Omaha, Nebraska

Weekend Trip

Oct 12

Feeding Lola, the adorable, bottomless pit, I mean giraffe

I can’t believe it took me this long to go to Omaha. We spent a beautiful girls’ weekend in October and had an amazing time. We enjoyed delicious food and drink and saw the sights.

Omaha Zoo

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is rightly famous. Don’t miss the “kingdoms of the night” nocturnal exhibit under the desert dome (can I get a dessert dome?), the butterfly pavilion, and the jungle. Most of all, feed Lola at the giraffe encounter in Africa (open Saturdays and Sundays weather permitting). That was the highlight of the trip.

You could spend days at the zoo, but we spent a great four hours.

Don't miss the tapir in the jungle. Looks like a panda-elephant-pig combo to me…

Food and Drink

How I love good food! Omaha did not disappoint.

I had the best cheesebread of my life at Noli’s Pizzeria
Delicious mini-shell, smoked gouda mac and cheese with shrimp at Jams in the Old Market
Heavenly breakfast potatoes at Good Lookin’
Fun at Proof: whiskey bar and craft cocktails.
(links below)

Lindsay and friends enjoying whiskey, craft cocktails, and friendly staff at Proof

The Old Market

We spent an enjoyable afternoon exploring the old market. Hollywood Candy is worth a visit. We were pleased with how welcoming Omaha appears to be to the LGBTQ+ community, especially in The Old Market.

Bob the Bridge and Lewis and Clark

We enjoyed a beautiful morning walking along the Missouri River, crossing “Bob” the Pedestrian Bridge crossing between Nebraska and Iowa, and checking out the Lewis and Clark National Park Service Visitors Center (another check on my friend’s national park list).

Lodging

We found great lodging at an Airbnb in Little Bohemia. We picked our spot for its great location, affordable price, and ample space for playing board games at the dining room table and in the spacious living room area. We will have to check out the nearby Omaha Dog Bar next time.

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Location

3701 S 10th St, Omaha, NE 68107

Travel and Parking

Omaha is a three-hour drive from Kansas City. Directions include “keep going north for 113 miles”. We rocked out to some good road trip tunes from Spotify.

The zoo has plenty of free parking. The Old Market has paid parking: parking map here. Our other stops had street parking with or without meters (check both sides of the meters for various payment options like coin, card, or app). Our Airbnb had a designated spot out back and street parking. We took an Uber to Proof.