A TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO STATES YOU WOULDN'T THINK OF VACATIONING TO
- CHAPTER TWELVE-
KEARNEY NEBRASKA - CAUSE WHY THE HECK NOT!
So another travel brochure made its way into my mail box so I decided HI TRAVELERS, WELCOME TO MY BLOG! COME ON IN AND ENJOY!
So what is the big deal about Kearney?
It's the midpoint between San Francisco, California and Boston, Massachusetts at 1733 miles from each place to the mecca of whatever!!
Isn't that exciting?
"You bet!!"
What else about Kearney?
LETS GO TO GOOGLE!!
Kearney is a city in and the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 30,787 at the 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The westward push of the railroad as the Civil War ended gave birth to the community
Can you feel the excitement?
"Like watching paint dry without the paint!"
That's the key!!!
You have the Classic Car Collection with over hundreds of cars! (Website can be found here ---- http://www.ccckearney.com/
The Archway is a museum of and monument to Nebraska's and the Platte River valley's role in westward expansion. The Archway is directly over Interstate 80 three miles east of Kearney, Nebraska.
There's Yanney Heritage Park -the finest family park between Omaha and Denver, Colorado!!
FREE WIFI even!!!
Life is good with free wifi!
"Isn't it though? What else is there to do in Kearney?? It sounds fun!!"
The Museum of Nebraska Art is the official art museum of the state of Nebraska. The museum is located in Kearney, Nebraska, and is administratively affiliated with the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
"Oh my!! So much better than watching paint dry!! Why wasn't I told about Kearney before now? Everybody is like LETS GO TO PARIS, FRANCE!!! when we have Kearney right here, in the good ole United States of America!!!"
I know!! What the hell!!
Visit Kearney, Nebraska, the sandhill crane capital of THE WORLD!! (Offical website can be found here --- https://visitkearney.org/ Tell them we sent you and they'll chase you out of town with a broom, so maybe don't do that!!!)
Omaha (/ˈoʊməhɑː/OH-mə-hah) is the largest city in the state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County.[6] Omaha is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 10 miles (15 km) north of the mouth of the Platte River. Omaha is the anchor of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, which includes Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha. According to the 2010 census, Omaha's population was 408,958, having increased to 466,893 as of the 2017 estimate. This makes Omaha the nation's 40th-largest city. Including its suburbs, Omaha formed the 60th-largest metropolitan area in the United States in 2013, with an estimated population of 895,151 residing in eight counties. The Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, Nebraska-IA Combined Statistical Area is 931,667, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2013 estimate.[7] Nearly 1.3 million people reside within the Greater Omaha area, comprising a 50 miles (80 kilometers) radius of Downtown Omaha, the city's center.
Omaha's pioneer period began in 1854, when the city was founded by speculators from neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa. The city was founded along the Missouri River, and a crossing called Lone Tree Ferry earned the city its nickname, the "Gateway to the West". Omaha introduced this new West to the world in 1898, when it played host to the World's Fair, dubbed the Trans-Mississippi Exposition. During the 19th century, Omaha's central location in the United States spurred the city to become an important national transportation hub. Throughout the rest of the 19th century, the transportation and jobbing sectors were important in the city, along with its railroads and breweries. In the 20th century, the Omaha Stockyards, once the world's largest, and its meatpacking plants gained international prominence.
