Winter Quarters Nebraska

Since we never got a "welcome to Nebraska" picture, I made my own. But then I realized that we never took a picture in Georgia so our streak is kind of blown anyway. Nebraska was state #18.

We went to see the larger than life pioneer sculptures in Pioneer Courage park in downtown Omaha. They were powerful images and the detail was incredible. My dad is friends with the sculptor Blair Buswell.

Boys

Families

The trail boss

Hunting for food 

More families

Helping get out of a rut.

I loved the expression on this girl's face.

Native Americans

Buffalo Stampede

Canadian geese

More girls & women

I am always humbled by the strength of pioneer women. I don't know how they endured all they endured.

We went to the Winter Quarters temple and cemetery. The visitor's center was closed, but the cemetery was open. There was a handcart sculpture in the visitor's center parking lot. 

There is a moving sculpture in the cemetery. David said it looked like the man was sick and his wife was having to help hold him up. It definitely portrays physical and emotional exhaustion. 

I love old cemeteries. They always tell such a story.

Winter Quarters Temple

Mormon Street and Bridge

Mississippi River

This grist mill has been here since pioneer times.

Our next stop was the Lewis & Clark monument. It was kind of weird to get to and apparently lots of people make wrong turns that the locals don't appreciate.

David was convinced that this was the main entrance and we needed to hike in. I was pretty sure there would need to be a parking lot somewhere.

So I dropped them off and then I found the main entrance.

There was a monument to Lewis & Clark, but the most impressive thing was the view.

We then crossed the river to Iowa to visit the Kanesville Tabernacle where Brigham Young was sustained to be the new prophet.

The cemetery has an older section with headstones of pioneers. There is also a monument recognizing a visit from Lincoln.

Not sure if these will end up being relatives or not, but there is also a Bayliss Park and fountain.

The street leading to the cemetery was filled with lovely historic homes.

Driving across Iowa was very pretty. It was LOTS and LOTS of corn. We thought about gong to the farm where they filmed A Field of Dreams, but we were tired and wanted to get to Nauvoo.