Mother joins me

Mother's plane didn't get in until after 5pm, so I had another day in Omaha. First I went to the Nebraska Welcome Center & picked up another 5 pounds of tourist material. Actually, they were very helpful about the things I am interested in seeing. In North Carolina, when I asked for historical sights, the person in the center wanted to send me to a mall or an outlet center.

Next I visited Omaha's Botanical Center, the Lauritzen Gardens. The best thing is a narrated tram ride ($2) through the gardens, with a 10-minute stop at the rose garden. This center is fairly new, about 5 years old, so is still a work in progress. There is also a bird sanctuary and, in a nearby park on the tram ride, 2 famous Union Pacific locomotives on display for all you railroad fans: Big Boy No. 4023 (diesel) and Centennial No.6900 (I think he said diesel-electric).

I also visited the Mormon Trail Center, in the northern part of Omaha, actually the town of Florence. The was the site of the Mormon Winter Quarters after they were kicked out of Nauvoo and set off in search of Zion. When they got to the Missouri River, they realized they couldn't go any further before winter. They ended up staying here 2 years before going on to find and found Salt Lake City. One of the things on display was a replica handcart, which many poor pioneers used as a "fast," inexpensive way to cross the plains from 1856 to 1860, until better ways to travel evolved. It's hard to imagine walking 1000+ miles while pulling one of these.

Mother arrived without incident, but her suitcase didn't. So we went out to dinner. I tried to take her to M's Pub in the Old Market Center, a jumping place, but it was full of the after-work-drinking crowd, with a 1-hour wait. So we went across the street to the French Cafe, where I had eaten Friday night. She loved sitting outside. I had pumpkin-seed-encrusted trout, and she had crabcakes. Her suitcase arrived at the motel a few minutes after we got back from dinner.

Did you know Nebraska has the only unicameral legislature?