Places Work Takes Me: Omaha

There's a lot to like about Omaha. Personally, I find Omaha to be a bit of a hidden gem.

For starters, the airport is easily accessible. This applies on several fronts: the airport (aka Eppley Field) is easy to navigate, and security checkpoint lines are always short. Eppley Field is also VERY close to downtown Omaha, just a straight 2-3 mile jaunt south on Abbott Dr. gets you downtown in minutes. (San Diego also has an airport that is close to downtown - I wish more towns had this). The last thing I notice about the airport is that Eppley is apparently the "nation's cleanest airport." How do I know this, you ask? Well, the urinal cakes in the bathrooms tell me so. How could anyone argue with such an obvious fact while one is taking care of "bizzness" and urinating and the material that is reporting this?

Downtown Omaha is very clean, with a good mix of Old and New. The Historic Old Market has cobblestone streets and upscale restaurants and shops that are well worth the trip alone. Eating outside in the summers is a special treat. The skyline is dotted with old and new skyscapers. My favorite is the Union Pacific Railroad Center. It's only 3-4 years old, but it just gorgeous to drive past. Hopefully I'll get a tour of the place someday.

The greater Omaha area feels new and modern. This is definitely a city that is growing, and fast. Most of the shopping centers and office parks are relatively new and modern.

If you're dining in Omaha - you better get it's world famous steak. I've only had proper steak at one Omaha establishment, but it's a good one. You absolutely cannot go wrong at the Omaha Prime Steakhouse. I'm sure there are other good places, but it's hard to imagine any places having better atmosphere or steak than that. Another favorite stop of mine is a restaurant called Firebirds. It's a chain that currently has 10 restaurants, but they have exceptional BBQ ribs that come highly recommended. Oh, and we mustn't forget Charleston's simply for the reason that it provides the Sanidoor. Their food is exceptional for a chain as well.

We haven't been there, but I hear that Omaha has an exceptional zoo. Hopefully Nikki and the kids can tag along on a trip so we can all find out firsthand.

I apologize I have no snapshots of Omaha. I took the digital camera along so I could take a few pics, but but my perfect wife didn't put the memory card back into the camera. She's still perfect - I'm at fault for not checking to be sure everything was there that I needed.