Today, Omaha is the home to the headquarters of four Fortune 500 companies: mega-conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway; one of the world's largest construction companies, Kiewit Corporation; insurance and financial firm Mutual of Omaha; and the United States' largest railroad operator, Union Pacific Corporation.[8] Berkshire Hathaway is headed by local investor Warren Buffett, one of the richest people in the world, according to a decade's worth of Forbes Magazine rankings, some of which have ranked him as high as No. 1.[9] Omaha is also the home to five Fortune 1000 headquarters: Green Plains Renewable Energy, TD Ameritrade, Valmont Industries, Werner Enterprises, and West Corporation. Also headquartered in Omaha are First National Bank of Omaha, the largest privately held bank in the United States; three of the nation's largest 10 architecture/engineering firms: DLR Group, HDR, Inc., and Leo A Daly;[10] the Gallup Organization, of Gallup Poll fame; and its riverfront Gallup University. Enron began in Omaha as Northern Natural Gas in 1930, before taking over a smaller Houston company in 1985 to form InterNorth, which Kenneth Lay moved permanently to Houston, in 1987. First Data, another Fortune 500 company, was founded in Omaha in 1971 and headquartered there until the late 90's. ConAgra Brands, yet another Fortune 500 company, was headquartered in Omaha until 2014. Both First Data and ConAgra Brands still have a significant presence in Omaha. MetLife and Pacific Life, two Fortune 500 insurance companies also domicile in Omaha.
The modern economy of Omaha is diverse and built on skilled knowledge jobs. In 2009, Forbes identified Omaha as the nation's number one "Best Bang-For-The Buck City" and ranked it number one on "America's Fastest-Recovering Cities" list. Tourism in Omaha benefits the city's economy greatly, with the annual College World Series and Triple Crown SlumpBuster providing important revenue and the city's Henry Doorly Zoo serving as the top attraction in Nebraska as well as being named the best zoo in the world by Trip Advisor in 2014.[11] Omaha hosted the U.S. Olympic swim trials in 2008, 2012, 2016, and will host them again in 2020.
Notable modern Omaha inventions include: the bobby pin and the "pink hair curler", at Omaha's Tip Top; Butter Brickle Ice Cream and the Reuben sandwich, conceived by a chef at the then-Blackstone Hotel on 36th and Farnam Streets;[12] cake mix, developed by Duncan Hines, then a division of Omaha's Nebraska Consolidated Mills, the forerunner to today's ConAgra Foods; center-pivot irrigation by the Omaha company now known as Valmont Corporation;[13]Raisin Bran, developed by Omaha's Skinner Macaroni Co.; the ski lift, in 1936, by Omaha's Union Pacific Corp;[14] the "Top 40" radio format, pioneered by Todd Storz, scion of Omaha's Storz Brewing Co., and head of Storz Broadcasting, which was the first in the U.S. to use the "Top 40" format at Omaha's KOWH Radio; and the TV dinner, developed by Omaha's Carl Swanson Co.[15] Omaha was also the birthplace of Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States.
Omaha is a city in the U.S. state of Nebraska, on the Missouri River close to the Iowa border. A stop on the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, it's known for its pioneer history, museums and cultural centers. The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium spearheads conservation work and features a big cat complex as well as indoor jungle, rainforest and desert habitats.
On the edge of the Missouri River, Lauritzen Gardens is a large botanical garden with seasonal exhibits. Just north, the Joslyn Art Museum showcases works by Rembrandt and Monet in art deco and contemporary buildings. The Durham Museum exhibits regional photographs and artifacts in the art deco Union Station, a former railway station. Within the cobblestoned Old Market, a shopping and dining district, lies the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. The Omaha Community Playhouse, Holland Performing Arts Center and the Rose Theater are other performing arts spaces that contribute to the city's rich cultural scene.
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, located at 3701 South 10th Street. It can be accessed by I-80, very easily. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Old Market is a neighborhood located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States, and is bordered by South 10th Street to the east, 13th Street to the west, Farnam Street to the north and Jackson Street to the South. The neighborhood has many restaurants, art galleries and upscale shopping.
Lauritzen Gardens/Kenefick Park
Lauritzen Gardens are a botanical gardens and arboretum located at 100 Bancroft Street in the South Omaha neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. The gardens are open daily during business hours; an admission fee is charged.
The Durham Museum is located at 801 South 10th Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The museum is dedicated to preserving and displaying the history of the United States' western region. The museum is housed in Omaha's former Union Station.
A TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO STATES YOU WOULDN'T THINK OF VACATIONING TO
- CHAPTER TWO-
NEBRASKA
State motto: Equality before the law
So we continue our "Travels" through the states that nobody really thinks of as they plan their vacations.
