City, KCI is one of the easiest airports to navigate your way through.
If you wish to rent a car when flying into KCI you have several companies to choose from: Ace, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty will help you with car rental.

If you don't wish to rent a car, you can catch a taxi to take you to downtown Kansas City for $35.

Trains - Union Station (located at 30 W. Pershing Road) hosts the Amtrak Missouri train which runs 2 daily round trip trains over the Kansas City - Jefferson City - St. Louis - Springfield - Chicago route. For a fun getaway consider hopping the train to St. Louis. Relax while on board and enjoy your trip!

Transit - Public Transit in the Metro KC area is growing rapidly. Bus transportation called "The Metro" services much of the area. Troost Max runs every 10 minutes on weekdays and offers quicker service to Downtown, the Crossroads, Hospital Hill, Midtown, and South Kansas City.

visit www.kcata.org to learn more about routes, times and information about The Metro, Troost Max and the proposed Streetcar Concept.

Kansas City Freeway System - Kansas City boasts one of the nations most extensive and modern freeway systems. This is designed to get you quickly downtown, the airport, and several business centers in the area quickly. The Freeways are: