You're gonna want Oceans of Fun when it's 95+ outside with high humidity.
Hell, even I want it then, and I'm not a fan of swimming.
Hell, even I want it then, and I'm not a fan of swimming.
Moving to Omaha, Nebraska?!
- Thread starter A'AbarachAmadan
- Start date
You know, in the 22 years I've been here, I have never once been to Oceans of Fun. 
(Not saying I don't take the occasional dip in a pool, but WoF/OoF is too far away/expensive to make it a habit. 
)
Yeah, we have a relatively small group of Soldiers here. I'm not sure which is smaller, the Army Element, or the Marine Detachment. And remember something they always remind AF folks of: "There are no bad bases. Every assignment is what you make of it."
STRATCOM is our own, Midwestern, mini-"Puzzle Palace". While it's neither the size, nor the shape, of the Pentagon, it's big enough, and newbies always get confused as they try to find their way around*, and there's more than enough "brass", too.
I grew up in Minnesota, so winters here don't strike me as too terrible. Compared to what I grew up with, they're shorter, and less ... traumatic. This winter was very mild, but too dry. We didn't get much snow, so we really need some good, soaking rains. We usually get about 3 feet of snow over the winter. This year, we only got about one foot. The average temperature in January is mid-to upper twenties, but that just means that temps usually run between the teens and the low forties. Still, it is possible to get a string of below-zero days. But you just put on the long underwear, throw on the parka, and press on. You get acclimated.
As I mentioned before, you won't find any oceans here. (Although we do have a few "beaches". Lake Manawa, across the river in Council Bluffs, is a popular spot, as is Linoma Beach, a flooded sand pit down near the Platte River.) We also don't have mountains, but right along the Missouri River, here, there are plenty of hills! There is even a downhill ski slope at Crescent City, just north of Council Bluffs!
The Omaha Royals are pretty popular, and going to a game makes a pleasant diversion on a summer evening. Of course, June is the College World Series, and unless you're going to a game, you don't want to be anywhere near Rosenblatt Stadium. The place goes freakin' crazy! Of course, the number one sports thing here is the University of Nebraska-Lincoln football team. It is said that on game days, Memorial Stadium is the 3rd largest city in the state!
Let me know when your RNLTD is. Looking forward to meeting.
*I never understood the confusion, either. For instance, I work in room 2C15. That means it's on the 2nd floor, "C" corridor, room 15. And the corridor layout isn't that hard to figure out... :shrug:
(Not saying I don't take the occasional dip in a pool, but WoF/OoF is too far away/expensive to make it a habit. )
We got Army guys here?!?A'AbarachAmadan said:
Yeah, we have a relatively small group of Soldiers here. I'm not sure which is smaller, the Army Element, or the Marine Detachment. And remember something they always remind AF folks of: "There are no bad bases. Every assignment is what you make of it."
STRATCOM is our own, Midwestern, mini-"Puzzle Palace". While it's neither the size, nor the shape, of the Pentagon, it's big enough, and newbies always get confused as they try to find their way around*, and there's more than enough "brass", too.
I grew up in Minnesota, so winters here don't strike me as too terrible. Compared to what I grew up with, they're shorter, and less ... traumatic. This winter was very mild, but too dry. We didn't get much snow, so we really need some good, soaking rains. We usually get about 3 feet of snow over the winter. This year, we only got about one foot. The average temperature in January is mid-to upper twenties, but that just means that temps usually run between the teens and the low forties. Still, it is possible to get a string of below-zero days. But you just put on the long underwear, throw on the parka, and press on. You get acclimated.
As I mentioned before, you won't find any oceans here. (Although we do have a few "beaches". Lake Manawa, across the river in Council Bluffs, is a popular spot, as is Linoma Beach, a flooded sand pit down near the Platte River.) We also don't have mountains, but right along the Missouri River, here, there are plenty of hills! There is even a downhill ski slope at Crescent City, just north of Council Bluffs!
The Omaha Royals are pretty popular, and going to a game makes a pleasant diversion on a summer evening. Of course, June is the College World Series, and unless you're going to a game, you don't want to be anywhere near Rosenblatt Stadium. The place goes freakin' crazy!
Of course, the number one sports thing here is the University of Nebraska-Lincoln football team. It is said that on game days, Memorial Stadium is the 3rd largest city in the state!Let me know when your RNLTD is. Looking forward to meeting.
*I never understood the confusion, either. For instance, I work in room 2C15. That means it's on the 2nd floor, "C" corridor, room 15. And the corridor layout isn't that hard to figure out... :shrug:
Warman17 said:
Is that normal in Omaha - disappearing people ???? -> I've only been to Omaha beach.
