The Omaha Zoo

Over Memorial Day weekend, we went to Nebraska for Nathan's cousin Lauren's wedding.  While we were there, we spent an afternoon at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium.

Before I continue, let's get this out of the way:

As a Southern California native, I grew up assuming the San Diego Zoo is the greatest zoo in the world.  It does, after all, have pandas.  I've also visited the zoos in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, London, the Bronx and Central Park.  The Omaha Zoo does not have a panda, but it's still my favorite.

Nathan has taken me to the Omaha Zoo twice, and we have still not seen all the exhibits.  There are so many animals!  Many of the animals are outside like at a traditional zoo, but there are also enclosed "environments" like the Desert Dome and the Lied Jungle. 

(And, because I'm feeling really mature, I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that I have not yet had a chance to visit the Grewcock Butterfly & Insect Pavilion, but I just want to mention the Grewcock Pavilion because it's called "Grewcock" and holy crap, how does anyone ever say that last name with a straight face?) 

My favorite part of the zoo is probably Skyfari, which is like a ski lift that crosses over the park.  You fly only about twenty or thirty feet above giraffes, monkeys, ostriches and other fun animals.  If you ever visit Nebraska, I highly recommend the Omaha Zoo.

Oh yeah, I might have gone crazy with my camera while we were there....

Let's Talk About The Center Pivot

Have you ever looked out an airplane window and noticed circular fields of crops?  These fields result from center-pivot irrigation.

If you are from the Midwest, or have family in the Midwest, or studied agriculture at any point in your life, you can probably skip this blog entry.  Otherwise, I would like to introduce the center pivot:

Look at that monster!  It's the uber-lawn sprinkler.  If only I had one of these things when I was a summer camp counselor.  In the top photograph, you are looking at the front of the center pivot.  The far end stays in place and supplies water to the rest of the system.  The front and middle sections move on wheels; and as the wheels move, the enter contraption pivots in a big slow circle and shoots out water, thereby irrigating a circlular field of crops.  

Any questions?  Well, don't ask me - I'm not an irrigation expert.  But I still think the center pivot is pretty cool. 

Scenes from Nebraska, the December 2011 Edition

Five years ago, I did not give much thought to the Midwest and rural America.  I knew the West Coast well because I have lived almost my entire life in Los Angeles.  I knew the East Coast well because my mother is from New York and I went to college in New England.  But the Midwest?  That was just a big chunk of land in between LAX and JFK.  From the airplane, it looked pretty boring.  

Five years ago, if you had asked me if I would ever visit Nebraska, I would have shrugged.  And if you had asked me whether I would visit rural Nebraska during the dead of winter, I would have laughed hysterically.  

Then I met my husband, who grew up in a town of 1,600 in rural Nebraska, and now I have visited his home state four times - including three December trips!

Every December, Nebraska looks different.  In 2009, there was a blizzard and snow.  It was like we had stepped into the movie Fargo.  In 2010, there was less snow but the landscape still looked like a Christmas card.   

For Christmas 2011, I was prepared for Artic temperatures... and then my gloves, scarf and hat spent the entire trip in the rental car.  During the day, the temperatures were in the 50s and I just needed a sweatshirt to stay warm.  Almost all the snow had melted.  Let me tell you about the un-snowy Nebraska countryside: it's beautiful and the roads are safe.  From now on, I'm dreaming of a brown Christmas.  


Random Countryside View as we drove through Nebraska.



More Random Countryside while driving.

Sunset at the family ranch.

  

Farm cats at the family ranch.

 

Sign for a steakhouse where we had dinner.

Snow!

I was told we could have breakfast here - or the gas station.

Off to Nebraska!

Yes, you read that right - I am off to Nebraska for the holidays!  My husband grew up in a small town of 1,600 in rural Nebraska.  We are spending the holidays with my new in-laws. (I have scheduled some posts for next week in case you are desperate for a Cranky Pumpkin fix.)

Today, we fly to Omaha.  Earlier this year, there was a direct flight between Los Angles and Omaha.  And this is fabulous because who wants to make a connection, especially during the holiday travel season?  But, alas, the airline cancelled the direct flight (AAARGGHH) so we will be flying to Omaha via Dallas.  Take a look at a U.S. map - you will note that the path from L.A. to Omaha via Dallas is not exactly a direct route.  In fact, some would say it is an extremely indirect route.  Oh well, such is life.

At Eppley Airfield, aka the Omaha airport, I will watch for our baggage while Nathan secures the rental car.  Then, we have to walk outside to get the car, and this will be the coldest walk of my life.  Holy crap, just thinking about the walk makes me shiver.  I went to college in middle-of-nowhere-New Hampshire, and I took some long, cold walks across the campus at 3 a.m. in February because that is what stupid dumbass college students do.  But the walk from the baggage claim area to the rental car lot at the Omaha airport is colder. 

Then, we will drive into Nebraska because the Omaha airport is actually in Iowa.  (Duh).  We will drive to my mother-in-law's house in an Omaha suburb and spend the next twenty-one hours at her place, eating cookies, opening presents, eating more cookies, and eating a Christmas Eve holiday lunch. 

In my family, we always celebrate Christmas Eve with my Aunt Berta's lasagna.  Let me tell you about Aunt Berta's lasagna: it's amazing.  There's also a pink frothy jello casserole thing which should be terrible but is hauntingly delicious.  So, I should spend Christmas Eve pining for the traditional food I grew up with, but fortunately, my mother-in-law is an excellent cook.  She makes a dumpling dish that I think about all year.  Dumplings for lasagna is a fair trade.

After we are fortified with dumplings and handed bags of cookies, we will depart for rural Nebraska.  It's a 3 hour drive from Omaha to my husband's hometown, but we will make various detours for holiday celebrations - there's Christmas Eve dinner with the paternal grandparents in one town; Christmas Day lunch with the maternal grandparents in another town; and then we will finally drive to Nathan's hometown. 

Are you still reading?  If so, here are some photos of rural Nebraska that I took while we were driving through the countryside during December 2009.  The photos might be a little blurry, because I took them while Nathan was driving.  There's no "parking the car and admiring the view and considering the best angle for your photograph" in Nebraska in December.  The car is warm; the air outside is snot-freezing cold.  You take what photos you can from the moving vehicle, and you hope that a few are okay.  
With that said, this is what the drive in December from Omaha to Small Town, Nebraska looks like: