Nebraska Road Trip (Part One).

When you think about spring break, images of warm weather locales tickle most people's minds such as Palm Springs or the Florida Keys (at least those are the images that inhabit my brain's real estate).  So when I was approached with my hubby's prospect of going to Nebraska for a short roadtrip this past weekend, I have to admit I was a little reticent.  As a young girl I remember multiple trips cross country over the nearly flat, treeless, green land surrounding the highway that came to be known as the dreaded "long" state.  Lurking in my mind's abyss, was one question: Did Omaha have anything to offer a big city-loving girl?

With my camera in hand, I was ready to dig in a little and see what one of the biggest cities in the midwest nestled in one of the "flyover" states had to offer.  To be honest, I wasn't expecting too much, save for a few days of rest and relaxation, mostly technology free.  Curious to see how I fared?  Here are a few snapshots and a recap of some of the weekend's sights.

One of the first things we did upon getting into Omaha (btw, notables from this town: Malcolm X, Fred Astaire, Marlon Brando, Johnny Carson and the founder of Kool-Aid, Edwin Perkins- all hail) was to find something to eat.  Old Market, a district carved out for quirky, upscale shops, good eats and local art was our first stop.

Some blocks of Old Market were energetic-and a bit wild- in the numerous Irish bars as it was St. Patrick's Day. Horses were painted green, one dude was decked out in an all over latex green body suit (head to toe, people), and nearly everyone was wearing green in various levels of flair.  One thing for sure, Omaha's (Irish and non-Irish) folk know how to throw it down. We on the other hand decided on sushi instead of corned beef and cabbage at the district's Blue restaurant (per the kids' request) and we weren't sorry to have strayed from the mainstay.

(Hello, stacked, heavenly tuna tower salad that the waitress suggested)

(Fordy checking out the Calamari and Tempura Platter)

Bellies full and souls satisfied, we ventured out to explore the nooks and crannies of Old Market.  Old brick abounds, covering buildings and streets alike giving everything an old world charm.  We soon figured out that Old Market is a mecca for everything quirky and vintage.

One of our favorite stops was a fun vintage store called the Flying Worm.  Despite it's weird name, they house a pretty impressive array of western and Doc Marten-like boots, mod dresses, prairie chic apparel, vintage tees and these...

(Lana bought some black and rainbow ones)

(A peek in the airy, well-organized store)

Other notable stores that we spent hours leafing through the endless, sometimes overpriced vintage goodies were Second Chance Antiques and Homer's which offers old and new LP's, dvd's and cd's. Fordy found his new, favorite adventure hat- a sweet, Minnetoka suede number at Second
Chance talking the guy down using his puppydog eye maneuver (word to the wise, always haggle).  At  Homer's, we found old and new LP's  in excellent condition at reasonable prices.  We scored Duran Duran's Rio, Cheap Trick's The Dream Police and the Psychedelic Furs and I thought good and hard about snagging a Bob Dylan collection and Nina Simone LP, which I kind of now regret not buying.

1.  sweet postcards organized by state

2.  vintage typewriters from different eras

3.  Hippo hovering above Keith checking out the songs on an old jukebox

4. Elena petting Cabbage, the store mascot

Are you as surprised as I was to discover that Omaha is kind of a funky, vibrant place?  Throw in a little Midwestern friendliness and small-town-in-a-big-city charm and there you have it, Omaha in a nutshell...

(Come back tomorrow to see what other adventures there is to be had in Omaha!)

Posted by Dawn