Day 6: To Omaha, Nebraska!
Remember how I said we were gonna turn on the afterburners? Today was one of those days. Over the last few days, we averaged around 4–5 hours/day. Today? 7 and a half. Whew. Lots of driving. Less stopping. Less touristy stuff.
However, there was some really cool country to cover. We hit 3 states today: South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska. Throughout the day, we saw Badlands National Forest, traced a good bit of the Missouri River, and even saw the birthplace of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie series).
Weird and trivial thing I learned today? SO. MANY. BILLBOARDS. Those of you who have driven through this part of the country…did you notice this? Seriously, there were hundreds of those boogers. Seems like a waste of materials, but maybe they actually work as advertising here?
ANYWAY, as we absorbed the great landscape around us, we enjoyed LOTS of podcasts. I’ll go into the episodes in the “On The Radio” portion at the bottom. I’m loving the diversity of topics and thought that we’re able to hear about.
After a really long day, we rolled up to the Element Hotel in Omaha. Gosh, I love this place. It’s crisp, clean, and they have treats in the lobby for the puppies. Bonus.
Cory and I ventured out to dinner at Stirnella Kitchen + Bar. Surprisingly impressed. For all you foodies, I wish I took a picture of our appetizer, but we ate it too quickly (again, starving after the long day on the road). It was burratta, spring pea puree, honeycomb, meyer lemon marmalade, country ham, and some toasted bread. One of the best apps I’ve had in a long time.
Midtown Omaha was surprisingly lovely and modern. I actually wish we could spend more time here. It’s wonderful and refreshing to see guys in suits with sweet shoes and the ladies in colorful, pressed outfits. The people watching in Omaha is dreamy, not super weird like Portland (though PDX has its own unique charms).
Post-dinner was rocky road and mint chocolate chip ice cream to close the day. Definitely hitting the hay early, as another long haul is in store tomorrow. To Marion, Illinois!
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On the Radio: No music today, but lotsa learning through podcasts.
- Freakonomics Radio: The Economic Guide to Child Rearing. This episode interviewed economist and author of Expecting Better and Cribsheet, Emily Oster. She went through many of the typical dos and don’ts of pregnancy/parenting and revealed if data actually supports the theories that everyone talks about: alcohol consumption, nicotine, co-sleeping, soft cheeses, etc. etc. etc. Fascinating!
- MOAR Cocaine & Rhinestones: This time, Tyler Mahan Coe reports on the life of Merle Haggard and specifically, the analysis of “Okie from Muskogee.” This song was largely misunderstood as a conservative, pro-Vietnam song, but in reality, it was satire. Even David Duke asked that Merle support him and the KKK, wrongly thinking that Haggard was his kind of guy. Haggard’s response? “F*** off.” The best.
- New Addition to the Rotation: Gangster Capitalism! Season One of this podcast dives deep into the College Admissions Scandal from earlier this year. Sad, infuriating, enthralling. Makes you wonder about all the other seedy things that go on behind the curtain in higher education.
If you missed yesterday’s fun at Mt. Rushmore, check it out here!
