In Search of Warren
The Gateway Arch, the world’s tallest.
We headed out early for the longest drive of the trip, 650 miles.
A last-minute decision to see the Gateway Arch in St. Louis was a winner. This monument to westward expansion was an appropriate symbol of our journey. We went down along the Mississippi and tried to imagine how it would’ve looked 100 years ago with thriving warehouses along the riverbank and ships crowding the expansive waterway. Along with the debris rushing south, we encountered a homeless woman washing in the river. We actually discussed the cleanliness of that option and then gave her some bottled drinking water. So sad.
In the interest of keeping on schedule we didn’t make a lot of stops today. We did enjoy visiting Williamsburg, Missouri with Crane’s Museum and Marlene’s Restaurant for a delicious lunch. Crane’s Museum houses a rambling collection of five generations worth of, well, everything.
Dolls at Crane’s Museum.
On the road . . . must be headed to Sturgis.
We saw a lot of corn . . . and soy beans . . . . and wide open road.
Even on this route, there were unusual and odd “attractions.” I enjoyed rattling off tales about magical dogs, largest everything (12,000 lb cement pecan, 15’ fork with pasta), you get the idea. The site is great, because you can also search for categories – like aliens, history, ghost towns and miracles, to name just a few of the choices.
My favorite fact of the day was learning about the grave of the guy who shot Jesse James (one of his own posse).
We had beautiful weather until 20 miles outside Omaha, when the phone started blaring tornado warnings. After a bit of torrential rain, we were across the Missouri River and in Omaha, Nebraska. Apparently there was a tornado, lots of folks in Omaha were talking about it. We are staying downtown so we can conveniently walk around the Old Market area. It’s a charming few blocks filled with shops, galleries and restaurants. Upstream Brewing Company, housed in the original firehouse, was a fun spot for a good dinner. The local hot spot of Ted & Wally’s ice cream was a perfect end to a long day.
PS – we haven’t seen Warren Buffett anywhere.
Galleries and restaurants tucked between buildings in Omaha’s Old Market district.
Loved this post! Especially since I grew up in the mid west. Omaha looks like a fun city but also quaint in areas. Thanks again, Karen.