Omaha

We were delighted to find Omaha, Nebraska has much to offer. We stayed at the base campground that happens to be located right on a lake. The kids loved the playground there and on our last day, another fulltime family joined us for a couple hours.

The Joslyn Art Museum has a fantastic collection from a variety of periods and styles. 

The kids taking a break with a restored Rembrandt behind them. This 350 year old portrait of Dirck van Os had been embellished by various artists over the years. The tedious process of restoring it to its original appearance began in 2012. A fascinating explanation of the process can be seen here.

We really enjoyed this digital art by Jennifer Steinkamp where we watched a tree go thru all of its seasonal changes including blossoming, changing color and losing its leaves. 

Let's face it, being in an art museum with small children is a bit nerve-wracking. Fortunately the Joslyn has a special area just for my pint-sized artists to create their own masterpieces. At this portrait station, Asher and I sat opposite each other with a pane of glass between us and used markers to trace each other's face. Another station had a mirror so you could trace your own face.

Another station was set up for you to create your own stop-action movie. Basically you arrange your characters and push a button which takes a photograph. You make small movements then take another photograph and repeat. When played as a quick slideshow, the series of photos make it look like the animals are moving around. It was neat to see Journey's creations.

The floor and wall holds digital painting canvases. I was told a very special program is used here to make the kids paint strokes very realistic. You can actually blend colors and "paint" with a dry brush. Very cool!

Pottery ready for your own designs.

Afterwards we ate all we could at Tokyo Sushi in Old Town. They have decent sushi at a price that's hard to beat for all you can eat. The kids even ordered their own AYCE, a first!

Another day we spent time walking around Old Market (downtown Omaha) and the kids flew down this slide along the river a few times before enjoying dinner at a local brewery. If you swing by the visitor center and request the Craft Brewery tour passport, you'll receive coupons for a free beer at a number of locations around town. It's totally free and a fun way to try a new restaurant.