10/4/22

Omaha, Nebraska

Good morning, my friends. We're another state closer to home as I write this. We drove from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River on yesterday's trek. 


It was one of the longer days of driving, made longer when we were nearing our destination and found the interstate closed in the direction we wanted to go. No problem. We went north to turn around and head south on the road we wanted, but found that access closed off too. It meant driving farther north, just to come farther south. The only good thing about this story is that we found relatively cheap diesel at the first turn-around spot. Maybe it was all meant to be.

And here's the other part of this sad story...it requires some explanation. So, we have a combination washer and dryer. It can only wash very small loads, and so keeping up with the laundry requires running the machine almost every day. For this, we need a water and sewer hook-up. I've been looking ahead at places we're staying ever since leaving West Virginia, thinking surely we'd have full hook-ups at the next spot. (We actually did move to a full hook-up site back in Hocking Hills, but only for about half a day. I had time to wash one load there.) Each new destination brought us to yet another site with electricity only. Now, we find ourselves in Omaha. I checked the park's website a few days ago and read these words: "We have 42 full hook-up sites." Perfect. Only, when we got to our reserved site, it was electricity only! Again! 

Well, I was fit to be tied by this time. Yes, they do have 42 full hook-up sites. They also have 42 electric-only sites, and we were in one of them. Making an already too-long story shorter, we were able to work it out with the camp host to get full hook-ups, and so all is well again. Now I've happily done two loads of wash, and I'll do a few more today to get caught up. And I only bring this up to say it was a rough end to a long day. We went out for dinner at a rather upscale restaurant in Omaha. We had the best evening, with the most engaging waiter. It was very therapeutic, and we feel much more relaxed this morning.

So let's get back to yesterday's drive, shall we? As we were hitching up to go, we saw a big tug boat pushing several barges south on the Mississippi River. We'd seen something similar go through the night before, but we could only see its lights after dark. It was fun seeing it in daylight.


Here's a closer look at the tugboat. After having just visited the museum the day before, it was fun to see this in action.


In only just a couple of days, the leaves have changed quite a bit.


It's another reminder to us that we need to be heading for home before snowflakes start flying.


This next image was our last glance of Dubuque as we headed west. We enjoyed our time there. I wish we'd had a little more time to explore the area.


And, right away, we were back into the Land of Barns.


And corn. Lots and lots of corn. I'm hoping this next image can give you some idea what it's like here. We drove miles and miles and miles surrounded by acres and acres and acres of corn fields. In some places the harvest has started.


I can recall from our last drive across Iowa that we saw more barn quilts there than anyplace else.


I regret not getting an in-focus picture of this one.


To make up for the blur, I'm including this photo taken on our last trip through Iowa in 2014.


Okay, so this next one isn't a barn quilt, but it is interesting. It looks as if someone didn't read the instructions for proper orientation of the stripes on the American flag...or maybe the stars are in the wrong place. Either way...that ain't right.


But moving on...more barns.




We stopped at a very fancy rest stop where there were pots of pretty blooming things. 





Eventually, we came to the bridge spanning the Missouri River and the Nebraska state line.


When we were finally set up, the kitties enjoyed their post-travel greet and treats.


Sadie was acting all cutesy, wanting her post-travel snuggles. She was also interested in whatever Smitty was doing.


Smitty was waiting for the catio to open so he could get outside and have a first look at the Nebraska grass...or Negrasska, if you say it in Catonese.


We have today and tonight here before we move along to a new part of the state. Aside from getting caught up on the laundry, we'll be visiting Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium. We've purchased our tickets online, and so we're ready to go. Of course, I'll tell you all about it in tomorrow's post. 

In other news, we needed a part from an appliance store in Omaha so that Mike could finish repairing the convection/microwave oven. It's fixed now, and we're back in business. We'll need to pick up yet another part at an Amazon Hub locker today, and I need to find a post office to mail home a gift to Erik, who has a birthday next week. So there's plenty to keep us busy today. For now, Mike is still sleeping, and I'm going to spend some time on my slow-stitching. I haven't forgotten that I still owe you a better picture of the finished Block #5. Now that I have water and sewer again, I can get busy rinsing out the Sticky Fabri-Solvy. Look for that in tomorrow's post too.

15 comments:

Barbara said...

I will not play tug o' war. I'd rather play hug o' war. Where everyone hugs instead of tugs, Where everyone giggles and rolls on the rug, Where everyone kisses, and everyone grins, and everyone cuddles, and everyone wins. ~ Shel Silverstein

SallyC said...

If you have time the Lauritzen Gardens with Keneflick Park are pretty cool and they are just north of the zoo about a half mile. I have been enjoying reading about your vacation, we were about two weeks ahead of you in many of the same areas in Michigan.

