Oh how nice it is to have a swim in a warmish indoor pool.  I believe swimming strengthens the sit-up, stand-up-straight posture muscles.  Anyways, I love starting the day with a little exercise.  Then a soak in the jacuzzi and we’re ready to get ready for breakfast.

Thank you Hampton Inn for a real breakfast:  eggs, waffles, biscuits, yogurt, fresh fruit, juice, and the beloved coffee (in regular, bold, and decaf.)  I find out not all Hampton Inn breakfasts are alike.  This one has some spongy kind of instant eggs.  I should have opted for the boiled variety.  Still and all, so much better than the caffeine and sugar in most hotels.

We follow Roadtripper’s advice and headed to Ted & Wally’s for the best ever ice cream (18% butter fat.) The waffle cones are better than the waffles we have for breakfast. The ice cream is excellent, and definitely no fillers or stabilizers. I can tell by the fast melt rate. I got a t-shirt at Loved-One’s bidding. We love this place, and we never would have found it without Roadtripper.

I showed the app to the sweet kid behind the counter, he was impressed or perhaps he just had great customer care.  I acted impressed.

Our next stop is Omaha and Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge, the largest pedestrian bridge that spans two states. It was big. The nice thing about Roadtripper is that hitting the “navigate” button plugs the address into “Maps” which gives us turn-by-turn directions. Nice. The bridge is super-impressive, so we just walked along the river a bit and had a cooler-top lunch of crackers, tomatoes, cucumbers and mozerella cheese.  We had some miles to make up.

We both like packing a cooler with some snacks and food from home.  My stomach is too stuck in it’s ways to appreciate too much restaurant food.  I crave fresh veggies and fruit. Besides, I decided to change my micro-flora.  Starting this trip, among other things, no soda.

(I’m dying to share my knowledge about the human micro biome, but first the trip.  Sneak-peak, there’s even an ethics component, because of how the studies may impact how we define what it means to be human.  Whoa! So interesting.)

Buoyed by confidence in RoadTripper, we ask it for directions to Dinosaur Castle Cabin Museum. A cabin made of dinosaur bones, thus giving int the claim of the oldest cabin in the world . This takes us onto local roads, but still going in the right direction.

“Maps” confidently proclaims “arrived” to a wooded lot with nothing else for miles. The biggest laugh of the day.

A closer look at the description reveals the correct address is in Wyoming rather than Iowa, in spite of RoadTripper’s proud pin on the Iowa map. Same roade, different state.  (Note to self, call or check out the website next time, that’s how I found out where it really was, plus it’s closed, looking for a new owner.)

We missed the Crane Trust Nature Center and maybe an hour driving. That said, it was nice to get off the interstate, and we had a good belly laugh.  RoadTripper also has a button that calls the place, too.

Several people warned us that Iowa and parts of Nebraska are flat and well, boring.  But, I loved the scenery.  These wind farms are so beautiful.  Look at the farm, nestled in there.  Can’t you just imagine Don Quijote storm a windmill here?

We made it to Nebraska.  

Oh, I should tell you about Isaac.  When Loved-One and I met, I had four adolescent children, he had no children.  He’s five, sometimes six years younger than I am. (See why I call him Loved-One?)  I worried that he would want his own children some day.  One day, Loved-One pulled Isaac out of his pocket.  “I found him abandoned on the playground , and handicapped, too.”

Isaac goes with us everywhere.  The grandchildren make him hats and one even brought him his own house to live in, complete with pets to keep him company.

We spent the night in another Hampton Inn in North Platte, Nebraska with another great dinner at a local restaurant.

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