An Outing in Omaha

When I first sporadically purchased my plane ticket to Omaha and posted it to Instagram, I had so many people message me.”What’s in Omaha?” “Nebraska?? Why in the world are you going to Nebraska?” “What’s there? Corn?”

We all have our own ideas about what a certain state/ city/ place will be like. What saddens me is that people may write off so many places that could be very charming and very fun to explore without giving them a fair shot!

In this case, I did not know what to expect. I just knew I had 3 days off. The flight was cheap. The Midwest was uncharted land for me. I wanted to explore.

I’m so thankful I did. Omaha turned out to be charming, delicious, and the perfect place for a weekend getaway.

Things I love about Omaha:

• You cannot go to a bad restaurant. This city has the best food options than any I’ve visited before.
• It’s easy to walk everywhere. The temperature being in the single digits makes this harder, but still doable. No car needed, and Uber and Lyft are readily available if needed.
• Hotels near the heart of the city are still inexpensive, and great quality. I stayed at Courtyard by Marriott Omaha Downtown/Old Market, and the stay was one of the best I’ve had. My room had huge windows, an incredibly comfortable bed, a nice restaurant/ bar area, and a free shuttle to and from the airport and anywhere within a 1 mile radius.
• Even though it is a city of almost 467,000 people, it still manages to feel somewhat small and intimate. As a solo traveler, it was not the least bit overwhelming.

Places to See in Omaha:

Old Market– the historic heart of Omaha. It has brick lined streets and blocks of unique shops, art galleries, and eateries. This is where all the city comes to life, and where I would recommend staying as close to as possible.

While here, don’t miss the Passageway with Chocolat Abeille, an amazing chocolate shop, and the pretty string lights and brick interior.

Also make sure to visit the Hollywood Candy. This was one of my favorite places. It’s a candy shop, soda fountain, antique shop, arcade, and museum all in one.. Such a fun place to explore!

Heartland of America Park– When not in the winter, this park has a big fountain that changes colors and offers beautiful views of the city skyline.

Gene Leahy Mall– 10 acre park also with some lovely views of the city. This park has waterfalls, 2 huge slides, and an amphitheater for concerts in the summer.

Omaha Mural– Located in Old Market, on the corner of 13th and Howard St., go get that Insta-worthy souvenir shot!

Leavenworth St.– If you have an appreciation for antiques, this street has quite a few shops you can check out.

Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge– This 3,000 ft long walkway over the Missouri River will take you on a short 10 minute walk into Iowa. I would recommend going during sunset, as you’re able to see both the city by day, and the bridge and the city of Omaha light up by night. The bridge also offers a nice photo op of you being in two places at once!

Joslyn Museum– This museum is completely free, has a large variety of all types of art (American, European, Native American, Ancient, etc.), and is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon! If you have kids, they have a section downstairs where they can create their own masterpiece. It has a large Chihuly art piece that hangs above its own cafe. The building alone is impressive in itself. The Art Deco building has 36 marbles from all over the world on its interior, and its own tiled fountain.

Fertile Ground Mural– Located on 13th and Webster, it was painted by Meg Sligman in 2009. If you don’t want to walk here, you can get a good view of it from the Bob Kerrey Bridge.

As far as restaurants go that I personally went to and would recommend, Plank Seafood  had a great deal on oysters for happy hour, and a mouthwatering cedar planked salmon (complete with herb fingerling potato, sautéed baby green beans, fennel orange butter, & parsley oil). Soooo good! Don’t miss it!

Block 16 is farm to table street food. It’s a very popular stop in Omaha, and if you just briefly glance at their menu you can see why. We opted for croque garçon burgers (burger on a ciabatta roll with cheese, ham, sunny-side-up egg, and mayo) and some gangsta fries.

I didn’t eat at Tap House Omaha, but was able to enjoy one of their unique cocktails: the banana nut bread martini. So perfect and so good.

Rarely is hotel food notable, but the avocado toast and breakfast potatoes I had while staying at Courtyard by Marriott Omaha Downtown were remarkable!

 

Places I was not able to go to, but are of interest:

Henry Doorly Zoo– Rated as the world’s best zoo in 2014 by TripAdvisor. It has a ton of experiences for visitors to interact with and learn about animals.

Warren Buffet Home– The second richest man in the country lives in a home he bought here in 1958 for what would be approximately $250,000 today. It is located at 5505 Farnam St.

24th St.– Latino section of town with some neat street art, great tacos, and delightful pastries.

The Orpheum– Go watch a performance in Omaha’s absolutely stunning Performing Arts Center built in 1927. With huge chandeliers, red curtains, and marble all over, you couldn’t help but to enjoy the environment and to be taken back in time.

The Durham Museum– Learn all about Omaha/ Nebraska/ Midwest history in one of Omaha’s prettiest buildings for $9. This is a pretty popular attraction, as many of my fellow hotel guests were making stops here.

Enjoy Omaha if you have the chance! Happy exploring, friends!