Greensboro, NC: December 30-31, 2024 - Winter Wonderlights

Me n' Mary took an absolute-last-moment-of-the-year trip up to Greensboro for no real reason other than we felt like taking a trip and had these days off to do it!

The initial thought was Winston-Salem, but so many things there were closed for the holidays, and while we ran into a few roadblocks in that vein in Greensboro, it turned out to be kind of the perfect little getaway.

I was lucky enough to spot that there was an event at the Greensboro Science Center called Winter Wonderlights, which is a big light display outside in the zoo area that takes place on certain nights during the winter.  The night of the 30th was one of those nights, so after checking into the hotel and grabbing some Japanese for dinner, we got ourselves a hot chocolate and explored:

There was this crazy sphere that played music and showcased dancing animals, which felt like a fever dream:

And a lot of lit up trees and tunnels:

Was quite a spectacle!  

That was all on the docket for the night.  We turned in at the hotel and went to sleep.  The next morning, the plan was to get a coffee and breakfast early, then check out of the hotel and make our way to the day's destinations, but literally like 5 or 6 coffee shops we tried were closed for the New Year's Eve holiday.  Even though they said "open" on the maps app!

Because of this, we decided to check out first, then make our way to things on foot, since once we left the parking garage, there was no going back.

With a bit more searching, finally, we found a place called Awoo Coffee that was open, and we had a sip and a bite.

On the way there, we passed this place:

This was the Woolworth's lunch counter, the site of the infamous Greensboro sit-ins, a landmark event in the Civil Rights era of American history.  The place is now a museum, and while it would have been interesting to see, the setup was a little unworkable with our plans - apparently you can only go in by taking a 90 minute guided tour.  You can't just walk in and explore on your own.  So we skipped it, but I still appreciated seeing it!

The museum we did end up seeing was the Greensboro History Museum, back near our hotel:

Was a great little spot with a few interesting displays:

And an exhibit on democracy, which included a fun activity where you spin a wheel, pick a word, and then select images (on playing cards) that you think exemplifies that word.

We played a couple rounds, which sparked some interesting discussions!

Heading out from the museum, we returned to the car and made our way to a Starbucks for a quick bite, and to use the WiFi.  Then, we went to a couple thrift shops - Mary's a big thrifter.  And we made a pretty good find or two!

And then, with our treasures in hand, we departed to return to the Charlotte area and ring in the new year.  Happy birthday, 2025!

Lincoln, Ashland, and Omaha, NE: September 5-7, 2024 - The Journey Complete

"I think of my mother who keeps reminding me each time I take off on an adventure like this that she didn't even leave the country for the first time until her thirties." -Me (in a blog post about China)

In the morning, we set out from the hotel in Sioux City and headed south.  In just a handful of minutes, we crossed the border from Iowa into Nebraska.  Officially, my mother's journey was now complete.  She had visited all fifty states.

But of course, we were still going to see things in this, the 50th state.  We were slicing through just the eastern end, which contains the capital and the biggest city, Omaha.

Capital first!  We got into Lincoln in the late morning and went straight to the building, sliding through the door at precisely the tour time...to find we were the only ones there for the tour anyway!

A grand entranceway led us to the central area, where they were setting up chairs for some event involving the University of Nebraska

Then, into the one and only chamber - Nebraska is the only(!) state with a unicameral legislature...and that's a fun fact you can take home with you!!!!  Put it in your stocking for Christmas!!!

Judiciary next:

...and that was pretty much it!  For the tour proper, anyhow.  We were free to roam, so we did take the elevator up to the top of the tower:

A nice view!

And then down into those square courtyards:

An interesting Capitol!  Some unique and beautiful features.  Maybe someday, when I've visited them all, I'll do a ranking.  Something to look forward to!

Next, a quick bite of lunch at a coffee shop, then off to the Sunken Gardens.  I was imagining like, an underwater cornucopia of otherworldly plants and natural formations...but "sunken" just meant it was down a little bit.  Like below ground level.  Still quite lovely though!

