Nomad Life - Day 157

This morning, I woke up (with my alarm at 0530) with the knowledge that it was time to move on to a new place again.  Putting this thought aside, I immediately got started with my telework day.  Meanwhile, I saw that it was snowing outside (temps at 16 F) and that my car was already covered!  During a short break, I went to the lobby of the Rodeway Inn (Lincoln) and picked up some breakfast (the lady gave me lots more granola bars again).  Otherwise, I continued working until I reached 6.5 hours - the rest would have to wait until my next hotel...  By then (1200), it was sunny and the snow had stopped (temps had risen into the 20s).  After packing up my car and dusting off all the snow, I drove east on O- Street (US-6 until it became US-34) and located the Nebraska State Capitol building.  I found it strange that there was paid parking almost everywhere but that they also seemed to have short term visitor parking very close to the Capitol.  They definitely are going for a "People's House" idea!  While there (1215 to 1230), I walked around the entire building and, nearby, found the first state government building and other historic markers.  The weather was pleasant and I would have kept exploring if I didn't have anywhere else to be.  Instead, I drove north (via I-180) to I-80.  On the way, I listened to audiobooks.  While on this section of Interstate (Lincoln to Omaha), I encountered a LOT of state troopers...  At 1315, I stopped at Flying J in Gretna for gas.  For the first time in many years, I had trouble with the pump (it acted like it was "stuck").  By the time I'd sorted everything out, I noticed that the price had increased by $0.06!  Still, the cost per gallon was much lower than I'd seen on the West Coast... After my tank was full (1325), I drove south (NE-31) and west for a little bit in hopes of visiting the Holy Family Shrine.  Unfortunately, it was closed and had ominous "do not trespass" signs.  Still, I got some good views from the road.  It looked like a soaring wedding sanctuary and I kept thinking about a similar building I saw in Arkansas with my friends (John and Laura).  At 1330, I drove back towards town and, after crossing over I-80, stopped at Nebraska Crossing, a huge outdoor mall complex.  Hoping to find some food, I walked around and marveled at the idea that anyone would enjoy an outdoor shopping area, ala Southern California, in this part of the country.  Several businesses had closed and there weren't many food choices.  Fortunately, I did get a good bit of walking and reached one mile for the day.  Looking for better options, I next drove north on US-6 until I found a local Runza franchise.  After ordering (a burger and side of a "meat pocket") at 1355, I ate my lunch inside the mostly empty restaurant.  Once I was done easting, I returned to the Interstate and redirected my drive towards the Lauritzen Gardens, which were located along the western side of the Missouri River.  After driving through the entire city of Omaha, I arrived at my destination at 1445.  Using an electronic kiosk outside the main building, I bought a ticket and then went looking for the Thomas Dambo trolls that were on special display at the park (there were six and I found them all).  With the increasing temperatures by this point, was I pleasantly surprised to find so many birds on the grounds of the garden.  Bonus: wild turkeys!  While the winter weather had clearly made most of the flowering plants dormant, I was pleased to be able to explore several kinds (Japanese, Lithuanian, model train, etc.) of gardens.  I encountered deer inside the park and passed by lots of construction that was clearly going to improve the visitor experience.  Altogether, I was at the Gardens for about 90 minutes and logged nearly three miles of walking.  Before departing, I also checked out the indoor parts of the garden (they had huge greenhouses and pleasant covered courtyards).  At 1615, I walked across the parking lot and climbed up a steep hill (fortunately, there were steps).  At the top, I found a memorial to the Union Pacific Railroad and a monument to the Transcontinental Railroad.  The signs claimed that it actually began in Omaha, I guess because there were tracks to the east of that location before the Act which created the nationwide system.  From the top of the hill, I got some amazing views of Missouri River and Iowa to the east.  Even better, there were some HUGE train engines up there!  After finishing my visit to Lauritzen Gardens (1635), I started looking for a train trestle I'd learned about at the park.  There was a photo of an impressive (hundreds of feet tall) bridge and a location that made me want to see it.  I drove west from the Gardens and tried to locate 32nd Street (eastern edge of the zone).  On the way, I stumbled across signs for the Gerald R. Ford Birthplace and Gardens.  When I changed my focus to this landmark (1655), I discovered it o be a nice little historical park. The home had been demolished but there was a model, artifacts and exhibits connected with the late President's life and lots of stone monuments to Nebraska leaders there too.  Finished at 1705, I continued my search for the train trestle - I finally gave up when I reached 60th Street because the traffic was getting annoying.  Instead, I got back on I-80 and drove east to Council Bluffs, IA.  I arrived at my hotel (Super 8) by 1730, parked in a Veterans parking spot (nice) and checked into my room easily.  Almost immediately, I resumed by telework day and worked 1.5 more hours.  Before retiring for the night, I read, did Duolingo puzzles and watched movies - I turned out the lights at 2230.  Farewell, Nebraska, I really enjoyed my visit!