We drove to Nebraska City, Nebraska, and went to the Missouri River Basin Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center (what a mouthful!)
It wasn't opened yet; it opened at 12:30p; so we drove to a nearby wildlife wetlands refuge to eat our lunch. There were no tables or benches, so we drove to a nearby city park for lunch and then back to the Interpretive Center. It was on three floors, and built in a very modern, airy style. You enter on the middle floor, which has a theatre showing a good movie of Lewis & Clark, artifacts, animals, and scientific exhibits its of the Lewis & Clark expedition found while they were on the trail from St. Louis to the Nebraska area. The top floor was devoted to the animals and scientific discoveries made while on the northern part of the expedition from the Dakotas to Oregon. The ground floor was devoted primarily to exhibits of interest to children, but it also had a huge floor map copy of the map William Clark made in 1814. Aron helped the park ranger locate particular spots on the map where there were encampments or special events of the Lewis & Clark Expedition of Discovery.
 IMG_2808 Atcheson, Kansas: Aron Cowen wakes up Martha Luehrmann |
IMG_2809
Atcheson, Kansas: Aron Cowen
Dear Journal,
We woke up and went to an interpretive center. I got to help a ranger with his talk. I also “rowed” the keelboat. Then we went to a R.R. museum. I learned that the sole purpose of the caboose was to watch for smoking oil boxes. After that we went to a museum where we could compare the L+C trail, Mormon Pioneer Trail, Oregon Trail, and the California Trail. It was interesting. Then we went for a swim and I met some nice boys. Together we played every variation of sharks and minnows. Then we had dinner and fell asleep.
Aron
IMG_2810
Missouri River Basin L&C Interpretive Center, Nebraska City, NE: Aron Cowen and Martha Luehrmann on the keelboat
IMG_2816
Missouri River Basin L&C Interpretive Center, Nebraska City, NE: black bear diorama
IMG_2819
Missouri River Basin L&C Interpretive Center, Nebraska City, NE: Aron Cowen pets the wolf
IMG_2821
Missouri River Basin L&C Interpretive Center, Nebraska City, NE: grizzly bear diorama
On to the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It was a bit of a disappointment. The guide was a young girl who didn't know much and had a grating voice and disinterested air, but we dutifully walked through the engines and cars that were in the place and looked at the model trains inside. One nice thing was that the model train layout was very faithfully detailed to look like the old town of Council Bluffs, complete with the grain elevators, school, police station, other factories, homes, etc.
IMG_2826
Union Pacific Railroad Museum, Council Bluffs, Iowa
IMG_2829
Union Pacific Railroad Museum, Council Bluffs, Iowa:
On to the Western Historic Trails Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. They had exhibits showing and comparing the major westward trails: Lewis & Clark, the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, and the California Trail. Coulter's trail when he discovered Yellowstone was also shown. It also had artifacts and dioramas of the Indians and on the immigrants who went on the trails.
Checked into our motel, the Quality Inn at Council Bluffs, where our room, already cheap ($60), was upgraded to a suite at no extra charge! They also had a nice indoor pool where we swam and played with Aron. Aron made friends with three boys about his age and they played in the pool. Dinner at a restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska, but the steaks were too pricey, so we made-do with a trout in a hazelnut crust, a huge porkchop, and fried calamari for Aron. Then to bed.
IMG_2832
Quality Inn pool, Council Bluffs, Iowa: Arthur Luehrmann and Aron Cowen
IMG_2834
Quality Inn pool, Council Bluffs, Iowa: Aron Cowen
IMG_2838
Quality Inn pool, Council Bluffs, Iowa: Aron Cowen