Last weekend I shifted around my days off in order to have a fabulous stay-cation with my friend Hannah (bearhead), who visited Omaha all the way from San Francisco! We had a great time, mostly just staying around the house eating, watching television, and staying up until the wee hours talking about everything. In addition to the usual BFF behaviors, we took advantage of a snowy Saturday and went to the Simmons Wildlife Safari in Ashland, Nebraska.
Hannah at the Safari. Yes; she's wearing cowboy boots.
The Safari is owned and operated by the world-famous Henry Doorly Zoo. It is basically a big loop of land out in the Platte River Valley where beautiful western animals roam. We saw gorgeous elk, deer, pronghorn antelope (one of my faves), bears, and even wolves! The early snow (big surprise!) helped create an especially beautiful landscape for animal-watching. And, the weather seemed to keep most visitors away, so we basically had the place to ourselves!
A beautiful elk buck at the safari.
After spending some time at the Safari, we headed to Lincoln for lunch and to look around the shops--I should do that more often! What a great town. Driving back to Omaha with the sun setting in the rearview mirror, I was reminded of the beauty of the Great Plains. It's certainly a different kind of beauty than the landscape that I grew up with, but it's lovely nonetheless.
Hannah and I had a great time here in the heartland. I can't wait to return the favor with a visit to San Francisco!
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