Laughs, Landmarks, and Long Roads: 10 Days Together

Day 5 – Coffee, Lunch, History, and Ice Cream (Again!)

Coffee? ✔️
Buffet? ✔️
Fire trucks? ✔️
Ice cream? ✔️
Fried chicken livers? 🤷‍♀️ (That one’s all Michael.)
Who knew Nebraska City had so much charm packed into one day? Loving every minute. 

#ScootersCoffeeConvert #FireMuseumFun #LewisAndClarkMagic #FamilyFirst

We kicked off our Sunday morning with online church. What a gift it is to still be able to worship with our church family even while traveling. Technology isn’t always our friend, but for this—it’s a blessing.

After the service, we headed to Scooter’s Coffee—a Midwest favorite everyone thought I would want to try. (For those who don’t know, Scooter’s started right here in Nebraska back in 1998 and has grown like crazy across the country. Their motto is "Amazing People, Amazing Drinks... Amazingly Fast", and let me tell you, they’re living up to it!) As a very picky coffee drinker, I was pleasantly surprised—my drink was smooth, not too strong, and just the way I like it. That alone makes it a winner in my book.

From there we made our way to Nebraska City to meet up with family at Valentino’s Grand Italian Buffet—a Nebraska tradition that’s been around for over 60 years. When we walked in, they were still serving both breakfast and lunch, so the crew got everything from waffles to chicken to pizza. No complaints from anyone at that table!

Next up was the Lewis & Clark Visitor Center, and wow—what a gem! This three-story, 12,000-square-foot interactive center sits on a stunning 79-acre bluff with views of the Missouri River. It really gives you a feel for what the explorers saw more than 200 years ago. The center highlights the scientific discoveries of the Lewis & Clark expedition—things like the 178 plants and 122 animals they recorded along the way. I love that it's so hands-on and thoughtfully put together, with help from Dr. Gary Moulton, a top Lewis & Clark scholar from the University of Nebraska. It's a must-see, no matter your age!

Snags- A term used to describe the tree trunks and tree roots embedded in the river bottom. They were a real hazzard to damage the hull of the pirogues and the keelboat of the Corps of Discovery.

Seaman a Newfoundland Dog belonging Meriwether Lewis

Thomas Jefferson the Naturalist

We rounded everyone up for a group photo—(You know the rule: if the group gathers, there will be pictures!)

And  of course we needed to get a picture with Mark and his sisters and this seemed like a nice place to take some.

Then Susan insisted Michael and I get one together… so here you go. Proof we were both present and smiling. 

Our next adventure was the Nebraska City Museum of Firefighting—and let me just say, I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised! (In the best way.) Fun fact: the two buildings that now house the museum used to be homes in bad shape. Instead of letting them fall apart, the fire department trained on them and burned them down for practice—then built the museum in their place. Only in a small town, right?

Leather Fire buckets from the first fire brigades - 1856

Nebraska City Fire Company #1 History

Circa 1869

1884 Hand-drawn Hose Cart

Michael checking out The H.F. Cady Fire Steamer purchased 1864 named in honor of Mayor H.F. Cady

1884 Button Steam Powered Fire Engine was purchased for $2,800.

This Bible was presented to the Nebraska City Fire Department April 9, 1919

Susan wants to work the lights and siren!😂 

I do have a video of her in the fire truck with the lights working. 

Deb and Susan checking out the helmets!

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The paintings below were displayed but not for sale.  I probably would have purchased these to take home with me.

Michael, of course, was in his element and happily shared his decades of experience and knowledge with anyone who had a question. I think he’d have stayed all day if they let him.

I picked up a few fun surprises for Michael from the gift shop. He didn’t ask for anything—but you know I couldn’t leave empty-handed.

Next up? Ice cream. Again. (Don’t judge.) We stopped at 11th Street Creamery in Nebraska City—because it’s our duty to try every local spot we don’t have back home in Fredericksburg. Everyone got a scoop… except Michael. He went rogue and got fried chicken livers. I have no words.

After we cooled down, we drove through the Arbor Lodge State Historical Park and stopped by Lied Lodge (don’t say it like “lied”—it’s pronounced “Leed”). The grounds were peaceful, and the lodge is beautiful. Arbor Day is kind of a big deal around here, and this spot celebrates its legacy in a lovely way.

We ended the day back at Linda and Roger’s—feet up, hearts full, and plenty of laughs still going around the room.

We wrapped up the day full, happy, and maybe a few sprinkles along the way. But hey—we don’t melt, and neither does our fun.

Up next: Day 6... where history, hometown charm, and a few unexpected surprises are waiting.
(And yes, probably more food. You know us by now.)

Stay tuned!

Some Nebraska City neat things -

What you're looking above at is a stylized leaf sculpture—more specifically, it’s shaped like a cottonwood leaf, which is a symbol of Nebraska.

Nebraska City is known for being the home of Arbor Day, and trees—especially the eastern cottonwood, Nebraska's state tree—are a big part of its identity. Around town, they have various decorated leaf sculptures as part of public art projects, often created or sponsored by local artists and organizations. Each one is painted uniquely, like this patriotic design featuring stars, stripes, and a splash of red cloth at the base.

It's a creative way for the city to honor its deep connection to conservation and tree planting. Think of it as Nebraska City's version of Chicago’s cows or Norfolk’s mermaids—but leafy! 🌳🇺🇸