24 Hours in Omaha

Planning to visit Omaha? Check out www.visitomaha.com!

Last Thursday, I hopped in my car and drove out to Omaha to see one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Conor Oberst, play a show. There is something sentimental about seeing one of your favorite bands in the town they are from. I saw Sigur Ros in Iceland in 2012, and that was incredible!

Driving from Denver to Omaha is about 8 hours, if you don't miss an exit. I missed an exit, so it took me about 10 hours. Skip driving through Kansas, trust me.

The drive to Omaha is flat and full of bugs. My car is still a bug-graveyard because I have not yet taken it to get washed. I suggest loading your phone or iPod up with an audiobook or use Audible.com, like I do. I enjoyed Anthony Bourdain's, "Kitchen Confidential", which is read by Anthony, so that makes it 1000x more awesome. I also finished listening to Amy Poehler's "Yes Please," which is also read by the author. It is hilarious, and I love Amy so much more than I already did.

So, what can you do in Omaha in 24 hours or less? Plenty. Now, you can absolutely do all of the things I have listed in pretty much any city, but I LOVED the vibe in Omaha. It's relaxed, laid back, and easy-going. Even the music scene lacks the pretentiousness of many other cities, like Dallas or Denver. I get really nervous talking to people in the music-scene, because 1) I am an introvert, so people drain me and I'd rather hide, and 2) I feel like I don't know as much about music as others know. I don't know what year a certain album was pressed, or the name of the latest garage-punk-rock band (by the way - there are so many now, I just can't keep up. I'll stick to The Black Lips, Beach Slang, and Thee Oh Sees, thanks).

Ok, back to things you can do in Omaha in less than 24 hours! 

1. Go to a concert 

I went to The Waiting Room to see Conor Oberst play. It's a great venue on Saddle Creek Dr. which is also the name of indie label, Saddle Creek Records. If you follow the indie music scene, you've definitely heard of this label, home to many awesome artists like The Good Life, Cursive, Icky Blossoms, Azure Ray, and The Faint. 

Even though Conor was on his self-titled tour, he did treat us with some old Bright Eyes songs! Here is Method Acting: 

2. Go to brunch at Wheatfields

Oh my goodness - Omaha might have the comfort food situation down better than Texas. (Yes, I said it). 

I went to Wheatfields in East Omaha and had Lobster Cake Benedict. It was amazing! When I travel, all healthy, picky eating goes out the window. I believe it's part of the journey to experience the food places have to offer. 

Downtown Omaha has plenty of awesome brunch spots, but this seemed like the gem. I will have to go back and check out the other places next time! 

3. Go to the Lauritzen Gardens

Visit Omaha gifted me with passes to the Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha's botanical gardens. There are over 100 acres to walk through, or you can hop on a golf cart trolley. They have an herb garden, a cactus garden, Japanese garden, and much more. There are also some amazing animal sculptures by artist, Dan Ostermiller. 

I took these photos with my iPhone 5S: 

These photos with my Canon T3 Rebel DSLR + 24mm / f2.8 lens, which is great for close-up macro shots: 

4. Spend more than 24 hours in Omaha! 

So, I feel like I didn't get to spend enough time in Omaha, which is why I'm going to go back very soon. I had to get back to Denver for an art festival I was helping out with, so I did not get to stay the entire weekend. 

A few things that are on my list for my next trip to Omaha: 

- Go to The Omaha Zoo.

- Roam around The Old Market dictrict. 

- Check out Conor Obersts' lounge, Pageturners. (What? I'm a huge fan!) 

- Check out a show at Cursive-member-owned, O'Leavers.

- Visit some of the cemeteries (I LOVE visiting cemeteries). 

- Anything else? Comment with a suggestion!