Lauritzen Gardens

The bad news:  Taxes are going up.  And surprise, surprise - those of us who make less than $250,000 a year won't be exempt from the tax increase.  "Read my lips - no new taxes."  Uh huh.  You know that's bunk no matter which president says it. 

The good news?  If your vacation turns into a staycation - or you just need a quiet place to get away from your worries for awhile - the Lauritzen Gardens offer a beautiful, relaxing retreat.  Located off 13th Street north of the zoo and Rosenblatt, there are 100 acres with over 15 gardens of different themes, connected by nicely paved walk paths.  Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for children ages 6-12.  Children under 6 are admitted free.  A variety of memberships are also available.  There's ample parking in the lots by the visitors' center. 

The visitors' center has several displays, a pond, a cafe, a gift shop, and very nice bathrooms.  It's also air conditioned.  The rest of the gardens are outdoors.  They are not air conditioned unless the wind is blowing.  Hopefully that won't come as a shock to you, but a friend of mine used to work there, and someone actually called and grilled her about it.   I guess you never know if you don't ask...

When you start out from the visitors' center, the Victorian Garden will be your first stop.  Green to the core, many of the architectural components came from buildings that were torn down in Omaha or Council Bluffs.  Recycling should always look this good.

This door reminded me of The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett.

Some of the garden areas are formal, and some are more casual.  I love the way existing elements like mature trees have been incorporated into designed features.

Who can resist a mysterious stairway like this?  Go on - see what's around the bend.  You won't be sorry.

It's a model railroad garden!  With seven trains running on four different lines.

The buildings are all done to scale and made from natural elements like twigs, acorns, and pinecones.  Can you recognize any of these Omaha landmarks?  

I'm guessing the lights inside are not made of natural elements, but they're pretty.

The Children's Garden is a bright, colorful experience for all five of your senses.  Kids are involved in planning and maintaining the garden.  You can schedule an appointment for a special kids' tour, and they may even get a chance to do some hands-on gardening.

Appealing to the sense of sight is pretty easy in a garden setting.

But how about the sense of hearing?  Kneel beside these plants and listen carefully.  What birds and insects do you hear?

Touch these and feel how soft and fuzzy they are.  If you look closely, you'll find some little bugs snuggled up on the leaves.  (Click on any picture to see it larger.)

Break off a leaf of chocolate mint and enjoy - but leave some for the rest of us!  I need to get some of these plants for my garden at home.

Last but not least - the sense of smell.

The cabin in the Children's Garden appeals to the sense of play in all of us.  I just had to go inside.  Oh - and the window is a great spot to pose with a friend for a picture.

A scale version of Mt. Fuji on the future site of the Japanese Garden.  But I have it on good authority that you're not supposed to climb the mountain...  It isn't nice to tease us with stairs that go halfway. 

Some girls would do anything just to get flowers from their guy.  But Diane got way more than a nice bouquet in the herb garden!

Remember Anne of Green Gables?  This reminds me of the scene where she meets Roy Gardner in the gazebo in the pouring rain.  Ah, so romantic!  (But the moral of the story?  Sometimes we don't know what we really want until we get exactly what we think we want - and realize it isn't right for us at all.) 

Before we turned back toward the visitors' center, we paused to rest in the Garden of Memories.  This plaque honors Mrs. Kimball Lauritzen, who served on the board and was a key fundraiser for the gardens.  She was active in other community organizations as well, including the Omaha Community Playhouse and the Omaha Public Schools, until her death of cancer in 2008.  

The benches surrounding the reflecting pool provide a beautiful place to think about those who mean the most to us and the good times we've shared with them.

The Lauritzen Gardens are a great place to make new memories, too.  Enjoy!

Union Station (aka - the Durham Museum)

When I was in high school, we put together an original show called Union Station to Tokyo Bay as part of the Victory 95 celebration commemorating the end of WWII.  We performed it at the old Firehouse Dinner Theater in the Old Market.  (The Firehouse closed a couple of months later - no fault of ours, I'm sure!)  For that weekend in September, my friends and I basically lived downtown.  We arrived early to get ready for the matinee, then walked the cobblestone streets and explored the shops until it was time to go back for the evening performance.  I'd been to the slides at the Gene Leahy Mall with my family before, but this was my first time really exploring the Market, and I loved it. 

I had no idea that Union Station was just a few blocks away.  Looking back, I'm not sure whether the "Union Station" in the show's title was a reference to the one in Washington D.C. or the one right here in Omaha.  Our teachers picked it, and I never thought to ask.  Maybe it was both.  

 

Built by Union Pacific, the building at 10th and Leavenworth opened in 1931.  It was designed as an art deco show piece, fitting for a station that was so close to the company's headquarters.  

When rail travel was at its peak, this was one of the busiest terminals in the country.  On an average day, 10,000 passengers came through this particular Union Station.  Intricately detailed bronze sculptures give us a glimpse back into that time. 

