20th Anniversary
October 22, 2014
State of Nebraska
City of Valentine
Cowboy Trail - Niobrara River Bridge
Day One
We left a cool and rainy Seattle early Saturday morning and landed in a sunny and warm Omaha in the early afternoon. We flew non-stop from Seattle to Omaha on an Alaska Airlines regional jet. It was a smaller plane than we would have expected on flight of that length but the flight went quickly. The only interesting thing about the flight was that the light was out in the lavatory so if you needed to go you had to be able to accomplish everything in the pitch dark. After arriving we picked up our Nissan Maxima rental and went to check in at the hotel.
Once we were settled in our room we decided to take the hotel shuttle down to the Old Market part of downtown Omaha where there a numerous shops and restaurants. We explored a fun leather shop, Overland, and went in numerous galleries and shops. We also found one of our favorites, a Thomas Mangelsen gallery. We have several Mangelsen's in our home from our previous anniversary trip to Idaho, and it was wonderful to see some of his latest photographs. After we visited the bronze statue of Chef Boyardee in ConAgra Plaza, we had dinner at the Upstream Brewing Company where we enjoyed a Delinquent Stout, a smooth American Oak Whiskey barrel aged stout with our Omaha Steaks burgers.
After dinner we went back to the hotel, changed into our two-steppin' clothes and headed out to Bushwackers for some country dancing. We danced for several hours and then crashed back at the hotel, exhausted from a long, fun day.
Day Two
After sleeping in (or at least sleeping in for us these days) and a breakfast at the hotel, we started our adventures by visiting Boy's Town. It was an amazing learning experience for us as we toured the expansive campus. We were aware of the historic beginning of the home for boys but had no idea how vast and effective it has grown and continues to be both in Omaha and around our country for young troubled boys and girls. It is a fantastic example of how the love of Christ tangibly effects the lives of those who have no family, no hope, and no safe place. It was inspiring and worth supporting. They are training young people in many skilled vocations, and we were able to sees some of the impressive fruits of their labors like a wood inlaid desk that took students three years to complete. Sadly, they got more notoriety from their World's Largest Ball of Stamps that also took them several years.
Driving to the plant and store of Omaha Steaks, we found no tours due to USDA regulations. The Kellogg's plant was around the corner and filled the air with the smell of cereal. We stumbled upon a Czech/Slovak Heritage Center which held some interest as Eric's Grandpa is first generation from Slovakia. The patron of the shop was a baker who gave us some insider tips on our kolache recipe and gave us poppyseed kolache to try. Delicious!
At Kenefick Park at Lauritzen Gardens we were able to see the largest steam locomotive "Big Boy" and the largest diesel locomotive "Centennial" that ran for the Union Pacific Railroad. They were enormous! It would have been something to see them speeding down the track!
We drove to the site of the WWII Japanese Balloon Bomb that exploded in Omaha. The plaque proved "anti-climactic" as did the apparent usefulness of the original bomb.
Finishing off our day was the official leisurely steak dinner to celebrate our 20 years together. It was an incredible meal at the 801 Chophouse in the historic Paxton Hotel in the Old Market area. Truly the best steak we have ever had, and we love steak! Eric got a rarely available bone-in filet mignon, and Julie went boneless. Once we took our first bite of steak, we almost didn't even want the scrumptious blue cheese potatoes, the green beans with bacon, and the onion roasted brussel sprouts. Even the pork belly appetizers were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Our waiter brought us an apple crisp topped with cinnamon ice cream pipped with chocolate "Happy Anniversary" around the edge of the plate for dessert. Thankfully there was a shuttle back to the hotel because we could barely move. It was a memorable 2 1/2 hour dinner celebration.
Day Three
We headed out of Omaha toward the second largest city in Nebraska, the state capitol of Lincoln. The Nebraska State Capitol building is visible for miles as the tallest structure on the surrounding planes. You should ask us about our impressions of the architecture of the building. We will only tell you in person. Inside the building, the art, the design, and the choice of materials seemed incongruous with one another as a continual hodge-podge of decor. We were refreshed by the beautiful lawn of the capitol and made our way to a coffee shop to continue another tradition. Remembering that we have enjoyed audio mysteries on our anniversary road trips in the past, we purchased Agatha Christie's Poirot mystery Christmas and began our own fun speculation of the crime.
