Nebraska, a New State on Our Long Summer Trip

Nebraska

Nebraska was an entirely new state for us.  We visited the eastern portion and the cities, Omaha and Lincoln, early in our trip out west.   Later, we traveled through the western and southern  sides of the state as we traveled home.

Omaha/ Lincoln

So, we spent two nights at the West Omaha KOA.  Our site was nicely shaded and there was a pool and laundry.  We took advantage of the opportunity to utilize both.

Nebraska State Capital Building

We made the relatively short drive into Lincoln and checked out the Capital Building.   Fortunately, there was a tour starting while we were there.  So, we learned a lot about that beautiful building.  The $10 million building was constructed from 1922-1932 and was totally debt free upon completion.

Visitors can take an elevator to the top of the 437’ base to the 14th floor and are awarded with an amazing view of the city.

The Foyer’s theme is the “Life of Man” and has beautiful mosaics and ornate arches.

The Lincoln Monument at the front of the building was commissioned in 1909 and predates the building.

Anniversary Lunch

We were in Lincoln for our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary.   Incidentally, I am one lucky woman to be married to my guy!

After touring the capital, we had a delicious lunch at The Green Gateau to celebrate.  Gateau means cake and we did have some cake, but carrot cake, not their specialty which does have some green decorations.   However, everything was wonderful and if ever again in the area, I would definitely seek the Green Gateau.

The Dunham Museum

The Dunham Museum dedicated to Omaha Union Station, was also a stop for us.  The Union Station is now a very cool museum with such a rich history.  Omaha was the beginning of the central route of the transcontinental railroad and Sacramento, California was the end.

The railroad made cross-country travel much easier and cheaper.  Before the railroad, a trip from New York to California required six grueling months and cost $1,000.  After the railroad, it took only a week and cost $70.  It was a major game changer of its time.

The station has multiple life-sized bronze statues depicting travelers and train personnel during the station’s heyday.  I sat in on one of their conversations.

The photo below is a restored Pullman Sleeper built in 1956 and is a throwback to a time when the train was the most luxurious way to travel.  It certainly made me feel like I was on one of those trains from old movies.   Visitors can also walk through sleeper cars, bathrooms, and dining areas.

 Best Rover Sitter Ever

Rover is a bit like Uber, except it links pet owners to potential dog services.  Our puppy, Sophie, stayed with a Rover sitter in Lincoln while we were seeing the sights in the area.  Dode and her husband, Dallen, were amazing!    She took our puppy shopping for toys and would not let us reimburse.   Dode clearly loves dogs!  She sent us photos and videos of Sophie shopping and playing in their beautiful fenced yard.  Moreover, Sophie got such a royal treatment we were a little worried she might not want to come back home to us.

Heading Home Through Western Nebraska

Our southward drive through western Nebraska was long and incredibly hot.  Highs were over 100 degrees and stayed that way until early evening.  Our route was not very populated, but the countryside was lovely.

We made a stop in the town of Gothenburg to see an original Pony Express Station.    It is located in a beautiful park with lots of big trees.  We were grateful for the shade and enjoyed the museum.

Meadow Park RV

We stopped for one night at Bridgeport.  It was so hot in our camper that it took quite awhile to get cool.   Our air conditioner usually freezes us out quickly, but not in the current heat wave.  It was too hot to do anything outside, so we just tried to cool off in the camper.

Laurie, who owns the campground gave us some fresh peaches upon arrival.  They were delicious!

Kearney

Our last stop in Nebraska was at Kearney Campground.  It was a nice concrete sight by the river, but it was still blazing hot.

The thermostat was showing 104 degrees in the camper when we plugged in the electricity.  We knew it would take awhile to cool the camper because it was in full sun.  So, we sat beside the river under some shade.

Our puppy was really hot, so we waded in the water for a bit.  She really liked it.

In Conclusion

We enjoyed our time in Nebraska and the very nice people we met!  Everything was great except for the extreme heat.  Posts of visits to other states can be accessed on our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

Happy Camping!