Eatdrink #65 May/June 2017

26 | May/June 2017
SPONSORED BY
Road Trips
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Destination: Nebraska
A "Drive-To" Rather Than "Drive-Through" State
Story and Photos by WAYNE NEWTON
If you’re thinking of Nebraska as a drivethrough
state while you’re en route to
the Rocky Mountains or lush Pacific
Coast, think again. This state, highlighted
by its capital Lincoln and trendy Omaha, is a
destination unto itself.
It’s good enough for billionaire investor
Warren Buffett, after all.
My exploration starts at Omaha’s Henry
Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, home to Lied
(pronounced lead as in leader), Jungle, which
is one of the largest indoor rainforest exhibits
in the world. The zoo is also home to the
world’s largest geodesic dome which houses a
fascinating indoor desert exhibit.
Underneath the dome, there is the world’s
largest nocturnal animal exhibit, Kingdoms of
the Night. In this enclosure, day-night cycles are
reversed so visitors can observe animals such as
the cat-like fossa of Madagascar, naked mole rats
and aardvarks. The exhibit’s 600,000-litre indoor
swamp is the largest in the world.
As a bonus, the zoo has stellar dining options
overlooking exhibits. These include the Omaha
Steaks Grill and Patio nestled between the
Lied Jungle and the cafeteria-style TreeTops
Restaurant.
In downtown Omaha, visitors are greeted by
a beautiful sculpture of a Sioux warrior outside
the Joslyn Art Museum.
The museum’s collection features
the expected and unexpected. There’s
impressive 20th century American
paintings and sculptures, but the most
storied is a recently restored and altered
Rembrandt from the 17th century.
The painting Portrait of Dirck van Os
was purchased in the 1940s in the belief it
was authentic, but doubt was cast and the
painting was displayed as being from the
Rembrandt school before eventually being
tucked away in storage for 10 years.
In 2012, it was retrieved and sent to
Amsterdam for analysis, where it was
discovered to be a true, albeit altered,
Rembrandt. Restoration work included
removing embellishments believed to have
been added after Rembrandt painted it,
including a cross and chain and lace collar.
Today, the restored painting is displayed as
The state legislative building dominates
the skyline in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The lobby of the
Durham Museum in
Omaha recalls its
railway days as a hub
for troop movement.