By Saul Schwartz
In August, my wife Fern and I drove three hours from Des Moines, Iowa, to the Nebraska border. Neither of us had ever been in this state before. We spent parts of two days in Omaha and Lincoln. The two cities are only about one hour apart and are – by far – the state’s largest two cities. Omaha has a population of about 487,000 and Lincoln has a population of about 293,000.
The Bob – Our first stop in Nebraska was Omaha’s Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge, or Bob for short. At the Nebraska end of the bridge, there is a free open parking lot and a large National Park Service visitor center. Fern and I walked back and forth from the Nebraska (Omaha) side to the Iowa (Council Bluffs) side of the open bridge. We first stopped to see Omar the troll who lives under the bridge on the Nebraska side. The bridge offers great views of the Omaha skyline.
Opened in 2008, the bridge is named for Senator Bob Kerry who secured funding for the project. We saw the bridge being used by bikers, walkers, and joggers. It takes about 20 minutes to walk back and forth over the bridge.
The bridge is .9 kilometers long and curves over the Missouri River by cables and two 210 feet-tall towers. Of course, we struck a pose and stood in two states at one time at Bob’s midsection, where both states are marked. This is called Bobbing!
Joslyn Castle – Next, we took a two-hour guided tour of the Joslyn Catle, located at 3902 Davenport Street in Omaha. There is a free open parking lot. Tours are on a limited basis throughout the week. The cost of the tour is $12 per adult. The cost goes towards the preservation of the mansion which is now maintained by the Joslyn Castle Trust. The tour started with an informative 12-minute video.
In 1903, George and Sarah Joslyn completed the 35 room Scottish mansion. The four-story house now sits minutes from downtown Omaha, but at the time of the construction it was considered out in the country. The interior contains some now extinct wood, along with colorful stain glass windows, and mosaic tiles. The stained-glass windows are like those in Frank Lloyd Wright homes.
Our guide Gary explained each room in detail, including how the mansion was modified when it was taken over by the Omaha Public School system. Lovely gardens surround the outside of the castle. We thought it was quite unusual to see a Scottish castle in Nebraska.
From Omaha, we then drove one hour to Lincoln, the state capital.
In Lincoln, we walked by the Nebraska State Capitol building. The 400-foot tower can be seen from miles away. It is crowned by a gold dome.
Food options – We purchased some food to go from the large Hy-Vee supermarket in Lincoln and the smaller Wohlner’s neighborhood grocery in Omaha. The Scooter’s Coffee Shop at 2700 Dan Avenue in Lincoln had a large variety of tea and coffee options at reasonable prices in a pleasant setting. Fern and I enjoyed dinner at one of Lincoln’s Panera Bread locations where the friendly staff gave us free chocolate chip cookies.
Lodging – We stayed at the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln, on 1040 P Street. This hotel offered an extensive breakfast as part of the price, along with a modest fitness center and large suite rooms. The location in the P Street corridor had a safe feel for a downtown hotel.
Although we did not have much time to spend in Nebraska’s two cities, Fern and I felt that they both had more than enough attractions to offer for our visit. We then headed further out west along the Interstate 80 Corridor along the Great Plains to Wyoming.
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