We got up around 6 am when the parking lot at Camping World got some activity. They opened around 8 and we left the RV there to have them look at a few problem areas. Ziggy stayed inside and we were told was very well behaved. They recommended we go to a nearby casino for breakfast and we did. Iowa is full of casinos and this one is large, clean and, surprisingly, crowded. The grounds also included two hotels, a RV lot and a dog track. They had a nice breakfast restaurant and we hung around for a while afterwards using our Smartphones and generally loitering. I am the proud new owner of an iPhone and couldn't be happier. I had resisted, but now wonder what took me so long to get on board. The thing is amazing and I haven't done the app thing yet. Jeff got it for me online and had it sent up to Alaska since my phone was on its last legs. Little did we know that there is no Verizon in Alaska or Canada and I could not get the phone activated. As soon as we crossed the border to Montana I called Verizon and they turned me on. I had purchased the book iPhone for Dummies and am methodically learning how to do all the cool things the phone can do. Poor Jeff has to listen to my aha's and ooh's. I am so annoying and I keep taking his picture and e-mailing it to him for practice. Anyway, I digress. We got our act together and drove across the river to Omaha, Nebraska. WAIT! Did I say Nebraska? Jeff and I have a big white space on our RV map for Nebraska as it is one of two states in the lower 48 that we have not visited in our RV. And, we have pledged not to visit Nebraska because the white space in the middle of the map looks so good. Not to worry, we were in the car so off we went to Nebraska and visited the Lauritzen Gardens. The Camping World guys had recommended this botanical garden as a pleasant way to spend our morning and it was delightful. We took a tram tour of the 100-acre site. Luckily for us they have an exhibition of sculpture by Jun Kaneko and it is very interesting work. He does sculpture, fused glass, drawings as well as sets and costumes for opera and theatre and probably more. Photos 2 & 4 are his pieces that are a dango and a head. In photo #2 Jeff is standing at the model railroad garden. This is a large, permanent installation with four different sets of tracks on many levels. Who doesn't love watching a train? Amidst the tracks were replicas of Omaha buildings and plantings. Last stop on the tour was adjacent Kenefick Park with two humongous locomotives that had powered trains on the Union Pacific Railroad. One was steam and the other diesel-electric. They are positioned high above the highway that welcomes you to Nebraska. Could have stayed for hours, but our RV was ready and it was time to hit the road. Top photo is two of four funky metal sculptures on a Council Bluffs bridge.
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