Susan & John's Excellent Adventure

Although I have lived in Omaha for seven years, I have visited Nebraska's capital, Lincoln, which is only about forty miles away, only a handful of times. Today, John and I took a roadtrip there in search of "small Nebraska themed gifts" for my European hosts. I've estimated that I'll need about twenty of these items, so they have to be small, light, and easy to pack. On our way out of town, we stopped at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Bookstore, where I bought 20 UNMC pens. Not so original, I know, but easy to carry, and everybody needs pens.

Then on to Lincoln, and the From Nebraska gift store. All in all, it was a little disappointing. I did buy notecards with a cute cartoon of Nebraska corn to write thank you notes on, but I couldn't find interesting magnets or keychains or something to go with the pens. I had considered buying Big Red Popcorn, a local delicacy that comes unpopped still on the ear of corn (you just put the whole thing in the microvave), but they were relatively heavy and bulky and I wasn't sure I could get them through European customs/agriculture control.

John was likewise disappointed that he couldn't find this T-shirt we had seen online:

He thought these shirts would make great gifts, but I told him I'm pretty sure the humor wouldn't translate.

There was one very nice little thing that happened in the store, though. As we were leaving, I wanted to try a Baker's Chocolate...they're locally made meltaways that come in different flavors, identifiable by their different colored wrappers. There was a bowl full of them at the cash register, for 20 cents apiece. I chose a dark chocolate cherry one, and was fishing around in my purse for change, when the lady at the register said for me to just help myself, which I thought was sweet.

Then, on to lunch! We met up with our friend Ted, who lives in Lincoln, and headed to Bread & Cup, and had fantastic soups (White Bean and Loaded Baked Potato) and sandwiches on fresh ciabbatta (Jerk Pork for John, Roast Beef for Ted, and Pulled Pork with Sweet Apple Cream for me--yum!), and I had a true middle-of-the-day indulgence..a glass of my favorite Prosecco. We were so full when we were done we couldn't even think about heading to Ivanna Cone for ice cream, but even so, we couldn't resist asking the server what the people at the next table were eating...it looked like a delicious combination brioche/cinnamon bun. She told us that's what it was, and a minute later returned to our table with one...just so we could try it. It was perfect...not too sweet, with a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping, and a caramel drizzle. For three people who couldn't eat another bite we did pretty well with it. In the future, I may have to go Lincoln more often...it's apparently the land of free dessert.