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Day Three - A Day of Surprises - June 1, 2014
Our third day out was to be special. Our original plans were head straight to Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park near Royal Nebraska. It was one of the first sites we'd found on the map, and it was also very near Niobrara State Park, a destination with ties to Louis and Clark with a great campground. However...

It's a zoo in here!
We were well ahead of schedule, so we decided to dedicate the morning to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha before heading west to Ashfall Fossil Beds. We'd heard the zoo was incredible, and it certainly deserves that reputation.

When we first arrived at the zoo, we were drawn to the large geodesic dome, a fully enclosed desert habitat. I really didn't think it was that impressive at first. It was hot and had a funny odor. But as we wandered through the dome, we all marveled at the variety of animals sharing the habitat. Maybe it was pretty cool after all. The dome was just the first little taste of the zoo, and it only got better.

There are many different species represented at the Henry Doorly Zoo. It seemed to have more variety than other zoos we've visited. About the time you think you've seen everything, an aquarium appears. Not a small aquarium, but a full blown aquarium with incredible underwater exhibits. Here's where the real value shines for this zoo. We got to visit a zoo AND an aquarium for a single admission (which was very reasonable by the way). 

The zoo proved to be a delight, and we could have stayed much longer, but we had to move on down the road if we were going to see the Ashfall Fossil Beds today. Around noon we headed west with no idea of what we were about to encounter.

Welcome to Nebraska!
After a quick lunch in the RV, we hit the road, US 275 west, a rather rough road at that. We began to notice what looked like a pair of storms on the horizon, and it looked like we were pointed right between the two. In Georgia, we might never have seen the storms, but out here, you can see for many miles. As we came nearer and nearer the storms, we began to feel their effects. The motorhome began to pitch from side to side because of the wind. The rough road didn't make the drive any more pleasant. I began to record video, jokingly commenting "welcome to Nebraska." I didn't record long because driving was becoming more difficult. Now I was getting worried. Both storms were very close and the one to the north looked like it might have a little rotation. I slowed to about 20 mph.

In an instant, the air around us seemed to change color, then it was as if someone shot the front of the RV with a shotgun. At first we thought it was hail, but when all cleared we realized we had been hit by debris, mostly rocks. Our front windshield had thousands of chips and about a dozen cracks ranging from 12" - 24" in length. Now we were worried. There's really no place to hide out there. We continued slowly until the driver-side window exploded out (not from debris but from outward pressure). This was getting freaky! Fortunately, we found a small town with a store and an awning. The store manager loaned us some cardboard and I taped up the side window as best I could.

Unfortunately, this incident caused some discomfort and anxiety, mostly because we had to miss Ashfall Fossil Beds. Our general outlook was positive though. We told the kids they had a pretty awesome story to tell their friends back home. Our Geico representative was great and quickly made arrangements for a temporary side window to be placed in Rapid City, SD. We headed on to our camping destination, Niobrara State Park.

Good to be Home! (well, it felt like home)
When we arrived at Niobrara State Park, it was a major relief. We'd been a little uptight, but we're very comfortable in state parks. It was like being home. The ranger ladies at the office/store told us of a few spots in the ark for great views, and we took their advice. What a beautiful place!

Our campsite had a fire ring, so that chilly evening was spent on the playground and enjoying the sunset by a crackling fire. Later that evening we started an awesome DVD we'd purchased at the Lewis and Clark center in Omaha. Knowing we were camping right here in a place they too had camped made the evening that much more special. We'd weathered the storm and had much to be thankful for. Tomorrow was another day, and we had some great plans for tomorrow.

Scroll to bottom for entire gallery.


The zoo's desert habitat is a unique feature


There's a variety of animals at the Henry Doorly Zoo


The habitats at the Omaha Zoo allow visitors to get very close to the animals.


The storm damage to the front of the RV is pretty significant, but we we're safe, so all is well.

The view from Niobrara's lodge is breathtaking.


The campsite at Niobrara State Park was open but cozy. We were all but alone in the park.

 

Post by John Richardson.

Post by PB&J Adventures - Fun Family Excursions.