Adventures in Omaha!

Tomorrow is the highly anticipated wedding of my sweet cousin, here in Omaha, which she now hails as home.  And to be certain that we wouldn't miss any of the festivities, we headed out of BWI yesterday in the wee hours of the morning,  traveling through Charlotte to finally land yesterday afternoon in Omaha.  

We were settled into our room by two, with the added plus of gaining an hour in time, so we decided to head out to see some of the sights, traveling by foot to make up for sitting in planes for so many hours.

Just around the back of our hotel, we were offered this great view of the city, behind an amphitheater (which I here will be filled with people tomorrow for a huge free concert.  Luckily, we will be celebrating at a different venue.)

We decided to walk into Old Town, as it is called, which was just slightly than two miles one way.  

We passed some very interesting structures and buildings along the way.

There was a lovely War memorial

An interesting set of statues entitled "Money Blomes". (no, that is not a typo)

The sculpture is supposed to reflect concepts related to money and the economy.  "Money is like a plan. If you care for it wisely, it can grow."  It was commissioned by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Omaha branch.  So now you can see the connection.

Speaking of the Federal Reserve Bank, that stands along the road as well.  

and this sculpture entitled  "Angels Wings" is memorial devoted to the victims of September 11.

Walking further along, this historic playhouse captured my eye with all of the interesting outside details.

and I was impressed with this library of old, featuring emblems of the famous Classical writers in history. 

There were so many different architectural styles to admire along the way. 

Finally, we arrived at the Old Market.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Twisted Fork, eating outside and having the place pretty much to ourselves.  Dinner gave us the stamina that we needed to march the two miles back to our hotel. Considering that my day began at 4am,  I crashed early, while Marty settled in to watch the Pitt versus West Virginia game on the television.    

We awoke bright and early this morning,  and decided to venture out to Joslyn castle, which is just a little more than half a mile from our hotel.  Walking along the very busy four lane road, it's hard to imagine that just a block from so much business, a tranquil oasis stands. 

The castle was built by Canadian emigrants, George and Sarah Joslyn, who came to Omaha with just $9.00 to their name in the late 1800s.  George made his fortune in the newspaper business and had this mansion built in 1899 according to Scottish Baronial Style. 

As you can see, it is quite magnificent.  One can tour the house on certain days, of which today was not.  But we were quite content to walk around and enjoy the beauty of the grounds. 

A lovely recreated bridge stands on the property, surrounded by lovely flowers.

There was a photo taken in 1909 that shows that the bridge once stood on the spot above a large pool of water. 

There was no sign of a pool anywhere in the vicinity.  

As you can see, it was a magnificent day, at least at this point, when the temperatures were in the mid 80's. 

It didn't take much time to tour the grounds, so we decided that we would head out to Lauritzen Gardens, as it had come highly recommended. 

I should mention here that Marty and I decided not to rent a car on this trip.  We are just here for a few days, and the hotel offered a shuttle...or said it did.  I don't need to elaborate on that.

The gardens are 6.1 miles from our hotel, and you can bet that there was no way we were attempting to walk that distance.  Especially since the temperatures are in the low 90s today.  So today was the initiation into the world of Uber.

Marty was so excited to finally use the App that he had downloaded on his phone.  He scheduled the pick up for Josyln castle, and in no time, a lovely woman named Dora showed up to shuttle us to the gardens.  Marty told her that she was his very first Uber driver.  She asked why, which was kind of funny.

In any event, she was a real trooper, and even let Marty take a selfie with her in the car.

I do have to admit that she gave me a sideways glance,  to which I just shrugged.   We probably made her day.  Or...she thinks that crazy people live in Pennsylvania.  

The gardens are undergoing construction.  A LOT of construction, so they must be planning something big.  Because of the renovations, all guests are taken by tram to the center of the planned gardens, which was kind of nice, because it cut off a lot of walking in the heat.

There were many unique and different gardens to enjoy.

A Japanese Park:

where I spotted this guy taking a little swim.

A beautiful herb garden

A vast rose garden featuring dozens upon dozens of different varieties.

A model railway garden, that had 6 different sets of train tracks, each with its own train line that ran across various trestles and bridges, all nestled among the trees.

This cute little trolley just transversed back and forth. 

Remember that historic playhouse that we saw yesterday?  Well, here it is, featured in the train display, along with many other historic building replicas that are unique to Omaha.  

We were told that each one is made completely of some sort of plant material. 

As you can see, the gardens are filled with countless surprises to enjoy.

and the shade was a lovely respite from the heat.

At the entrance, there is a conservatory, also filled with surprises.

Look carefully and you will see that the elephant's trunk is pouring water into the pool below.

Here is the view from the opposite side.

There were cacti

and various desert like plants inside.

and a lovely waterfall or two as well.

It was a delightful way to spend the early afternoon, but with the temperatures climbing, we decided to head back to our hotel.

Which, of course, required calling an Uber.  I guess we are pros now. ......Or, at least Marty is. 

Tonight we are invited to party with the family, and we await the arrival of Amy, who will join in the celebration with us tomorrow.  It's guaranteed to be a fun filled, fabulous event!

Omaha is truly amazing!

Hanna, Fred and the Steelers

 Question: What do Steeler’s Training Camp, Hanna’s Town and Fred Rogers have in common? 

Answer:  You will find that connection in Westmoreland County. And, I've had a personal experience with all three in less than 24 hours.  

Why, mighty you ask? Well...... let me explain:

Most of you know that my husband is an avid Steeler fan, 

And, he gets a thrill out of visiting training camp as would most fans, I suppose. 