Mary C said...

Seems like a quilt fabric shopping trip is due?

piecefulwendy said...

Mike is the man of the hour - so glad he has all those skills. Saves a lot of headache while on the road! I've not seen much of Omaha, so will look forward to your posts. I've heard great things about the zoo. (It's all happenin' at the zoo, y'know, right?!) Now I'll have that earworm going on today . . .

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed seeing the trees beginning to turn…..we returned home to Virginia late yesterday after spending some time in the mountains of North Carolina to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary (don’t know how so many years have gone by, but it has been a fun fifty years!!.)….we only saw a few areas with any amount of color. That was disappointing, but the scenery was still beautiful. It had been a while since we had been to the mountains and it was nice to get away to somewhere different.
We were a little concerned about how our kitty, Cosmo, would do without us, but a friend stopped by twice a day to feed him, and play with him and she sent us little videos. He did great, but let me tell you, we got an earful when we got home. He talked nonstop for a couple of hours. We go to our beach house fairly often, and Cosmo always goes with us, so I am sure when he saw us getting ready to leave he thought he would be going too…but, he did fine thanks to our friend’s help.
Glad you were able to get the water and sewer hookup you needed so you could take care of laundry, and that Mike was able to get parts needed for repairs!
Sandra B
scb304@juno.com

Julierose said...

Great that you got your hook-ups!! ;)))

What an amazing variety of barns and acres of cornfields!! Trees there are way ahead of ours here--we are still mostly in full-leafed green with just hints of colors on a few maples which always are first to turn here.. since we live in an area called "Oakridge" we have mainly oaks which seem to want to hold onto their leaves for the longest time possible!!

Today Tom and I got our flue AND covid booster shots at the same time...just a bit tired this afternoon, but no bad reactions so far.

Hope your journey continues to be fun--love your travelogues hugs, Julierose

Sara said...

Enjoy your visit! Omaha is one of my favorite places to visit. We have family there, plus it's just shy of 4 hours away, so we visit 3-4 times per year. Love that zoo especially! We spent a day there with all of the grandkids a couple of years ago. The grandkids told me a couple of weeks ago that we need to go back to the Omaha zoo next summer. And there are a couple of fun quilt shops there too. Terrific golf courses, and fun restaurants add to the reasons we like to go there.

Jenny said...

I'm sure it must take quite some skill fr the boat to push those barges along the river. Wonder why they dont pull them instead, guess there must be a good reason. Landry needs go be done, holidays or not! Enjoy your day at the zoo.

Tina W. In Oregon said...

Have enjoyed following along on your travels. You’ve been to quite a few interesting places I know I’ll never get to see in person. I must comment on the flag barn - according to proper flag displaying etiquette, it is correctly depicted.

Rita Anne Hope-Haverman said...

Welcome to my state...Nebraska. Our motto (besides "The Good Life") is "Nebraska, It's Not For Everyone". I hope you have a great time here. The zoo and Lauritzen Gardens are wonderful. I'll bet you are looking forward to the quilt museum in Lincoln. Glad you are here. I follow all your adventures and so happy they brought you to Nebraska. Go Big Red.

Edith said...

I followed some of your footsteps a bit earlier than you through VA and OH. In Ohio there was a terrible wreck where a truck covered the road from the median all the way across, then I realized that it was 2 trucks! So the road was closed. Then about 20 - 30 miles there was another terrible wreck with a truck rear ending another truck. People were stopped for miles behind that. I felt bad since they probably didn’t know there was another one after the first one. My husband and I liked Omaha when we stopped and want to check it out more the next time we head west. They had a great looking old town section. Also when we drove around lots of awesome older houses. Have fun and stay safe. Really enjoying your travels vicariously.

Karen said...

There is a Shel Silverstein stamp out. "The giving tree", After one of his books. Of course.
Our trees are beginning to turn. Now that you are past michigan.

SJSM said...

Tugs on rivers are very different than tugs for ocean going ships. Thanks for the picture of one in the River working that barge. When daughter and I drove her to Ohio for college, we were amazed at so much corn. We were thinking ethanol. We tried the field corn in a restaurant. Definitely not the field corn of my youth that my grandma grew. Cattle must be very desperate to eat that stuff. Heading home with a few states to go. The closer one gets to home, the more you want to get there.

Enjoy the rest of the roads ahead.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I'm wondering if those strange stripes on that building were because the farmer owns a plane and uses them to navigate by.
Good for Mike that he's such a great fix-it man. Not easy to get parts while on the road but you seem to have figured it out.

ytsmom said...

Curious as to what restaurant you went to, since I'm semi-local. Yes, the zoo is pretty wonderful, and very big!