So we went to Omaha. It was really funny because we asked everyone we could while we were there what would be the best and most fun things to do during our short stay in Omaha and pretty much every person was pretty stumped by the question. Apparently not a lot of options... but we were able to get a few ideas from people and also do some research on our own. We definitely didn't need more time but we made the most of when we were there!
-We flew in late and got checked into the Hotel Magnolia... it was an old historic building turned boutique hotel. Downtown Omaha has lots of historic preserved buildings that are in use and give a fun 1920's vibe when you see them scattered around. Lots of pretty trees too outside of downtown. The hotel ended up being great! Great location, breakfast and they even had milk and cookies every night.
DAY 1
We slept in. which really that alone would have been amazing enough.
-After getting up and getting ready we researched where to go for breakfast and chose a crepe place that we walked to. I was hoping for a simple yummy nutella/banana/strawberry crepe (or something along those lines) but this place actually had really interesting pairings. We tried a few but they didn't quite hit the spot so we opted for a breakfast re-do and we went to a more local place called "The Bagel Bin" and that was a win. On the ay back to the hotel we drove around some nice neighborhoods and looked at old mansions and got a little tour of Omaha... it's actually a huge city.
-We then went to the Winter Quarters Temple and Visitor's Center. We were able to do a session in the tiny temple and it was lovely. Then we explored the grounds and toured through the visitors center. I learned some things about Winter Quarters and the time spent there that I didn't know and it was interesting. Most who died there were women and children, and it made me think of what a different time that was and a different set of concerns, worries and aspirations these mothers had for their children. So glad I wasn't a pioneer.
-We had an early dinner that evening at "The Boiler Room" Restaurant which was in the Old Market part of town, the most fun place in Omaha for sure. The restaurant was literally the boiler room of an old factory and it had a really cool industrial vintagey feel to it. Plus the food was absolutely delicious. After dinner we walked around Old Market. There were lots of antique stores mixed with restaurants, bars, and newer shops. We went in one Antique market and were surprised to find a gigantic candy store! There were different kinds of candy everywhere (luckily NOT antiques.. all the candy was fresh) but with all the variety we went through and found ones that reminded us of our child hood and picked out some for the kids and had fun admiring the variety. Up the street we found an ice cream shop called "Ted & Wally's" that makes about 8 flavors of home made ice cream and yogurts every day in huge ice cream churners. The door had a sign that said "Please keep the door closed for the integrity of the ice cream" And the line was out the door so we knew it had to be good. We weren't disappointed. We kept it pretty simple with some Dutch chocolate but it was delicious.
-That night we brought out our candy and watched movies in the hotel room.
DAY 2
-We tried to get an earlier start and made it in time for breakfast at our hotel then we headed to the zoo!
-The Henry Doorsey Zoo was probably the top rated thing in Omaha, both online and by word of mouth (after a few moments of being stumped pretty much everyone we asked finally got around to "We have a great zoo here...") It's the second largest and often the top ranked zoo in America. Naturally we had to check it out. With the weather being hot and humid as it was and me being as pregnant as I was, and Paul having a stress fracture in his foot from climbing the Tetons, we opted to rent electric scooters to see the sites. It was an excellent choice. We got to go everywhere and not get to tired and jut park outside then go inside to see things and didn't have to cut anything off or get too tired and sweaty. Plus it was super fun! Definitely the way to go. The zoo was great, we saw a lot of different animals and the grounds were beautiful.
-After the zoo we got some lunch and walked around Old Market a little more before it was time to head back to the airport and catch our place home. I'm really glad that the flights went well and that I felt good the whole time. I'm also really glad that we had such great people to help watch our kids while we were gone! They did great and everything went so smoothly.
A lot of people asked us how long we had been married on our trip. Even without us telling them it was an anniversary trip. And even after asking us that and hearing "7 years" everyone also assumed this was our first baby. They would say "Congratulations on starting your family" or one lady with a bunch of kids around her said "Just you wait". I thought it was really funny. The past 7 years have been busy and have flown by. I guess the fact that we are on our third kid alone attests to that, but also just looking back at the things that have happened to us or the places we have visited and opportunities that have presented themselves... it's crazy. The pace of our lives is constantly shocking to me. Which makes me so thankful to have such a great partner by my side. Paul is seriously the best. I'm so lucky to be married to him and to have the marriage relationship that we do. I look forward to our next 43 state visits together, and wherever life decides to take us in between.
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