A few miles down highway 80 there spanned across the interstate what we learned was the Great Platte River Road Archway. It was a massive several story building stretching across the road as a museum and history of the trails (or 'roads') that went along the Great Platte River facilitating western migration of Americans in the mid to late 1800s. We did not take the museum tour on this one, but it looked quite impressive.
Our next stop was something we had been looking forward to after having seen a show about large train switching yards. The Bailey Yard (also home to the Golden Spike Tower) in North Platte, NE is the largest switching yard in the world. We watched trains being sorted via a hump system, train crews being switched out, train engines being repaired, and trains headed for the west coast ports. What an impressive operation that runs 24/7 with 2,700 workers! Sadly, the Lincoln County Historical Museum was closed for the season. They house more information about the incredible WWII North Platte Canteen that was run by volunteers and served refreshments to millions of young US servicemen who were headed east on trains for that war.
We closed the day dining at Ole's Big Game Steakhouse and Lounge in Paxton where there hung countless big game trophies from all over the world. Among them included giraffe, zebra, water buffalo, polar bear, and impressive birds. The food was fine and the hunting photos and memorabilia were quite interesting and unusual. Thus pleasantly filled and weary, we returned to North Platte to sleep.
Day Four
A large section of Nebraska consists of sand hills which was a surprise to us. The first beautiful manifestation of this was Lake McConaughy; a large and glorious lake bordered by white sandy beaches. What a delight for a land-locked state! We drove across the dam at the one end of the lake and then along the one side enjoying views of the beautiful water and surrounding countryside. Throughout the day we caught site of countless coal trains moving through.
After a full day of endless plains, there jutted up on the horizon what we learned were the Courthouse and Jail Rocks. These are sandstone formations rising from the plains. It reminded us of how God has great surprises for us just when we assume the horizon (or life) will remain flat. The more recognizable Chimney Rock was a little further down the road. We visited the visitor center where we learned about the Oregon Trail, Mormon Trail, and the Pony Express. Eric's favorite fact was that some of the pioneers took 700 lbs of bacon with them on their western journey.
We had lunch in Scottsbluff and then went to explore Scotts Bluff where the Pioneers were forced to veer from their trail by the Platte River because of the deep badlands-type terrain of rolling ravines. Thanks to the dedicated Pioneers and those that followed, we were able to drive to the top of the bluff and hike to the viewpoints where could see Chimney Rock 20 miles back, Laramie Mtn in Wyoming 120 miles further west, and the 360 degree panorama of the Platte River Valley. Back in town we stayed near the plant where the Western Sugar Cooperative processes sugar from sugar beets. We were shocked by the piles of sugar beets in fields that had been harvested and were waiting for transport to the processing plant. The piles were 20 feet tall, 100 feet wide and hundreds of feet long.
Day Five
Driving towards Alliance, we stopped at Carhenge, America's answer to Stonehenge. The artist replicated all of the dimensions of Stonehenge in England using full sized cars painted dark gray to imply rocks. At first thought we were not surprised to be the only ones there as it lacked the mystery of the original Stonehenge and was quite comical. However, to our great surprise over 87,000 people visit Carhenge every year. Clearly we are now lumped into the strange and peculiar category of tourists. Proceeding to the Knight Museum and Sandhill Center in Alliance, we heard their story of the quarrel over the county seat which sparked a group to literally steal the courthouse, lift it onto a train fully intact, and slowly chug with it for twenty miles. They were forced to stop regularly to dig out the hills on the side of the tracks for the building to fit through. Our kind of wacky!
