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Colorado Vacation Post #1: Omaha, Nebraska

We have just returned from a 10-day road trip.  If my husband hadn’t been so into it, I wouldn’t have done it.  No, 50 hours in the van with 8 kids ages 1-12 and staying in 5 different hotels/townhomes is not my idea of fun!

However, we did end up having quite a bit of fun!  I’ll be sharing in a number of posts, and with lots of pictures!

I don’t normally let my baby use the iPad, but we were reaching for whatever possible to help her deal with the long drives.  On the last day. she ate almost an entire box of Teddy Grahams!

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As we started passing through small towns I noticed lots of flags flying.  Yes, it was Flag Day!

 

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When I saw the sign for the “Covered Bridges of Madison County” my husband humored me by making a detour.

 

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We stopped for lunch at a diner in Brooklyn, Iowa.  A man came by our table and dropped a $20 bill on the table “to help out with lunch” because our kids were so well behaved.  (I don’t think that would have happened on Day 10 of the trip!)

 

By Friday night we made it to Omaha, Nebraska.  It was the weekend of the College World Series, as well as a huge boys’ baseball tournament–many of the boys were staying in the same hotel as us.  So we ended up in a single hotel room.  We ate at a place we were first introduced to in South Dakota a number of years back:  Pizza Ranch.  If you’re starving, it’s a good place to go–buffet style.

 

The next day we went to the Henry Dorly Zoo and Aquarium.  I was not expecting it to be as awesome as it was!  We only saw about 1/3 of it.  Wow!  Go there if you’re ever in the area.  It was a great wrap-up of our Apologia Swimming Creatures science study that we did this year.

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Puffins:

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Penguins:

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Giant Japanese Spider Crabs:

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This was an awesome tunnel to see sharks, sea turtles, and rays:

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Jellyfish:

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Eels:

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Tropical fish:

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Butterflies landed on 3 kids:

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I could almost touch this lion!

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This snow leapard was such a poser!

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Stay tuned for the next post in the Vacation series!

Post #2:  Colorado Springs

 

See the wonderful blogs I’ve linked up to here!

 

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11 Comments

  1. That zoo and aquarium look amazing. Who knew that Omaha had so much to offer?

  2. Your kids all looked so happy in that pic up top (in the van)! Looks like you had a great trip. Great pictures capturing your journey!

  3. Sheree Slagle says:

    I came across your last post on Apologia Zoology Swimming Creatures today. We are starting that this year! Looks awesome. I only have 2 kids and they are 11 and 13 but I loved seeing your Ocean Box pictures. Sometimes my 11 yr old gets discouraged cuz he thinks his “art” isn’t wonderful. I think seeing your box pictures will encourage him to do his best and be happy with his creations. We are VERY excited to do the dissections. AND we ALSO went to the Omaha Zoo this summer! It IS fabulous (spoken w/some bias since we do live in Nebraska, lol!) I could sit and watch the penguins for HOURS!! And those spider crabs were incredible! I just kept thinking “How in the world could you NOT believe in a creator when you see ALL the awesomeness of HIS creation!!!!!?????”
    Glad you made it “there and back again” on your vacation! Blessings on your upcoming homeschooling year! Sheree

    1. I totally agree. God displays His glory through His creation, and we are without excuse if we don’t recognize it!
      –Gena

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