Omaha Fun Part One
After road tripping to Omaha and spending our first full day watching the Horned Frogs beat LSU, we had a full day plus a large portion of another day to find some fun. We were on the lookout for what else Omaha had to offer besides the College World Series.
I made our reservations about 8 miles away from the ballpark and downtown Omaha in an area known as Aksarben Village. Now, I may have eventually figured this out but Aksarben is actually just Nebraska spelled backwards! We chose a Residence Inn which has only been open about 9 months and it is perfect for our family. We all have a little extra space, free breakfast and an indoor pool. The rooms are clean, the beds are comfy and the staff has been super friendly.
Everything in this little area appears fairly new, there is the University of Nebraska-Omaha campus down the street, a cinema, several restaurants and a park with a great splashpad. It looks like a happening place to be most weekends with lots of festivals and concerts on the calendar.
Our first “free” day it was raining the majority of the day. No worries as our hotel has an indoor pool! Score one for mom as the kids were able to swim while I worked on a few things for the office.
Carly and I headed over to the movie theatre across town with another baseball mom and her family. I had never experienced the recliner at the movies but friends I’m just saying a regular theatre will never be the same! We viewed Tomorrowland and I honestly thought it was a great movie. I have heard mixed reviews so I wasn’t sure what to expect but I loved it. You have to know my qualifications for a movie typically require that I not fall asleep and that I not have to think too hard to understand it!
We met Riley and his girlfriend for dinner at Michaels Cantina downtown for dinner. Some friends formerly from Omaha recommended the restaurant and I will say the margaritas are fabulous. I will also just say that Omaha is a long way from Texas and Mexico so they may have missed a few steps on the Tex-Mex cuisine. Like Carly said “we really should stick with mexican food at restaurants closer to the Mexican border.”
The “kids” were all up for ice cream since they were clearly still hungry after our experience so we headed over to Ted & Wally’s. The ice cream is homemade and oh so yum! We have come to get ice cream all 3 years and it’s worth the wait in line. The littles had chocolate and Brooke had cookies and cream but Riley added a scoop of Rice Krispie treat and oh heavenly goodness it was so good!
On Tuesday morning the boys headed to Lake Manawa state park for a little fishing. The fish were biting just enough to keep them interested while Aunt Amy, Carly & I headed to the Lauritzen Gardens.
I really wasn’t positive what to expect from the gardens but we purchased the extra ticket to ride the tram around the 100 acre site to get a better idea of what we wanted to see and boy were we surprised.
Ready for our tram ride! We were by far the youngest folks on the tram.
These pictures are from within the conservatory and I thought they were so fun! The first is a lipstick plant, the second a goldfish plant and the third a tropical pitcher plant. Aren’t they so unique and beautiful?
My favorite garden was the train garden. All the tressels and tunnels were made with natural materials and there were at least four separate tracks with running trains. I could have stood for hours just following the different trains and looking at the intricate details.
Lots and lots of interesting things to see at the gardens so if you find yourself in Omaha I would definitely add this to your list.
All three summers I have come to Omaha I have passed by these trains at the top of a hill with a Welcome to Omaha sign. Finally at the end of the tram tour we were taken to Kenefick park and I learned the stories about these engines and was able to see them up close. You can read more about the railroad and the importance to Omaha here.
After all that walking we are starved and headed to Stella’s Bar and Grill for a late lunch and met up with the boys. I’m not sure now how I found this place last year but the hamburgers are to die for! They also have a “Stellanator”, if you dare, which will be free if you can finish it but will more than likely cost you $35 to try! The owner told us last year the fastest person to complete the challenge was a petite woman!
After waiting since the big win on Sunday we finally headed back to Ameritrade to watch the Horned Frogs play Vandy. It was a nail biter and the Frogs fell 1-0. Baseball is a real heartbreaker sometimes…one pitch was a game changer.
You can read part two of our Omaha adventure here.
Have a great week!
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Sounds like a mini vacation. I've enjoyed following your week through instagram. Loved those unique flowers, so different and their names, perfect.
We are trying to make the most of our time here Michelle! We are having fun but I'm not going to lie….a "real" vacation would be nice. Hope you are having a great week and congrats on the Tuesday Talk Co-host! Love those ladies.
You were so right – the trains!!! I would have been in heaven! Your pictures were stunning! The goldfish flower – how cool was that?! And, another great family pic! Missing you guys like crazy! Hoping for a win on Thursday! P.S. please wear your lucky tank! 🙂
It looks like you all had a great time. That burger challenge….oh my goodness. 🙂 Have a great day!
What a fun time! Sorry to hear about the TCU loss…that is so close. I love your comments about Mexican food in Omaha. We were always on a quest in London to find good Mexican food. It was pretty much a losing battle, and always made up for it when we came back in the summers. You just can't beat cheesy, greasy Tex-mex.
You're right. One pitch was the game changer! Ugh. Agony of defeat. Wear your tank on Thursday! There ….I said it! LOL You know Holly will!! Enjoy your day today!
Stanky or not….the tank will be at the game tomorrow!
Thrilled to read you're enjoying your stay in Omaha! You've certainly filled your free time well — there's much to see!
Regarding Mexican food in Omaha, there's plenty of authentic fare served up in the South Omaha region along historic 24th Street. Other good options: Howard's, Roja and Mula.
Looking forward to your next post!
Thanks for the info Erin! This is our 3rd summer in a row to visit Omaha and we are having a great time exploring.
These are such wonderful photos of your time in Omaha!
I went to high school in Lincoln, and enjoyed visiting the zoo and other places in Omaha on special trips 🙂
Sounds like an awesome trip! I love the photos from the Lauritzen Gardens. Thank you for joining us at #SummerFamilyFun
Thank you Paris! And thanks for hosting #summerfamilyfun!