The best history lessons are the ones you can climb right into - literally.  Like this train car.

Or this streetcar.  You can even take a turn at the controls. 

Omaha started out as a "Walking City."  But when streetcars began to run, the "Streetcar Suburbs" developed - like Fontenelle and Benson.  The cars ran in a big loop, connecting each part of the city, with gardens and parks built in between.  When you sit in this streetcar, you can look out the windows and see a little bit of what those passengers might have seen. 

It's too bad you can't climb into these cars.  Still, they're fun to look at.  Which one do you like the best?  Personally, I'm a big fan of the old convertible.

Or maybe you prefer really old convertibles?  If you can tear yourself away from the trains and cars, there's a pretty neat display that helps show how people first arrived in Omaha.

No McDonald's along the way?  No problem.

Pop quiz - how do you keep your eggs from breaking on a long, bumpy journey?

Houses like this came long after the time of covered wagons, but before those modern marvels of air conditioning and indoor plumbing.  Well, it kind of had air conditioning - if there was a nice breeze.  I wonder if that's why so many people had rocking chairs - to stir up a little extra air?

They found ways to entertain themselves without television.

And they made good use of every inch of space.

Omaha is well-known for its medical centers today, and that tradition goes back to its early history.  Clarkson Hospital was founded in the early 1900's.  But privacy laws regarding health information are relatively new.

Here's a closer shot of the same page.   I wonder what "Acute Plumbism" was?  Sounds painful...

An early wheelchair, which could also double as patio furniture.  (Just kidding.)

This last photo really has nothing to do with the rest of the blog, but it was too good to leave out.  Cudahy's was one of the big meat packing plants in town.  And here was one of their specialty items...

I know you're hungry now!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame - Take Me Out to the Blatt

Hello Friends,
As you probably know, this summer will mark the end of an era.  Rosenblatt Stadium - home to the College World Series since 1950 and the Omaha Royals since 1967 - will be coming down at the end of the season.  New stadiums are already being built to replace it, but many long-time fans are making the most of their final summer at the "Blatt." 

I got a chance to visit last Friday night when the Royals took on the Nashville Sounds.  As the temperature cooled and the rain clouds skirted around us, it was a great night for baseball.  Our home team came through, defeating the Sounds by a score of 5-0.

Lincoln native Alex Gordon must feel pretty at home on this field.  Gordon attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and played at Rosenblatt with the Huskers during the 2005 College World Series.  He was a first-round draft pick in 2005 and has spent most of the last few seasons with the Kansas City Royals.  But after several injuries, he is spending this summer in Omaha with the AAA Royals and moving from third base to left field.  Fans may want to catch him while they can.  He'll probably be back in the majors soon, assuming all goes well with his recovery.

Of course, watching the game is only one reason to visit Rosenblatt Stadium.  Equally important is the wonderful excuse it provides to eat ball park food.  My sister and I skipped the peanuts and cracker jacks, but we enjoyed cold sodas and a hot funnel cake loaded with powdered sugar. 

If you have kids, they'll have a blast in the inflatable play area located in front of the stadium.  (And maybe they'll get some of that sugar out of their systems!)

If you're into video screens - the one located over left field is the largest in minor league baseball.  Wonder if they'll move it to the new stadium?

Down the right field line is a smaller, more traditional scoreboard - and a nice view of another Omaha icon.  The Henry Doorly Zoo is just east of the stadium.

There's always something to keep you entertained between innings, too.  One contestant got to roll giant dice from the press box down to the field for a shot at $100.  The dice bounced over spectators' heads on a net and tumbled onto the field, but Lady Luck must have been in the restrooms.  It was close - but no cigar.

The Bucket Boys, on the other hand, were winners every time.  Using 5-gallon buckets as drums, they entertained the crowd with fun rhythms and fancy stick-twirling.  (Think Drum Line without the marching.)

The part I was looking forward to the most, though, was the fireworks.  There is a display complete with music after every Friday home game. 

This was my first time taking pictures of fireworks with my new camera, and I made an interesting discovery.  The "Fireworks" setting does a nice job, but it's hard to use without a tripod.  (Notice how blurry the Rosenblatt sign is in the background.)  The "Action" setting worked out a little better.

I thought traffic would be horrible when we left, but it wasn't bad at all.  We had parked in one of the first lots by the stadium, but for those who parked further away - there were police officers on hand directing traffic and serving as crossing guards. 

A few details to keep in mind if you decide to take in a game this summer...  The stadium is located on 13th Street just off of Interstate 80.  Several lots with free parking are located on the west side of the stadium along 13th.  There are lots of different promotions and special events throughout the season, so check the website or the official Facebook page to see what's coming up.  Tickets run from $7 to $13.

The College World Series kicks off this weekend.  Reserved tickets are sold out, but general admission seats are still available. The CWS website has information about tickets, schedules, parking, and shuttle services.