Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: United States

  • Omaha – Carter Lake

    I’m going to the airport soon, the one on the right hand side of the above map. But I thought that Carter Lake, in the centre of the map, was intriguing because of the state boundaries. The lines through the middle show that Carter Lake is part of Iowa, even though it’s clearly in what is otherwise Nebraska territory. The ox-bow lake is the clue, the area flooded in 1877 and the river line drawn up dividing the states changed.

    There were arguments for some years as to what state the area should be in, as when the river shifts then the boundary shifts. However, this wasn’t classed as a river shift and in 1892 the area was confirmed as being part of Iowa. It remains today as the only city in Iowa which is to the west of the Missouri River.

  • Omaha – Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Omaha Zoo Railroad)

    The railroad at the zoo opened in 1968 and it’s a replica of the Union Pacific 119, a train dating back to 1868 so it marked a useful centenary milestone. Although I didn’t see this replica, I only saw their other steam locomotive, which is Riva. This train is Austrian and was made in 1890 when it was used on an industrial railway.

    When Union Pacific closed their maintenance shed in the 1990s they gave a lot of their equipment to the zoo to help keep everything working smoothly. Over 200,000 people ride this train every year, which is an additional charge to the zoo entrance fee.

  • Omaha – Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Aquarium)

    Just some photos from the aquarium at the Henry Doorly Zoo and this was probably the busiest part of the zoo that I visited.

  • Omaha – Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Butterflies)

    The Henry Doorly Zoo has a butterfly garden within one of the buildings and there is a staff member at the entrance to it and another at the exit, just to check that no butterflies can escape. Everyone is warned not to stand on any of the butterflies, although I saw a clumsy child come close today, so I hope that none have actually met such an inglorious end.

    Seemingly a Blue Morpho Butterfly when it’s not blue….

    More of the same.

    A Common Olivewing Butterfly.

    A Blue Morpho Butterfly that is actually blue.

    The Indian Leaf Butterfly.

    Various butterflies….

  • Omaha – Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Melodious Laughing Thrush)

    A rather sweet bird at Henry Doorly Zoo, I also learned a new word today, which is passerine. Over half of birds come into this category, it means that they have feet which have evolved to perch on branches.

  • Omaha – Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Big Cats)

    Just photos of the big cats at Henry Doorly Zoo.

    Sleeping snow leopard.

    Tiger nearly asleep.

    Sleeping lion.

    This tiger was pacing up and down the side of the cage every time that I walked by….

    A heap of cheetahs, although I’m not sure that’s the scientific word for a group of them.

    An awake tiger.

    Sleepy lion.

  • Philadelphia – Philadelphia Museum of Art (Cathedral of Utrecht by Jan van Goyen)

    Jan van Goyen was a busy artist in his lifetime with 1,200 paintings and over 1,000 drawings to his name, with six of his paintings in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This oil painting was painted in 1646, a few years before van Goyen was forced to sell all of his paintings and artworks to pay off debts.

    St. Martin’s Cathedral, or Utrecht Cathedral, was intact when it was painted by Jan van Goyen, but the nave collapsed during a storm in 1674. The authorities never quite got round to rebuilding it, so the bell tower is still separated from the remaining section of the building. The painting was given to the museum as part of the John G. Johnson collection in 1917.

  • Omaha – Durham Museum (1906 Holsman Motor Car)

    This car was produced by the Holsman Automobile Company of Chicago and apparently has a two-cylinder air-cooled engine and chain belt drive, although that means nearly nothing to me. I liked that there’s plenty of information about the car’s history, it was owned by Arthur H. Johnson and his wife Minnie of Columbus, Nebraska.

    There aren’t that many cars from the Holsman Automobile Company left on display around the world, around 25, and there’s only one in England, which is located at Burwell Museum and Windmill in Cambridgeshire. I thought that this was interesting as I’ve never heard of the museum before and it sounds a quirky place which is worth a visit, and their 1907 model is in working order.

  • Omaha – Monument to Labor

    This monument is closed off to visitors at the moment as the area appears to be flooded, but it’s an imposing and impressive sculpture even from afar. There are five figures within the monument, which combine to form a tribute to the labour movement and the people who built the city of Omaha.

    It’s apparently the second largest monument to the labour movement in the United States, although I’m unsure where the largest is so that makes that fact rather less exciting. It was designed by Matthew J. Placzek, unveiled in 2003 and it is made from steel. Placzek is a local man and he writes on his web-site that “my purpose is to create works of art that will inspire, fulfill and make a lasting impression.”

  • Omaha – Durham Museum (Terrazzo Floor)

    I’m not claiming that this cross-section of flooring was the most interesting part about my visit to Durham Museum but I have stared at floors in these grand stations before and wondered what they’re made of. OK, it’s likely true that I have too much time to think about these things….

    Anyway, the floor dates to 1931 and is a terrazzo floor which is hard wearing and also decorative. At this railway station the floor was designed to complement the art deco elements of the rest of the Grand Hall. Terrazzo is made of chips of marble which are then poured into a polymeric material, all very much of an art form.