Our goal for today was simply to get to Omaha, Nebraska, so that on Thursday we would have short enough drive to enjoy some of the sites of Nauvoo in the afternoon. We hadn't really planned on making any stops along the way there except as needed for gas and food. However since our first stop of the day at the Lincoln Monument was so great, we started watching for other awesome things to see and learn about. Here is a flavor of what we saw traveling east on Freeway 80.
Another rest stop in Nebraska talking about the Platte River and some of the history of the region.
This rest stop had lots of travel information and a kind volunteer who actually gave us information about a great campground near Omaha. The rest stops were so well-designed and maintained.
As we drove through Nebraska, I noticed that I was feeling very excited--more than you would expect for a day of traveling only. I realized it was because of the big open skies and flat ground of the prairie. It was reminding me of my many trips to Amarillo from Utah. I knew I was getting close to home and my family when the skies opened up and "you could see forever". When we moved to Amarillo when I was sixteen, my mom made a point of teaching us about the prairie and "the High Plains" where Amarillo was located. I thought about her a lot while driving through these northern Plains of the US. We are so lucky to live in a country with such beautiful and diverse countryside.
For some reason (as near as I can tell related strictly to tourism), this is the Archway across the freeway. We didn't stop(surprise) but apparently from the literature you can buy Archway shirts and walk back and forth across the freeway. I don't know if there is any historical significance to this spot.
A farm in the countryside:
That night we stayed in Edward Mahoney State Park, a very nice campground and recreation area near Omaha. After about 13 hours in the car, it was a nice spot to spend the night. We took a walk around the area and saw some fun things.
The vegetation by our campsite:
My fellow travelers off on our hike around the small lake near the campground.
Paths through the grass are always enticing--- so up the hill we went
Jena and Gary made it up the hill. Jena is not a big fan of uphill climbs which aren't paved but she was a good sport and she made it with no problems.
We eventually found a board walk which we were able to follow through some gardens and prairie lands. The sounds of birds were everywhere as it was approaching dusk and they were enjoying some cooler temperatures.
Of course, Gary and Jena can't pose without being silly.....
Back to the lake again on the other side--
We suddenly saw one and then several geese slide into the lake.
It turned out that a young boy (you can see his body with the pink shirt) was feeding them from the boat dock. I would gather it was a regular event based on how many and how quickly those ducks crossed the lake.
There was a short bridge across the end of the lake--with a name (Ruth Musil Giger) and everything so of course, Jena and I had to cross it.
Then back to our nice RV spot for a dinner of Tacos and bed.
Day one was completed.
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