Nebraska – Iowa – Missouri
Nebraska is oh so flat.
Nebraska: It's flat
In Nebraska, there are cornstalks, cornstalks, and more cornstalks set against the backdrop of bright blue sky. There are some possibly interesting things in Nebraska, like a few rock formations and Carhenge—a copy of Stonehenge built with 1950s and 60s cars. Unfortunately these wonders sat are hours away from the interstate and so we breezed on through.
The Hastings Museum, however, is one such oddity that didn’t lie too far off the beaten path of I-80. Located in Hastings, Nebraska, this Museum should be renamed the “Hastings Taxidermy / Geological / Antique cars / Kool-Aid Museum and Planetarium. There were thousands of stuffed animal specimens, ranging from an 8-foot polar bear to the famously-extinct passenger pigeon. Another part of the exhibit also showed how taxidermists create their productions (is taxidermy an art form?), including catalogs listing various animals’ eyes and tooth-filled jaws.
The evolution of the Kool Aid Pitcher Guy. Wow.
Unexpectedly, the Hastings Museum also houses an extensive on Kool-Aid, the powdery kids’ fruit-tasting drink that has stained kids’ teeth since the early part of the 20th century. The exhibit includes the first design of the Kool-Aid packaging and countless ads throughout the decades, including commercials from the 1960s to the 1990s.
We drove through I-80 to I-29 into Iowa. We drove through Iowa for roughly 40 minutes so we didn’t see much. Once we entered Missouri, we then realized it was time for dinner. Just off the interstate lies the Black Iron Grill, a roadhouse-type bar and steakhouse where patrons can munch on peanuts and toss the shells on the floor. Its claim to regional fame is the 77 oz. Big Ass Steakhouse—if you finish one within an hour, this $110 meal is free. For a second I entertained the offer. For a second…
On to St. Louis to visit the Anheuser Busch plant and the Gateway Arch.
Explore posts in the same categories: Uncategorized