This summer, since he is now retired, offered the opportunity to attend for as long as he wished.  I suppose I am fortunate that he decided to stick with just two days.  And, he was excited for me to come along with him.  Why?  I wish I knew.  

So, yesterday we drove across the state to get to training camp an hour before it even started. (We needed to secure a good spot for our newly purchased Steeler chairs, of course.)

And, let me just mention here that it is August, and it was hot. Every now and then, a breeze would trickle by, but a neck fan would definitely have been appreciated.

Unfortunately, I didn't have one. So, I sweltered while watching grown men toss around footballs while the crowd cheered.

And Marty loved every minute.  The heat didn't seem to faze him in the least, and he excitedly asked me if I was going to write a blog about the day's adventures.  My answer was that if I did choose to do so, I'd have to entitle it "Sweating with the Steelers".   He didn't seem impressed with that idea. 

Today, I'm happy to say, I got a reprieve!  It was equally hot outside, and Marty felt shortchanged yesterday because we didn't stay until the end.  (Honestly....2 1/2 hours was plenty long for me, thank you.)  So, today, Marty decided that I would drop him off at the camp, and I could go to the mall to shop for a dress. 

People who know me well, know that I am not a fan of shopping.  But I needed a dress for an upcoming wedding, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity as there were stores nearby that I don't have at home. Plus it sure beat sitting out in the sweltering heat!

In the meantime, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast outside on the patio

and decided to head over to Hanna's Town, which is located nearby, since we had the morning free. We had visited there before, but noticed on our ventures that a brand new visitor center had been built on the grounds. So why not check it out?

It was well worth making the stop. There are display boards cleverly set up to tell the history of the area.

and beautiful pieces of art displayed right on the wall for viewing.

The museum detailed the various types of trees that grow in this area, and explained how they were used to build houses and furniture, beginning centuries ago. 

There were countless tools displayed, with explanations of their use.  For instance, the spiked item below was a Walking Log Caliper Measure, used to measure the length and width of a felled tree.  the rotations of the wheel were counted as the worker walked along the length of the tree, and then the caliper was used to measure the width.  

Below you see items used by cabinet makers

including a mortising machine for detailed work.

There were tools used by joiners

as well as those used by wheelwrights.

and all kinds of unique around the house items...all made from wood.

These children sock dryers were certainly something I'd never seen before.

And I was surprised to see a Cabbage Cutter, only because I never realized that there was a tool made specifically for this purpose. 

There was also an old fashioned apple corer. 

These frames are the original made in 1878 

And there were some intricate pieces of wood displayed in a special case that offered little explanation as to why they were on display there.  But, they were certainly unique and beautifully inlaid. It certainly took someone a lot of time and talent to make such creations.

I was surprised to learn the role that the Benedictine monks played in the local woodworking here.

There are many furnishings on the campus of Saint Vincent's college that were made by the monks. The frame of the basilica at the college was built with timber from the St. Benedict monastery farm on Chestnut Ridge.  The pews, choir stalls, lectern and benches were also carved by ones out of the local oak and American Chestnut trees. 

All in all, it certainly was quite an informative museum, and the volunteers who are on the staff couldn't be nicer. 

But it was time to move on, so we headed out as planned, and I left Marty walking up the hill with his Steeler's chair and Papal umbrella to keep him in the shade.   Or, as it turned out, to keep him dry, since a sudden storm snuck up.  Glad I missed that excitement!

In the meantime, after I finished my shopping, I headed back to Saint Vincent's to view the Fred Rogers collection that is on display on the second floor of one of the buildings on campus.  I figured it was the perfect place to stay cool while waiting for Marty to call it a day.

This dinosaur was tucked in the back of the downstairs entrance.  

But at the top of the stairs, it was easy to figure out that I was in the right place. 

Memories came flooding back as I peered through the glass case, enjoying the famous puppets of old.

And, who could forget that famous song;  You can never go down the drain?

There were these clever displays, shaped in triangular form, each of which featured a celebrity who had visited with Mr. Rogers on his show.  Here you see Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West.  She explained that she wasn't REALLY a witch, just made to look like one.

It was fascinating to look through the various displays of many who took the time to visit publicly with Mr. Rogers.  Tony Bennet, Peggy Fleming, and the Hulk, just to mention a few.  Each one had the tri-shape placard with their name on one side, photo on a second, and the description of what they talked about on the show.  Really, what a clever idea!

Around the corner was a glass case that held those famous puppets of which so many of us are familiar. 

and, of course, Daniel Tiger's clock.

There were audio visuals that one could access by a touch of a finger, each featuring a skit that had once been featured.

There were two special moments that really touched me.  One was when George W. Bush presented Mr. Rogers with the Medal of Freedom for his service to the nation and contributions to children's education.  He spent his life helping children to understand caring, safety and respect for others.

The second was when he was interviewed by Arsenio Hall in regards to what children were facing in the world.  Mr. Rogers said, "My mother always said, 'Look for the helpers'.  God's revealing activity is everywhere.  We just have to look for it.  So, I say, Look for the helpers."  Such a simple, yet thought provoking statement.  How many of us take the time to look for those helpers?  

As I was leaving, I couldn't help but smile at this giant photo that captured the essence of Mr. Rogers. 

I can just imagine him walking along, holding his sneakers, with X the Owl tucked in a bag.

It really was a great finish to the day. 

And, regarding Marty....a sudden storm on the horizon triggered an early finish to the practice, just as I was leaving the building.  Now, that was excellent timing, don't you think?   Lucky for both of us.