August 10, 2013: Adult Magical Mystery Bus Tour


It has been a marathon weekend of enjoying and entertaining out-of-town guests. Our Saturday was filled with a Magical Mystery Bus Tour of Omaha. I was the tour guide and this adventure was the adult version; as opposed to my typical tour of kids spots for the under-21 crowd.

Don't get me wrong. I definitely drove Rick and Cindy by our city's beautiful zoo and favorite vintage candy shop. But only drive-by's with no stops at these destinations. Our tour of the city was more like a pub crawl.

I drove them through the many wonderful neighborhoods, each with a history lesson. The twist was that with several neighborhood tours came with a stop at a local bar or restaurant. Ones that embraced the feel of that part of town.

We started at the Old Market with a drive west through Happy Hallow and Elmwood Park. Lunch was in Aksarben Park. Next stop was West Omaha with a drive through the village of Boys Town and then east on Dodge Street to the airport (bye-bye to a Denver-bound Garrett).

I treated my guests to a quick refreshment at the Blatt  by Ameritrade Stadium before heading to South O, Omaha's Hispanic neighborhood. A walk down 24th Street led to a choice of an authentic Mexican restaurant with non-authentic Mexican margaritas. After the first sip, I envisioned what happened behind the kitchen walls in preparing my guests' special drinks.

I am quite sure it involved a bottle of margarita mix purchased from nearby Bakers and then subsequently poured into our glasses. I am pretty confident I'm correct on this assumption. That's the fun part of a Magical Mystery Bus Tour. You never know what you're going to get and that's what future stories on previous memories are built on.

Next stop was the eclectic Benson area. As we got out of the car after describing the popular music scene there, I identified the sound of a live band. Insistent that we needed to locate this hidden jewel, Cindy brought to my attention the source of the booming tunes; a debilitated mini-van with a teen driver with the look of a local thug. I redeemed myself with choice of the Benson Brewery. Recovery made.

A scenic tour back to Downtown Omaha and some lively conversation brought us to great company of friends on the roof of the Ford Lofts. With a cool breeze, it personified the casual tone of a stunning summer night.

The night did go on very late and with me staying downtown for the night. Even tour guides eventually hit a wall. A great way to end a successful Tour de Omaha.

Cindy and Rick enjoying their authentic Omaha margs

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

November 20, 2016: A New View

Image
I took this picture through the lens of my new set of eyes. The hike was this Saturday at Horsetooth Reservoir outside of Fort Collins, Colorado. In the company of my husband, son, step-son, and friend, we were taking in God's beauty through the final walk of the trail. I was purposely poking behind. "Sandy, why are you so far back?" Garrett called out to me shortly after this picture was taken. My absence from the pack was noticed. But I was in my own world, taking it all in. "Coming!" I hollered back, picking it up a bit. Free of contacts and glasses, my vision was sharp and the color of nature seemed full of a clarity that I had not noticed before. The beauty of Colorado, mountains, and nature are not new to me. My life has been full of many adventures and aesthetic sights. What was different was my new personal view. Wearing some form of glasses or contacts since junior high, I had never experienced this heightened awareness through my own lenses....
Read more

July 15, 2013: Swimming Pool Blues

Image
I am Miss USA to the left and Bev, Miss America, to the right. With my many years of running and recent addition of cycling to my repertoire, I am frequently asked the question, "Why don't you do a triathlon?"  My answer has always been, "I'm not a very good swimmer. I would sink." I have perfected the dog paddle, but past that; my skills are limited. This statement does seem a bit odd based on my childhood summers spent with endless, parentless hours at the pool. An inquiring mind would wonder how I could have slipped through those many sun-filled years without a whistle twirling around my finger and my butt situated in a lifeguard seat. I am going to have to blame this one on my mom; the woman who virtually does nothing wrong. But in this case, her snap decision to remedy a wardrobe malfunction with a safety pin totally derailed my swimming future. My wardrobe was designed and sewn by my talented seamstress mother. Mom had a l...
Read more