Now in search of Belmont, the only railroad tunnel in Nebraska and neighboring ghost town, we drove down a long dirt road following sketchy directions and discovered that it was likely safer for our rental car to park on the road and explore on foot. After about 1/2 mile trek, we discovered the small railroad tunnel only a stone's throw from the current double tracks that cut through the small hills. Waving to a coal train engineer as he chugged along the modern rails, we walked on in search of the mentioned ghost town to no avail. Defeated, we returned to the car only to discover the buildings from the town were situated on the other side of the dirt road where we had parked. Haha on us!
Near Crawford we witnessed the powerful beauty of the Buttes shooting up from the plains like castles of the earth. Simply stunning! They ushered us into The Sandhills of Nebraska covering 19,000 square miles. It is the largest tract of stabilized sand dunes in the Western Hemisphere. Considered an inhospitable desert by early settlers, the Sandhills instead proved to be prime rangeland for raising cattle. The lush grasslands are nourished by the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the largest groundwater sources in the world extending from Nebraska to Texas. The grassy hills rise up to 400 feet and can be as long as 20 miles.
Then the official renewal began . . . in the town of Valentine - The heart city! We admired the steel arched Bryan Bridge which is held together by a single pin in the center much like we are held together by Christ. We recommitted our wedding vows to one another on one of the most spectacular parts of the Cowboy Trail (200 miles long): the old train trestle that crosses the Niobrara River just outside of Valentine. It is a quarter of a mile long and towers 150 feet above the river. The view was breathtaking just at sunset! The sun rested on our first 20 years together, and it was magnificent.
Day Six
The sun awoke to begin our next 20 years together with a crisp, clear, beautiful sunrise. As we moved on the small Nebraska farm roads, fog rested in the sandhills. We began another Poirot mystery - Peril at End House with an attempt to complete the story before reaching the airport. With a bit of extra time, we were able to walk around the lake at the ConAgra Plaza back in Omaha and enjoy the sunshine and the enormous shooting fountain. There was a particularly touching WWII Sculpture in the park that we both enjoyed. Thwarted in the completion of our audio mystery at the airport, we did finish Poirot's adventure on the plane.
All told, the time together was fantastic, and we are once again so thankful to God for continuing to bind us to Him and to each other.
October 22, 2014
State of Nebraska
City of Valentine
Cowboy Trail - Niobrara River Bridge
Day One
We left a cool and rainy Seattle early Saturday morning and landed in a sunny and warm Omaha in the early afternoon. We flew non-stop from Seattle to Omaha on an Alaska Airlines regional jet. It was a smaller plane than we would have expected on flight of that length but the flight went quickly. The only interesting thing about the flight was that the light was out in the lavatory so if you needed to go you had to be able to accomplish everything in the pitch dark. After arriving we picked up our Nissan Maxima rental and went to check in at the hotel.
Once we were settled in our room we decided to take the hotel shuttle down to the Old Market part of downtown Omaha where there a numerous shops and restaurants. We explored a fun leather shop, Overland, and went in numerous galleries and shops. We also found one of our favorites, a Thomas Mangelsen gallery. We have several Mangelsen's in our home from our previous anniversary trip to Idaho, and it was wonderful to see some of his latest photographs. After we visited the bronze statue of Chef Boyardee in ConAgra Plaza, we had dinner at the Upstream Brewing Company where we enjoyed a Delinquent Stout, a smooth American Oak Whiskey barrel aged stout with our Omaha Steaks burgers.
After dinner we went back to the hotel, changed into our two-steppin' clothes and headed out to Bushwackers for some country dancing. We danced for several hours and then crashed back at the hotel, exhausted from a long, fun day.
Day Two
After sleeping in (or at least sleeping in for us these days) and a breakfast at the hotel, we started our adventures by visiting Boy's Town. It was an amazing learning experience for us as we toured the expansive campus. We were aware of the historic beginning of the home for boys but had no idea how vast and effective it has grown and continues to be both in Omaha and around our country for young troubled boys and girls. It is a fantastic example of how the love of Christ tangibly effects the lives of those who have no family, no hope, and no safe place. It was inspiring and worth supporting. They are training young people in many skilled vocations, and we were able to sees some of the impressive fruits of their labors like a wood inlaid desk that took students three years to complete. Sadly, they got more notoriety from their World's Largest Ball of Stamps that also took them several years.
