Nebraska – All About Space and Grace

I adore the prairies of America’s Great Plains and especially Nebraska’s version. I’ve crisscrossed this Wyoming-bordering state a few times and recently returned to focus on its two largest cities—Omaha and Lincoln—and a few traveler-worthy gems that lie between them. Omaha, Warren Buffet’s hometown, has been hosting the annual 10-day college baseball world series since the 1950s. The city, rich in research hospitals, is also a dining and merriment hotspot.

Space and Grace

Nebraska is all about space and grace. Sixty miles down the road, Lincoln is equally steeped in fun entertainment options. While there, I realized that the people in these parts specialize in executing a subtle charm offensive that’s hard to find in busier, cramped coastal American cities. There’s plenty to do here, even in mid-winter, when I showed up in the state that invented Kool-Aid.

Multihued Omaha

Durham Museum Photo: Courtesy of Visit Nebraska

I was thrilled to see what lies within The Durham Museum, the former Omaha Union Train Station built in 1931 that was eventually transformed into a National Landmark. Here, a 60-foot art-deco-style ceiling dazzles with 13-foot-high chandeliers. This stroll back to the 1930s and 40s includes an original retro soda fountain counter, a period-perfect shopping corner, and snapshot-style human statues from that period that blend in with the current crowd. The sprawling lower level is a captivating Nebraska and American history museum that includes an ultra-rare coin collection and a medieval choir book made in 1317. The fascinating range of traveling exhibits is a result of the museum’s affiliations with the Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, and the National Archives. Outside, an on-rail showcase of antique trains includes an exquisite Pullman dining car. I was given a tour of the train cars by John Peterson, the wise man who rallied to save this icon from the wrecking ball 50 years ago.

Entertainment Around Every Corner

Memoir is an artsy design marvel Photo: Bruce Northam

Omaha’s brick-lined Old Market neighborhood has a rich history of arts and culture which endures with a vibrant collection of working artists, galleries, and more than 45 restaurants and drinking establishments.

Foodies and partiers alike will feel at home in Omaha. Classy Memoir is a plush and artsy design marvel serving an up-a-notch Americana menu as well as Italian, Mexican, and sushi options. Add: fancy cocktails and a friendly staff. If you’re jonesing for some farm-to table street food, head over to Block 16, a likable counter-service dining spot offering an otherworldly adobo Filipino-style chicken soup with rice and cilantro. Juicy burger with roasted beets and goat cheese? Sure.

Legendary Imbibing Joints

La Buvette is a groovy wine joint with a Parisian-inspired menu Photo: Bruce Northam

Jerry’s Bar, an unofficial Omaha institution, is a locals’ joint overflowing with retro-kitsch and award-winning Bloody Marys. Although a bit touristy, Billy Frogg’s is a fun meeting place in the heart of the Old Market. It inspires two crowds: older folks by day and celebratory youth at night. For something more cultivated, La Buvette is a groovy wine joint with a Parisian-inspired menu. This wine market with great French food started as a deli counter in the mid-1990s, transitioned into a full-on restaurant, and eventually migrated back to its deli roots.

Tunes and More Tunes…

The Brokedown Palace has an eternal soft spot for the Grateful Dead Photo: Bruce Northam

The Brokedown Palace is a lively dive bar serving up a constant stream of live music, comedy, and poetry. This social hub doubles as a sports bar and has an eternal soft spot for the Grateful Dead. Yeah, this one has a bit of a wild side. The B. Bar is a spacious live-music honkey-tonk shack that’s an annex to the Barrett’s Castle event space. When I was there, the Omaha Blues Society was in full swing via the International Blues Challenge, which represents the worldwide search for blues bands and solo/duo blues performers ready for the international stage, yet just needing that extra big break. It would be difficult to not have fun here. Mister Toad is an English pub with free live jazz on Sundays. It’s a relaxed, down-to-earth destination, and the longest running bar and music venue in the Old Market (since 1975).

The B Bar is a spacious live-music honkey-tonk shack Photo: Bruce Northam

Fantastic Digs

I was greeted in my room by four rare Great Plains towel swans Photo: Bruce Northam

The Hilton Omaha features a first-class, ultra-casual bar and restaurant called Nick’s Quorum Bar & Supper Club that showcases prohibition-era grandiosity. Nick’s prime rib chili is a protein dream without beans, and the pan-seared trout was served atop a celeriac mash with spinach, green apple, and pumpkin-seed puree. I kept going: the Potato croquette is Yukon goodness with a mild buffalo sauce. Fancy cocktails include a Dean Martin Martini and a Lavender Lemon Drop.