It was late afternoon at this point, and we had an item jotted down in the town of Ashland to check out, but we figured we'd go to it, but skip going in, to get to the hotel in Omaha (well, technically, Council Bluffs).  But upon arrival:

We had to check it out.  This is the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, which is essentially a military history of aerospace exploration.  Had a huge hangar full of planes:

Some NASA stuff:

And various other exhibits in this vein.  

Very interesting!  And what an odd find out in the middle-of-nowhere stretch between Lincoln and Omaha.

Trambling on to Omaha, we checked into the hotel, had dinner in town, then walked this bridge, which crossed into the aforementioned Council Bluffs:

The big activity for the next day, after yet another waffle for breakfast, was the Omaha Zoo:

This place was extensive!  Took hours just to get through the exhibits near the entrance, including an indoor rainforest:

An Aquarium:

Buttafly House:

Indoor desert (that big dome seen in the entrance shot above):

And this very interesting exhibit meant to showcase nocturnal creatures, so the whole place was in very low light to simulate night:

Conceptually, awesome, but a tough thing to pull off successfully.  Since, ya know.  It's hard to see these dudes in the dark.

Only then could we begin the trail of the zoo proper, seeing all the usuals - rhinos, elephants, big cats, gorillas, etc.  We were there well into the afternoon, which we didn't plan for, but also wasn't a big deal - the zoo was our main point of interest for the day.  We returned to the hotel after this stop for a brief respite, then we went to a Council Bluffs spot, the Union Pacific Rail Museum.

An interesting look into not only this railroad specifically, but the rise and fall of rail travel in general in the U.S.  Really hard to overstate how important it was in our nation's adolescence, and how swiftly it was replaced by car & air travel once those became easier and more widespread.

A glorious steak dinner followed, as has seemed to become our tradition on these trips:

Well, okay.  "Tradition".  We ended with a steak dinner in the Dakotas because it was my mom's birthday, and we had one, but not on the final day, in Wishigan.  So "tradition" is a pretty loose concept.  And of course, if this is the end of these trips, what much point is a "tradition" anyhow?  No chance to continue it, right?

I suppose that raises the question of whether we'll continue finding places to go now that The Journey proper is complete, or whether we'll go no more a-roving.  I'm sure we will - but the extent will diminish.  My parents are in their seventies now - no more far-flung destinations for weeks at a time.  Possibly no more overseas, although I have given up making sweeping declarations in this blog after the egg-on-my-face of China, parts 1 and 2.  We could focus on my fifty state journey, but I've got quite a few left to go.

We finished what we set out to do.  And that's exciting.  But if you've ever accomplished something, you know all too well that eventually the question surfaces: "what next?"  And you feel compelled to continue - come up with another project, the next big thing.  So long as there's time left, it feels like there must be things to do.  But someday you'll truly be done.  You'll retire.  Part of the journey is the end.

Makes me think of what will become of this journey, the blog called "Excursions" started over ten years ago, the compiling of all trips I take and have taken.  Do I slowly wind down when I have a wife and kids?  Sunset it when I decide there's no time anymore?  Or keep it going until I, too, am in my seventies, still chipping away at those bucket lists?

No answers yet I'm afraid.  Something to think about, but not decide right now.  All I know is that there is still much to see.  And I am going to see it!  

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The next morning, Saturday, we had a few hours before takeoff, so we had planned to go to another Lewis and Clark spot, thinking it would be a museum or tour or something - but this was more of an office building with a gift shop.  It was the headquarters for the Lewis and Clark trail, but emphasis on headquarters - it's where the people who administrate the trail work.

So, with a few surprise hours to kill, we went back into the downtown (where we'd had dinner the first night) and strolled around.  And wouldn't ya know it, there was some kind of festival going on!

Although there were some quieter spots in the old town:

And a big midtown park!

So we breezed in and out of shops and strolled the streets until it was time to get over to the airport and head out.  And happily, I can report that this time, there was not even a moment of delay.