04 Nov Setting out for a Road Trip Through Nebraska

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nebraska Tourism. All opinions are 100% mine.

“They don’t know what a Runza is!” the waitress yelled at the top of her lungs to the crowded restaurant. Gasps filled the air around us as everyone in the restaurant collectively shared in the surprise.

It felt like a 90’s sitcom, except it was my family vacation to Lincoln, Nebraska, when I was seven. The waitress listed off a bunch of ingredients contained in a runza before whizzing off on her roller skates to take another tables order.

This is one of my only memories from that first trip to Nebraska…well, that and the day I was stuck on a golf cart in a swarm of bees, but that’s an entirely different story.

I’m happy to say that it’s finally time to rectify these childhood memories and head back to road trip through Nebraska to rediscover all the fun adventures the Cornhusker State has to offer. Micah and I will be heading to Nebraska in partnership with Visit Nebraska to see what adventures we will find awaiting us.

We are road tripping our way through the state with our first stops in Omaha and Lincoln. Then, we will be making our way over to the western panhandle. Our itinerary is loosely scheduled, as we want to leave ample time open to explore, but we will definitely be getting a good mix of both outdoor and urban adventures.

Here are some of the adventures we are considering during our road trip through Nebraska:

Breweries and Wineries

There are plenty of breweries and wineries around the cities of Omaha and Lincoln, so it only makes sense that we check a couple out, right?! Whether we decide to follow the brewery trail, the winery trail or a mix of the two, there’s sure to be some tasty sampling in our future.

Museums, Gardens and Music

I always love a good museum, and I definitely have my eye on the Joslyn Art Museum in downtown Omaha and the Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln. There are many interesting museums throughout the state so it will be hard to narrow down our options. The Fall Chrysanthemum Show at the Lauritzen Gardens also sounds like an intriguing option, especially during a time of year where most of the vegetation outside is going into hibernation. The quirky Carhenge, in western Nebraska, is calling our names, and live jazz in Omaha will certainly be hard to pass up—there’s just something about soulful jazz music that always draws us in!

Markets and Entertainment Areas

With cobblestone streets, shops, galleries, and restaurants, the historic Old Market in Omaha definitely deserves a visit. Lincoln offers both the Railyard and the Historic Haymarket entertainment complexes with plenty to offer no matter what you’re interested in.

Hikes and Nature

In addition to several hiking trails in and around the two cities of Omaha and Lincoln, Western Nebraska is full of fascinating landscapes and wonderful places to hike, as well. Some of the natural spots we have our eyes on in the western portion of the state are Toadstool Geologic Park, Chardon State Park, and Scotts Bluff National Monument. There’s even a chance to explore parts of the actual Oregon Trail! Let me tell you, after all those childhood years playing Oregon Trail, I never thought that you could still visit some of the landmarks today. I, for one, am super excited to see that Chimney Rock is alive and well, and we definitely hope to pay it a visit.

Even though I’m not entirely sure what we will discover along the way, I’m looking forward to all of the adventures on the horizon for our road trip through Nebraska. And, all I know for sure is that I’m going to finally figure out what the heck a runza actually is.

Have you ever been to Nebraska? What adventures and Nebraska Events should we check out when we visit?