http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , Nebraska en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:28:53 +0000 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:28:53 +0000 I leave on Monday for Phuket Thailand. This is a video illustrating what I am leaving. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/Omaha/blog-443886.html Big trip. Full day with a stop in the Agate Fossil Beds National Park. Nothing special.Grande viagem. Dia inteiro com uma paragem no parque nacional Agate Fossil Beds. Nada de especial. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/blog-442517.html Outside a small portion of the country basically centered on Nebraska no one has heard of the runza. For me the food is considered a birthright.I mentioned in a previous post my love for runzas especially the homemade ones my mother would frequently make. A runza is essentially a roll of cooked dough with beef and cabbage inside it. There are variations of the runza which include switching th http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/blog-438363.html This was our last day in Nebraska. We had traveled back and forth on many of it's scenic trails during the past few days. We returned to Scott's Bluff National Monument this morning to take the road to the top. It had been closed when we were there last evening. Today's starting temp was 70 F and the skies were absolutely clear blue so the view from the top of the monument was spectacular. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/blog-433427.html We left Alliance at 945am and the plan for the day was to follow several of Nebraskas scenic routes including part of the Oregon Trail. The temp was 60 F first thing in the morning and would rise to a high of 84 F for the day. The skies were incredibly hazy for most of the day. According to the Weather Channel it was caused by the fires in California and Colorado. When we first left Alliance http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/blog-433145.html Our hotel last night was a Super 8 in York. We left at 940am this morning took I 80 to Route 14 and made a stop at the Plainsman Museum in Aurora. It was interesting to see the old school house pioneer home and blacksmith shop from a bygone era. Aurora is also the home of Dr Harold Edgerton inventor of flash photography and the strobe light. At the beginning of the day we passed miles of corn http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/blog-432860.html Wed stayed the night at a Super 8 hotel in Hannibal which by the way is the boyhood home of Mark Twain. The area between St Louis and Hannibal had been the prettiest part of the Great River Road.We left the hotel at 915am onto 36 west heading out of Missouri. The early morning temp was 54 but it had risen to 60 by 9am and there were the usual blue skies with puffy clouds.Route 36 is a 4 lane di http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/Grand-Island/blog-432543.html We had a pretty good travel day and got ourselves into Grand Island Nebraska before I started hitting the rumble wakeup strips.... True road trip Mel made us up some sandwhich's and we just motored away the miles she kept me on track with paper maps see Notes below...ugh and fed tid bits on the states we are in.We got to see the Mississippi.... Yeap Kids Thats the Mississippi The Mighty M http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/Grand-Island/blog-432086.html just a small town boy http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/blog-430274.html With this Monday being the weekaway marker and this weekend being consumed by last visits to friends though I will be coming back I swear I'm finally starting to feel the pressure of getting ready to leave for the grand land of Espaa. I'm dealing with things such as realizing my credit card expires in November the headset I started shopping for at the beginning of the summer still hasn't g http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/Omaha/blog-429959.html 28 June 2009 SundayAlthough I once again planned to get up and get home early it did not work out that way. I was tired in the morning and moved the alarm back an hour from my original plan. Then there was this movie on TV I didnrsquot wait for the end of it but I watched way too much of it as I fixed the route to home. Carol told me to eat at the Bohemian Caf on the way home so I needed t http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/Omaha/blog-413947.html 24 June 2009 WednesdayI over slept at Kay and Jackies. Jackie was leaving for work at 630am I set my alarm for 6am and it went off then I must have just gone back to sleep because I woke up closer to 830am. Not in a real hurry to leave now I didnrsquot want to be out there in rush hour traffic. Kay and I had a leasurly breakfast of donuts and talked again of all things important. It did n http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/blog-413642.html InternetI finally have access to the internet again so I'm slowly trying catch up. When I'm writing this I'm actually on day 13 but I've been documenting everything in a little journal so I'll get everybody up to speed and hopefully I won't forget anything. Well day 4 was a rather interesting day so lets continue shall weDay 4 Car troubleI can't even believe how much could have gone wrong w http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/blog-411929.html Day 14. Travel Day. We left my parents behind and headed to Ozark National Riverway. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/Omaha/blog-411684.html Day 12. Omaha. Rob and Cannon went to the Henry Dorly Zoo. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/Omaha/blog-411681.html Day 12. Omaha. Rob and Cannon went to College World Series Fan Fest. We didnrsquot have the time nor tickets to make a game but enjoyed a last view of Rosenblatte Stadium before they tear it down http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/Omaha/blog-411680.html Day 11. Omaha. Rob went to the office and worked while cannon spent time with Grandma and Grandpa Calvert. In the evening went to Chris and Kim Connollyrsquos house. They are long time friends and Cannonrsquos godparents. We enjoyed dinner and went fishing with the kids John and Caroline http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/Omaha/blog-411679.html Day 10. Omaha. Rob went to the office and worked while cannon spent time with Grandma and Grandpa Calvert. In the evening went to Mike and Lori Pickettes house http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/Omaha/blog-411678.html What a day. My last day of work and the first day of my trip. After saying my goodbyes at work I headed home to pack everything up. I left Waterloo around 630 and stopped to sleep in Kearney at 100. As I drove through Omaha I saw fireworks around Rosenblat stadium. I thought it was a nice way for the city to welcome me back. After Lincoln I started to see some awesome lightning strikes and http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/Kearney/blog-406875.html In preparation to the trip I am using this as a test. I have one week until I will bein Tanzania It is hard to believe that it is this close but a week still feels too long. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nebraska/Omaha/blog-406395.html