"Hey honey, do you want to go to Nebraska for our vacation?" a husband asks his wife.
She divorces him for even making such a suggestion.
Hawaii?
Why would you want to go there when you have NEBRASKA!!!!
"What the hell? Nebraska?" the wife says grabbing her 'skinning knife' and slowly approaches hubby with that look in her eye.
Hold up Mrs. Traveler!!
Nebraska might not be the 'World wind' travel destination you dreamed of as a child but trust me, it has character.
Look at how close to Iowa Nebraska is!
After your trip through that wonderful mecca of tourism, you can high tail it to Nebraska and boy, you'd get a great trip that your wife won't want to leave (okay, she might want to but we won't let her!!)
"But Mr. Blog Writer, what's there to do in Nebraska? I know there's Bridges of Madison County and such in Iowa but..."
Well, first off, lets describe Nebraska as if we were hitting the Wikipedia and just cut and pasted everything into a guide.
Nebraska/nəˈbræskə/ (listen) is a state that lies in both the Great Plains and the Midwestern United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north, Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River, Kansas to the south, Colorado to the southwest and Wyoming to the west. It is the only triply landlocked U.S. state. Nebraska's area is just over 77,220 square miles (200,000 km2) with almost 1.9 million people. Its state capital is Lincoln, and its largest city is Omaha, which is on the Missouri River.
Indigenous peoples including Omaha, Missouria, Ponca, Pawnee, Otoe, and various branches of the Lakota (Sioux) tribes lived in the region for thousands of years before European exploration. The state is crossed by many historic trails and was explored by the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Nebraska was admitted as the 37th state of the United States in 1867. It is the only state in the United States whose legislature is unicameral and officially nonpartisan.
Nebraska is composed of two major land regions: the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains. The Dissected Till Plains is a region of gently rolling hills and contains the state's largest cities, Omaha and Lincoln. The Great Plains occupy most of western Nebraska, characterized by treeless prairie, suitable for cattle-grazing. The state has a large agriculture sector and is a major producer of beef, pork, corn and soybeans. There are two major climatic zones: the eastern half of the state has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classificationDfa), with a unique warmer subtype considered "warm-temperate" near the southern plains like in Kansas and Oklahoma which have a predominantly humid subtropical climate. The western half has a primarily semi-arid climate (Koppen BSk). The state has wide variations between winter and summer temperatures, decreasing south through the state. Violent thunderstormsand tornadoes occur primarily during spring and summer, but sometimes in autumn. Chinook winds tend to warm the state significantly in the winter and early spring.
Doesn't that sound like fun?
"Not really! Tornadoes?" the wife says beginning her approach in that "look" in her eyes towards the blog writer.
WAIT!!!!!
It gets better!!
"I would hope so!" she says settling back down for a bit.
We'll hit the VISIT NEBRASKA website and discover all the good stuff that is Nebraska!
Welcome to Barn Quilts of Dawson County Nebraska - Where Beauty, History & Inspiration Merge.
Dawson County Nebraska is rich in art, history and ethnicity. In an effort to combine and intertwine the diversity of the communities within Dawson County, the Cozad Tourism Committee formed the Barn Quilts of Dawson County Trail.
Barn Quilts of Dawson County Nebraska is about celebrating our farming, quilting and diverse ethnic heritage and sharing that art culture with as many as possible. Barn quilts promote a sense of community while preserving and celebrating agriculture, history and art.
Barn quilt designs tell a story about a person, their family or their heritage. They are not just for barns anymore. They are popping up on businesses, mailboxes, garages, homes, fences and more.
The Barn Quilt movement began in Adams County, Ohio in 2001 when Donna Sue Groves painted a version of her mother, Maxine’s, quilt on their barn as a tribute. The project quickly spread to friends and neighbors, becoming a means for tourism and economic development. Barn quilt have turned into the fastest growing grassroots art movements in the US and Canada.
CHIMNEY ROCK NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE AND VISITOR CENTER
