Visit Omaha: Heartland of America Park

While in Omaha, we stopped at the Heartland of America Park.  It is an enormous park, at 31-acres, with lots of green space, paths for biking (we saw lots of kids on scooters), and a huge fountain.

It's a nice, large park to stroll, with benches to sit on around the area, as well a pedestrian bridge connecting to the Lewis & Clark Landing.

The park is currently undergoing renovations, to reopen in 2025. 

Heartland of America Park
800 Douglas St

Omaha, NE 68102

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Visit Omaha: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

On our last day in Omaha, we decided to visit Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.  We didn't have any plans on going to the zoo, since we've already been to a lot of zoos throughout our travels.  But after hearing so many people say we MUST visit the zoo (it's one of the best in the nation), we thought we may as well visit (because when will we be in Omaha again?).

I am SO glad we visited the zoo.  It was one of the highlights of my trip!

With over 160 acres of exhibits and thousands of animals, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is the best zoo I've ever visited.

There were so many attractions, exhibits, and experiences, and we squeezed in as much as we could!

We saw so many amazing animals, including a red panda, Indian rhino, elephants, orangutans, pelicans, zebras, antelopes, lions, and so much more! 

We even saw a baby gorilla that was born just the month before!

 

There were lots of cool experiences, including a Lemur Walkway (the lemurs roam around amongst the humans!) and a Giraffe Encounter, where we could feed the giraffes!

There were so many fantastic exhibits at the Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium that made it stand out from any other zoo I've visited.

The Mahoney Kingdoms of the Night is an exhibit full of nocturnal creatures; the Lied Jungle will have you walking through a rainforest as bats fly by (yes, bats!); Desert Dome, the world's largest indoor desert, is complete with caves and cliffs housing animals from Australia and Africa; the Butterfly & Insect Pavilion will have you strolling amongst fluttering butterflies of all colors!

There is even a huge playground, a carousel, a train, and many other kid-friendly activities.  

I'm so glad we visited Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium!  It was definitely an incredible zoo!

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
3701 S 10th St

Omaha, NE 68107

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Visit Nebraska: Elmwood Park

We made a playground stop at Elmwood Park in Omaha.

The sand-based playground was full of fun equipment - slides, bridges, tree climbs, spider rope crawls, swings, and so much more!

Sand toys were also found throughout the playground. 

We visited Elmwood Park in Nebraska because of its playground, but it also offers a variety of other activities.  There is a nice walking / jogging path, volleyball courts, a pavilion, a fitness area, pool, and even a golf course. 

There is also a hiking trail which I took a quick stroll on.

It was a really nice park with lots of fun things to do, but there are no restroom facilities (there are actual restrooms, but for some reason they were locked, and all that was available were very cringe-inducing portable potties).

Elmwood Park
6232 Pacific St
Omaha, NE 68106
(402) 444-5900

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Visit Omaha: Godfather's Pizza

We typically try to find a popular pizza spot whenever we travel, because pizza is always sure to please everyone in our family, and it can feed our family of 5 for fairly cheap.  While in Omaha, we dined at Godfather's Pizza.

This very popular pizza chain, headquartered in Omaha, offers really good pizzas!

Taco Pie

Chicken Bacon Ranch

Classic Combo

Pepperoni

We shared 4 mini pizzas, each with 4 slices.

The Original crust is just so good!  It's thick with just enough chewiness.

The Classic Combo is topped with Pepperoni, Beef, Sausage, Onions, Black Olives, Mushrooms & Mozzarella Cheese.

I really liked the Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza, and the Taco Pie was piled high with typical taco fillings.

Although the pizzas may look small, they are quite filling, and at under $7 each, it's quite a deal, especially for feeding a family of 5. 

Godfather's Pizza
Askarben Village
2117 S 67th St

Omaha, NE 68106

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Visit Omaha: Marks Bistro

Our last dinner in Omaha was at the upscale, yet cozy and kid-friendly Marks Bistro.

Their signature dish is the Macaroni & Cheese!

Macaroni & Cheese

Cavatappi pasta is combined with cheddar, Asiago, havarti, and bleu cheeses, and is topped off with a Parmesan-panko crust. 

Snack Mac

 A Snack Mac size is also available (there is no kids menu, so this dish is perfect for kids!).

Bistro Tots

If you love tater tots, you must try Marks' housemade tots, which are served with a Gouda fondue.  The huge tots were pillowy on the inside and crunchy on the outside.

Bavette Steak & Frites

Tomato-dusted fries were topped with steak, a red wine butter sauce, crimini mushrooms, and onions.  Talk about elevated fries!

Lobster & Bay Scallop Risotto

I love risotto, and this dish did not disappoint.  It was rich and creamy, and I loved the addition of the seafood!

Grilled Cheese

The Grilled Cheese consisted of Havarti, Parmesan, and Brie.

Service was really good, and we had a really nice meal at Marks!

Marks Bistro

4916 Underwood Ave

Omaha, NE 68132
(402) 502-2203

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Visit Nebraska: Alpine Inn

While in Nebraska, I stumbled upon a blurb in a magazine about the Alpine Inn, and how the restaurant is not only famous their Fried Chicken, but also for the raccoons that come out to feed on leftover scraps.

Intrigued, we went there for lunch one day.

Fried Chicken

Onion Rings

Cheeseburger

Chicken Tenders

Popcorn Shrimp

The menu is limited and no frills - lots of fried foods, burgers, hot dogs.  The fried chicken was indeed good.  And the servers were very friendly.

The real bummer was that we didn't get to see any raccoons!  They are nocturnal creatures, so we didn't think about that as we drove there to have lunch (I did see raccoons out and about in Canada in the middle of the day, so them being asleep while we were having lunch was not something that crossed my mind).

So - if you go to Alpine Inn, be sure to visit at dusk or later!


Alpine Inn
10405 Calhoun Rd

Omaha, NE 68112

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Visit Omaha: Wildlife Safari Park

The Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari was ranked the best in the nation by USA Today 10Best readers, so we knew we had to make a visit while in Nebraska.

As we drove through the Wildlife Safari Park, we came across elk, deer, cranes, pelicans, and bison.

It was really neat to see all of the elk antlers poking out from the grass (we didn't realize they were elk until they all started moving), and to watch the bison wallow about in the plains.

You must adhere to the speed limit to prevent from hitting any animals, as most do roam around freely.  You must also be sure to stay in the car at all times (for obvious reasons), unless you are in specific areas where you are allowed to walk around.  

Not only can you drive through the park, but you can also hike.  We did a short hike and saw lots of exhibits which housed owls, bald eagles, and even a bear.

We were hoping to see a wolf, but we didn't get to see one. 

We all had fun seeking out the wildlife at the Wildlife Safari Park!


Wildlife Safari Park
16406 292nd St
Ashland, NE 68003
(402) 944-9453

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