Driving to the plant and store of Omaha Steaks, we found no tours due to USDA regulations. The Kellogg's plant was around the corner and filled the air with the smell of cereal. We stumbled upon a Czech/Slovak Heritage Center which held some interest as Eric's Grandpa is first generation from Slovakia. The patron of the shop was a baker who gave us some insider tips on our kolache recipe and gave us poppyseed kolache to try. Delicious!
At Kenefick Park at Lauritzen Gardens we were able to see the largest steam locomotive "Big Boy" and the largest diesel locomotive "Centennial" that ran for the Union Pacific Railroad. They were enormous! It would have been something to see them speeding down the track!
We drove to the site of the WWII Japanese Balloon Bomb that exploded in Omaha. The plaque proved "anti-climactic" as did the apparent usefulness of the original bomb.
Finishing off our day was the official leisurely steak dinner to celebrate our 20 years together. It was an incredible meal at the 801 Chophouse in the historic Paxton Hotel in the Old Market area. Truly the best steak we have ever had, and we love steak! Eric got a rarely available bone-in filet mignon, and Julie went boneless. Once we took our first bite of steak, we almost didn't even want the scrumptious blue cheese potatoes, the green beans with bacon, and the onion roasted brussel sprouts. Even the pork belly appetizers were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Our waiter brought us an apple crisp topped with cinnamon ice cream pipped with chocolate "Happy Anniversary" around the edge of the plate for dessert. Thankfully there was a shuttle back to the hotel because we could barely move. It was a memorable 2 1/2 hour dinner celebration.
Day Three
We headed out of Omaha toward the second largest city in Nebraska, the state capitol of Lincoln. The Nebraska State Capitol building is visible for miles as the tallest structure on the surrounding planes. You should ask us about our impressions of the architecture of the building. We will only tell you in person. Inside the building, the art, the design, and the choice of materials seemed incongruous with one another as a continual hodge-podge of decor. We were refreshed by the beautiful lawn of the capitol and made our way to a coffee shop to continue another tradition. Remembering that we have enjoyed audio mysteries on our anniversary road trips in the past, we purchased Agatha Christie's Poirot mystery Christmas and began our own fun speculation of the crime.
A few miles down highway 80 there spanned across the interstate what we learned was the Great Platte River Road Archway. It was a massive several story building stretching across the road as a museum and history of the trails (or 'roads') that went along the Great Platte River facilitating western migration of Americans in the mid to late 1800s. We did not take the museum tour on this one, but it looked quite impressive.
Our next stop was something we had been looking forward to after having seen a show about large train switching yards. The Bailey Yard (also home to the Golden Spike Tower) in North Platte, NE is the largest switching yard in the world. We watched trains being sorted via a hump system, train crews being switched out, train engines being repaired, and trains headed for the west coast ports. What an impressive operation that runs 24/7 with 2,700 workers! Sadly, the Lincoln County Historical Museum was closed for the season. They house more information about the incredible WWII North Platte Canteen that was run by volunteers and served refreshments to millions of young US servicemen who were headed east on trains for that war.
We closed the day dining at Ole's Big Game Steakhouse and Lounge in Paxton where there hung countless big game trophies from all over the world. Among them included giraffe, zebra, water buffalo, polar bear, and impressive birds. The food was fine and the hunting photos and memorabilia were quite interesting and unusual. Thus pleasantly filled and weary, we returned to North Platte to sleep.
Day Four
A large section of Nebraska consists of sand hills which was a surprise to us. The first beautiful manifestation of this was Lake McConaughy; a large and glorious lake bordered by white sandy beaches. What a delight for a land-locked state! We drove across the dam at the one end of the lake and then along the one side enjoying views of the beautiful water and surrounding countryside. Throughout the day we caught site of countless coal trains moving through.
