Here in Colorado, as well as around the country and Northern Hemisphere, it’s been cold. Very, very, very cold. Because of this weather, we all need to take a moment for a mental exercise. Let’s think about spring break: maybe you envision palm trees, beaches and cocktails, or maybe you see ski slopes and hot chocolate. Whatever you imagine, it’s nice to think about taking a break from routine and visiting an exotic location. Last spring, my husband and I decided we needed a family getaway for a few days. We only had two weeks to plan before spring break arrived and money was tight, so we planned the thing that made the most sense- a road trip! We love road trips! To us, they are relaxing, interesting, and a great way to connect with each other. I know not everybody agrees- when we drove from Colorado to South Carolina one year I got a lot of strange looks, smug smiles and rolled eyes in my direction. Who would want to be in a car with two young kids for almost 3500 miles round trip? But we had a wonderful time, and I was surprised at how well the kids were in the car. (For some great tips on taking a road trip with kids, click here.)

The first step to planning our road trip was to decide on a driving distance. We only had four days, so we wanted to go someplace that was no more than a comfortable day’s drive away (about 8 hours for us.) We got out a US map and a compass, measured out our maximum distance and drew a circle. At first glance, nothing very interesting seemed to be in our circle- lots of empty space and small towns (which are fine if you know somebody IN the small town, but not great to show up in and expect to be entertained for a few days.) I started thinking about what we wanted in a destination: A big attraction for the kids? A place with lots of outdoor activities? A fun, fast-paced city? I remembered an article I had read about great zoos. I hopped on the internet and did some research. Then I called my husband with the big news:

Me: “Guess what? I picked a spring break destination.”

Hubby: “Where?”

Me: “Omaha!”

Hubby: Silence. Then “Uh… Omaha…? Really?”

It sounded like an odd place to go at first. Neither of us had been to Omaha, and it is not known for it’s palm trees or white sandy beaches- wasn’t really known to us for anything. But after a little digging, I found that Omaha has some fantastic attractions. The Henry Doorly Zoo is one of the top rated zoos in the country. They have many exhibits including the Lied Jungle (a huge indoor rainforest), an insect and butterfly building, a very large great ape exhibits, a very nice aquarium and the Desert Dome- an indoor exhibit featuring three deserts from around the world. Don’t miss Kingdom of the Night in the basement of the desert dome- caves and a spooky swamp with alligators that seem to be close enough to eat you! (For more information on the nation’s top zoos, click here.)

The Henry Doorly Zoo took one full day, but the next day we were ready for another family adventure. After a very short drive outside Omaha, we arrived in Ashland, Nebraska, home of the Strategic Air and Space Museum. Now, I’m not sure what we were expecting, but it wasn’t this. When you enter the Strategic Air and Space Museum, you are greeted by a SR-7A Blackbird pointed right at you- very cool! It is a state of the art facility filled with interactive exhibits, information kiosks and planes- lots of planes. From WWII to the present, military planes of all types are represented in two enormous hangers. We spent hours looking at everything and the kids never got bored. (For more information on air and space museums, click here.)

After the Strategic Air and Space Museum, we wanted some outside time so we headed to Fontenelle Forest, a beautiful, wooded area with 18 miles of hiking trails, hills, and access to the Missouri River (a big thrill for Colorado kids- MUCH larger than our rivers). The woods are very different from the ones we had around here so it was fun to explore. Also, there is a children’s area called Acorn Acres, an outdoor play area filled with logs to stack (like beavers), a pond to explore (like dragonflies), dens to build (like foxes) and many other activities. The only downside to Acorn Acres was that it closes at 5:00. We could have stayed much longer!

Between our activities we spent some time in downtown Omaha. Colorado people are usually friendly, but Omaha folks have us beat! Everybody was very nice, not only to us visitors by to each other. It was a pleasure to be around them. Omaha has a lovely downtown with good restaurants, but it fills up pretty quickly on nice evenings so parking can be tricky! One of my favorite attractions in the city was the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, a beautiful footbridge over the Missouri River that connects Omaha to Council Bluffs, Iowa. The kids thought it was cool to walk to another state!

So I guess I have two points I’m trying to make: First, Omaha is a lovely, friendly place with lots of fun family activities. If you’re looking for a place to spend a long weekend, look into it. But the second point is that family adventures can be found in unlikely places, and all it takes is a little research. I’m currently planning this year’s spring break, and looking for another nearby adventure. I’d love for you to share ideas with us, so if you’ve had a great experience in an often overlooked city or region, leave a comment. We have readers from all over the country, so even if the area is far from Colorado it may be of interest to somebody else. Who knows where we’ll end up?