Part VII: Lincoln
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I make road trips fun.
- Kristian Campana, festival, food and travel blogger
Day 4: Monday, March 19, 2012
I make road trips fun.
- Kristian Campana, festival, food and travel blogger
................................................................................................
Day 4: Monday, March 19, 2012
One of the things I liked about researching Omaha was all the restaurants it had.
Of course, I only had one evening in town so I decided to get breakfast there as well (it helped that the hotel did not offer a complimentary breakfast), which I got at the FarmHouse Cafe & Bakery.
By their website alone, I imagined one of those organic earth-to-table restaurants filled with hipsters, hippies, and hip-replacement recovery patients.
Instead, it was pretty much like a Bob Evans, but a little more greasy spoon.
When I didn't order immediately, the waitress quickly disappeared and didn't reappear until a while later. But once I started to feel frustrated by her vanishing act, she reappeared, smiled and offered me the sports section of the newspaper to read.
The food was decent overall...
...with some potatoes that were a tad undercooked and bland...
Of course, I only had one evening in town so I decided to get breakfast there as well (it helped that the hotel did not offer a complimentary breakfast), which I got at the FarmHouse Cafe & Bakery.
By their website alone, I imagined one of those organic earth-to-table restaurants filled with hipsters, hippies, and hip-replacement recovery patients.
Instead, it was pretty much like a Bob Evans, but a little more greasy spoon.
When I didn't order immediately, the waitress quickly disappeared and didn't reappear until a while later. But once I started to feel frustrated by her vanishing act, she reappeared, smiled and offered me the sports section of the newspaper to read.
The food was decent overall...
...with some potatoes that were a tad undercooked and bland...
...but with some gourmet delicious jelly for the pancakes (I asked for it)!
As I downed the last bite, my waitress pulled off another Houdini bit on me and I watched the clock tick-tock away until I couldn't take it any more and I sought her out.
Unfazed by my impatience, she cashed me out and offered me a nice tall take-away cup of coffee.
Obviously, this woman knew how to get my sweet spot.
Unfazed by my impatience, she cashed me out and offered me a nice tall take-away cup of coffee.
Obviously, this woman knew how to get my sweet spot.
With the tall cup of coffee in hand, I got in the car and headed to Lincoln...
...only to notice a strange cloud formation southwest of me.
At first it seemed a considerable distance away...
...but then the highway began to turn into it.
Fortunately, the threat had disappeared by the time I arrived in downtown Lincoln's Haymarket District...
...where things seemed relatively peaceful.
I had some time to stroll about...
...checking out the train...
...the train wall sculpture...
...and various art that decorated building walls...
...which had a wall of baskets filled with various types of licorice...
...from Germany...
...Italy...
...and many other countries around the world.
One thing to know about the store is that there's a sampling bag in each basket that you can taste from (with the assistance of an employee) before any purchase.
It's definitely a black licorice lover's dream come true!
It's definitely a black licorice lover's dream come true!
My next quick stop brought me here...
...to the Nebraska State Capitol building...
...where I walked around to take a few photographs...
...of this huge structure considered the heaviest capitol building of North America.
Interesting fact, right?
But the more I looked around, the more I realized that other nearby buildings were big as well.
Even the churches across the street were huge!
After seeing both the capitol building and the churches, it seemed the most logical followup visit would be where all people are eventually humbled...
...like at the Wyuka Cemetery.
...like at the Wyuka Cemetery.
I was really hoping to see something similar to Cleveland's Lakeview Cemetery, which is filled with fascinating headstones sculpted by Italian immigrants, interesting historical characters and many varieties of trees and vegetation.
Although my expectations may have been a little high...
Although my expectations may have been a little high...
...the cemetery was fairly beautiful...
...with a gorgeous church near the entrance...
...and an impressive memorial to the state's firefighters.
As I ventured southeast of there, I arrived at the location that really brought me to Lincoln...
...the National Roller Skating Museum.
...the National Roller Skating Museum.
Although I'm not much of a roller skating fan myself...
...my cousin Marc Goohs was (and is) pretty darn good at it...
...and I was secretly hoping to catch his name in the (literal) hall of fame...
...or his picture at the museum.
...my cousin Marc Goohs was (and is) pretty darn good at it...
...and I was secretly hoping to catch his name in the (literal) hall of fame...
...or his picture at the museum.
Although I didn't find any trace of him...
...I did see some old skates...
...learn about the father of the modern skate, James Plimpton...
...and notice plenty of outfits.
...I did see some old skates...
...learn about the father of the modern skate, James Plimpton...
...and notice plenty of outfits.
At that point, I checked the time and realized that I should start heading back toward Kansas City.
But, before leaving the state of Nebraska, I felt that I owed it to myself to eat at a local fast food chain called Runza...
...where they made a freshly baked roll stuffed with a ground beef and cabbage mixture.
My particular sandwich looked good at first...
...until I realized it was both sliced and scarcely filled (not stuffed at all).
But I simply pushed the filling to one end and added mustard to improve the experience.
Just call me Mr. Problem Solver.
.
But, before leaving the state of Nebraska, I felt that I owed it to myself to eat at a local fast food chain called Runza...
...where they made a freshly baked roll stuffed with a ground beef and cabbage mixture.
My particular sandwich looked good at first...
...until I realized it was both sliced and scarcely filled (not stuffed at all).
But I simply pushed the filling to one end and added mustard to improve the experience.
Just call me Mr. Problem Solver.
.