Quite a place; the entire hotel is pet friendly and offers free airport shuttles. It has a vast gymnasium-sized everything-you-need lobby. I stayed in a massive suite with two grand bathrooms, three huge TVs, a stylish full kitchen, a six-seat dining area, and a comfy living room. The hotel is across the street from the convention center, which also keeps things lively.

A Lincoln Treasure

Billy’s Restaurant is an elegant house built in 1887 and named after William Jennings Bryan Photo: Bruce Northam

Sometimes, the first stop in a destination truly sets the tone of a visit. Billy’s, an elegant house built in 1887, is named after William Jennings Bryan. Since 1986, this historic building has been the home of Billy’s Restaurant. The comfy multi-room house is near the State Capitol, making it a haven for congress-folk, lobbyists, and whoever else is lucky enough to visit. The owner, Nader Farahbod, came to America from Tehran, Iran, in 1977 and soon after married a Nebraskan and started a family—and this signature Lincoln establishment.

I entered Billy’s, unaware that it was closed. However, I still got a chance to take it all in. It was then that Nader appeared, and after a brief chat, he invited me into the kitchen while he prepared me an amazing pasta and meatballs lunch. We sat together while I dined and talked about topics far and wide for an hour. What a super nice guy! His being embraced by the community is no surprise, as he is celebrated with accolades that line the walls.

College Town Charm

The Graduate by Hilton is staffed by a mix of university students and hospitality pros Photo: Bruce Northam

I stayed at the homey Graduate by Hilton, which is ideally located next to campus amid the downtown Historic Haymarket Entertainment District. The pleasant staff is a mix of university students and hospitality pros. Johnny Carson is a Nebraska native, hence the Tonight Show’s curtain hanging behind the front desk. The lobby is adjacent to the Single Barrel bar and steakhouse, where you can engage with locals while chomping down a 56-oz tomahawk ribeye.

Nearby, Fleetwood is a meticulously restored former wholesale grocery store from the late 1800s that is now a luxe but affordable bar and restaurant. The former grocery store vault now offers a private four-seat experience. Chilled-out but trendy, the servers’ dress code is a band t-shirt. I devoured the fabulous firecracker shrimp, bacon cheeseburger soup, and bread zeppelin (gorgonzola honey, butter, fig jam). Here, grandparents mingle with kids and “irregulars.”

More Music and Friend-Making

The Zoo bar is a serious blues joint Photo: Bruce Northam

The Zoo Bar, an easygoing long-rectangle bar, has been an eternal guitar-driven live-music joint since 1973. One of the many proofs-of-coolness here are the endless concert-announcement posters lining the walls. This is a serious blues joint. There’s no need for weekend warriorism in Lincoln, as this joint rocks every night in every season—the joyous dancing never stops. Alums include Buddy Guy, Bo Diddley, Albert Collins, Robert Cray, and Otis Rush.

Kate Martin is a cash-only speakeasy that proves that you can accomplish a lot in a tiny-but-hip laidback space. Tavern on the Square is an extended-family dart bar featuring pickle-vodka hot sauce shots, a courtyard, live entertainment, and games.

Surprises on the Road Linking Omaha and Lincoln

Charming Nebraska City offers more than meets the eye Photo: Bruce Northam

Nebraska City’s Arbor Day Farm, the birthplace of Arbor Day, offers 260 acres of natural beauty and outdoor exploration and recreation. The onsite Apple House Market makes and sells hard and soft cider. The nearby Lied (“lead”) Lodge has an inviting, rustic restaurant and bar with fireplaces. There’s also a museum, pool, hot tub, and spa. In town, The Downtowner is a casual café with a grill-it-all menu and great salads.

I drove to Ashland and hit Parker’s Smokehouse for some BBQ with soul before making my final stop in Nebraska where there was concluding proof that the 37th “Cornhusker” state gets many things right.

Eugene T. Mahoney State Park is located midway between Nebraska’s two largest cities, Lincoln and Omaha. An employee referred to it as the Disneyland of state parks, as it offers all-season options ranging from sledding, skating, and indoor rock climbing to an aquatic center, theater, and more.

I stayed in one of Peter Kiewit Lodge’s 40 spacious and simple guest rooms, all with balconies showcasing the Platte River Valley. The staff members are all automatic naturalists of some sort. The lodge also features 60 cabins, a campground, and an observation tower. This year-round stargazer’s getaway hosts the Nebraska Star Party every summer. You can do it ALL on these 675 acres. Heck, they even offer a fishing pier and an 18-hole disc-golf course.

Mahoney State Park Photo: Courtesy of Visit Nebraska

For more information on experiencing the best Nebraska has to offer, check out VisitNebraska.com. Every season thrives in its wide-open spaces and places.

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