Ever Been To A Museum Where Everything Is "Please Touch Me"?

Wednesday 6/11/2014

Lincoln NE

We only had an hour to drive and the kids were excited; we were going to the Lincoln Children’s Museum and everything is “please touch me”.  Lincoln is a big city and the only parking was in a parking garage 2 blocks away.  Driving into a parking garage was a whole new experience for them.  Entering the museum stopped them in their tracks!  This place is awesome to say the least.  Three floors consisting of a tree house that reached all three floors; a vet’s office with pets to care for; a fire truck they could get in and pretend to drive with all the sirens and lights; a police motorcycle again with all the lights and sirens; a bank; a grocery store with carts and registers for check out; a small but real plane they can get in and pretend to fly; the cab of a tractor trailer with the sleeper they could drive; a train engine and even the space shuttle with the moon buggy to drive.  Most locations had the clothes they could put on.  We spent 3 hours going from one play station to another and up and down the elevator.  Getting back to the car I realized I had lost the parking ticket but the lady was so nice and only charged us half price.  Getting out of Lincoln we follow I80 and then take NE2 which is a scenic byway known as the Sandyhill Byway and this is not how I had Nebraska pictured.  Well over 200 miles of nothing but large hills with sparse grass and cattle roaming.  As I looked off in the distance it reminded me of the desert locations we traveled through in 2009.  And the wind – oh my goodness – the wind was just like in the lower states as we traveled cross country in 2009;  blowing from the south and strong enough to move the van.  We noticed tumbleweed blowing across the highway.  Trains are the major means of transporting coal; we must have passed 20 + trains with more than 100 cars each all hauling coal.  Well, most towns on NE 2 are not more than a cross roads (not even a traffic light) and we wanted to get as many miles down as possible so we opt for a motel in Thedford.  Little town has a gas station, 2 motels but only one looks decent, a bar and grill and about 5 houses.  It was either stop here or travel another 100 miles so here we are and what a surprise!  A very nice, clean motel and they even have a guest laundry.  We are trying to stop no later than 4 every night to give the kids time for baths and to play a bit.  And they are doing very well.  Oh no trains are going past the motel and blowing their whistle.  Wonder how sleeping will be.