After a full day of endless plains, there jutted up on the horizon what we learned were the Courthouse and Jail Rocks. These are sandstone formations rising from the plains. It reminded us of how God has great surprises for us just when we assume the horizon (or life) will remain flat. The more recognizable Chimney Rock was a little further down the road. We visited the visitor center where we learned about the Oregon Trail, Mormon Trail, and the Pony Express. Eric's favorite fact was that some of the pioneers took 700 lbs of bacon with them on their western journey.
We had lunch in Scottsbluff and then went to explore Scotts Bluff where the Pioneers were forced to veer from their trail by the Platte River because of the deep badlands-type terrain of rolling ravines. Thanks to the dedicated Pioneers and those that followed, we were able to drive to the top of the bluff and hike to the viewpoints where could see Chimney Rock 20 miles back, Laramie Mtn in Wyoming 120 miles further west, and the 360 degree panorama of the Platte River Valley. Back in town we stayed near the plant where the Western Sugar Cooperative processes sugar from sugar beets. We were shocked by the piles of sugar beets in fields that had been harvested and were waiting for transport to the processing plant. The piles were 20 feet tall, 100 feet wide and hundreds of feet long.
Day Five
Driving towards Alliance, we stopped at Carhenge, America's answer to Stonehenge. The artist replicated all of the dimensions of Stonehenge in England using full sized cars painted dark gray to imply rocks. At first thought we were not surprised to be the only ones there as it lacked the mystery of the original Stonehenge and was quite comical. However, to our great surprise over 87,000 people visit Carhenge every year. Clearly we are now lumped into the strange and peculiar category of tourists. Proceeding to the Knight Museum and Sandhill Center in Alliance, we heard their story of the quarrel over the county seat which sparked a group to literally steal the courthouse, lift it onto a train fully intact, and slowly chug with it for twenty miles. They were forced to stop regularly to dig out the hills on the side of the tracks for the building to fit through. Our kind of wacky!
Now in search of Belmont, the only railroad tunnel in Nebraska and neighboring ghost town, we drove down a long dirt road following sketchy directions and discovered that it was likely safer for our rental car to park on the road and explore on foot. After about 1/2 mile trek, we discovered the small railroad tunnel only a stone's throw from the current double tracks that cut through the small hills. Waving to a coal train engineer as he chugged along the modern rails, we walked on in search of the mentioned ghost town to no avail. Defeated, we returned to the car only to discover the buildings from the town were situated on the other side of the dirt road where we had parked. Haha on us!
Near Crawford we witnessed the powerful beauty of the Buttes shooting up from the plains like castles of the earth. Simply stunning! They ushered us into The Sandhills of Nebraska covering 19,000 square miles. It is the largest tract of stabilized sand dunes in the Western Hemisphere. Considered an inhospitable desert by early settlers, the Sandhills instead proved to be prime rangeland for raising cattle. The lush grasslands are nourished by the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the largest groundwater sources in the world extending from Nebraska to Texas. The grassy hills rise up to 400 feet and can be as long as 20 miles.
Then the official renewal began . . . in the town of Valentine - The heart city! We admired the steel arched Bryan Bridge which is held together by a single pin in the center much like we are held together by Christ. We recommitted our wedding vows to one another on one of the most spectacular parts of the Cowboy Trail (200 miles long): the old train trestle that crosses the Niobrara River just outside of Valentine. It is a quarter of a mile long and towers 150 feet above the river. The view was breathtaking just at sunset! The sun rested on our first 20 years together, and it was magnificent.
Day Six
The sun awoke to begin our next 20 years together with a crisp, clear, beautiful sunrise. As we moved on the small Nebraska farm roads, fog rested in the sandhills. We began another Poirot mystery - Peril at End House with an attempt to complete the story before reaching the airport. With a bit of extra time, we were able to walk around the lake at the ConAgra Plaza back in Omaha and enjoy the sunshine and the enormous shooting fountain. There was a particularly touching WWII Sculpture in the park that we both enjoyed. Thwarted in the completion of our audio mystery at the airport, we did finish Poirot's adventure on the plane.
All told, the time together was fantastic, and we are once again so thankful to God for continuing to bind us to Him and to each other.