O Omaha

I really had a nice day today. My friend Dale invited me to try out the new pedestrian bridge over the Missouri River. In spite of my fear of heights, I agreed to go. Well, it turned out that the bridge wasn't scary at all, and the view from the top was pretty exciting. A lot of people were out today; cyclists, dog walkers, families with little kids and walkers just out for the exercise. From the bridge you can see how the riverfront walk leads south to the beautiful Heartland of America park, and to the west is the Quest Center, and beyond that, the city skyline, which now includes a couple of skyscrapers. In the lot below us, the Taste of Omaha festival was in full swing. It was about lunch time, so we went down to see what would tickle our taste buds. There was certainly a lot to choose from, but we settled on a bratwurst and an alligator skewer, with a glass of beer to wash it down. I wasn't expecting to find alligator on the menu, but it was really good. Contrary to what you have heard, it doesn't taste like chicken, but, it has a distinctive mild flavor and is moist and tender. I would eat it again - it is quite pleasant.
It occurred to me that the new Omaha is really a destination city, a place where travellers would enjoy spending a good part of their vacation. Imagine the terrific draws we have. Our zoo is world class and improving every year. I used to like going to Larimer Square in Denver because of its unique attitude, but our Old Market area is just as endearing. For culture, we have the magnificent Holland Arts Center, The Orpheum Theater (where we saw "Phantom of the Opera" and "Wicked"), the Quest Center (where I saw Andre Rieux and his orchestra and where Berkshire Hathaway holds its annual meeting with 30,000 attendees), and the beautiful Joslyn Art museum. These are some of the things that you might see listed in a travel brochure. But to me, Omaha's neatest attractions are a bit more subtle. I like to take walks in the neighborhood just north of Memorial Park, for instance. (You could spend a couple of hours just in the park, with its impressive memorial, the rose garden, the large grassy hillsides and all the different species of trees.) These are all beautiful older homes with shady sidewalks and pretty landscaping. The Dundee Village business district is just a few blocks from where I live, and is an area where people get out of their cars and walk around. There are sidewalk eating areas and benches to just sit and people-watch. The main intersection has a large clock that chimes every quarter-hour. There are numerous restaurants and coffee shops here, and a bakery or two. And on every intersection, a basket of flowers hangs from an old-timey, unique to Dundee, street light pole. It is just a great place to hang out and relax, especially on a warm, pleasant evening. Do I sound like I am happy here? You betcha!
My wife and I do a lot of travelling, and when we pick a destination we look for the very things that I have just described to you. So, I suggest to you out-of-towners to come to Omaha and visit a very beautiful city. And those of you that live right here, it is time for you to get off your duff and rediscover your home town. It is a great experience!