Actually, like in any big city, it does happen.Rik Meleet said:
(We're still looking for a 12-yr-old girl, who was last seen getting off the bus after school back in November. The police think she is still alive, and in the area, but so far ...
)
Chris85
Emperor
Hey I'm from the Omaha area! 
So you're going to be an Offutt transplant, A'AbarachAmadan. Offutt AFB is down in Bellevue which is a suburb of about 60,000 on the south side of the metro so I guess you'll be hanging with Padma. Because of Stratcom and Offutt, it will be one of the first places to be nuked in the event of a nuclear war. 
At least, that's what I hear.
Yeah, so far this winter it's been one of the warmest on record and we've only gotten about 10 inches of snow as oppossed to the usual 30 inches with the sub-zero temperatures we usually have. In spring time and early summer we get a lot of severe thunderstorms and some produce tornadoes so you'll want to look out for those. Summer is hot and humid, temperatures are frequently in the 90-100F range. Fall is probably the most pleasant season when it comes to weather.
There's not too many land features, they don't call it the Great Plains for nothing. It's mostly rolling hills and with endless farmland all around. You're better off flying rather than driving long distances. We would have a big lake with good beaches if the folks down in Ashland would just let us flood their town (I bet only 2 people here got that).
For a big city, Omaha does lack professional sports teams. There's the Omaha Royals AAA baseball team, The Omaha Knights AHL hockey, and the Omaha Beef arena football. Creighton University basketball and University of Nebraska Cornhusker football are very popular. I'm guessing you'll probably find most Cornhusker fans to be freaks with not much to their sad simple lives.
We do have a kick ass new arena that opened up a couple of years ago that seats 17,000 and is one of the best in the country. It's called the Qwest Center and it draws in a lot of good music concerts and entertainment like the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, U2, and Green Day. The Qwest Center is also going to host a NCAA Basketball Tournament regional in 2008 as well as the US Olympic swimming and diving trials.
And of course there's the College World Series down in Rosenblatt Stadium, which happens to be right across the street from the Henry Doorly Zoo.
The riverfront which has undergone a massive transformation in the past decade is a pretty cool place to hang out along with the Old Market district which is in between the Missouri River and downtown. There are casinos across the river in Council Bluffs. Omaha has most restaurants per capita in the US, so there are plenty of good places to eat.
C'mon Padma, Mt Crescent is nothing compared to the skiing in Colorado.
I guess that ends my shameless self-promotion of Omaha.
So you're going to be an Offutt transplant, A'AbarachAmadan. Offutt AFB is down in Bellevue which is a suburb of about 60,000 on the south side of the metro so I guess you'll be hanging with Padma.
Because of Stratcom and Offutt, it will be one of the first places to be nuked in the event of a nuclear war. At least, that's what I hear. Yeah, so far this winter it's been one of the warmest on record and we've only gotten about 10 inches of snow as oppossed to the usual 30 inches with the sub-zero temperatures we usually have. In spring time and early summer we get a lot of severe thunderstorms and some produce tornadoes so you'll want to look out for those. Summer is hot and humid, temperatures are frequently in the 90-100F range. Fall is probably the most pleasant season when it comes to weather.
There's not too many land features, they don't call it the Great Plains for nothing. It's mostly rolling hills and with endless farmland all around. You're better off flying rather than driving long distances. We would have a big lake with good beaches if the folks down in Ashland would just let us flood their town (I bet only 2 people here got that).
For a big city, Omaha does lack professional sports teams. There's the Omaha Royals AAA baseball team, The Omaha Knights AHL hockey, and the Omaha Beef arena football. Creighton University basketball and University of Nebraska Cornhusker football are very popular. I'm guessing you'll probably find most Cornhusker fans to be freaks with not much to their sad simple lives.
We do have a kick ass new arena that opened up a couple of years ago that seats 17,000 and is one of the best in the country. It's called the Qwest Center and it draws in a lot of good music concerts and entertainment like the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, U2, and Green Day. The Qwest Center is also going to host a NCAA Basketball Tournament regional in 2008 as well as the US Olympic swimming and diving trials.
And of course there's the College World Series down in Rosenblatt Stadium, which happens to be right across the street from the Henry Doorly Zoo.
The riverfront which has undergone a massive transformation in the past decade is a pretty cool place to hang out along with the Old Market district which is in between the Missouri River and downtown. There are casinos across the river in Council Bluffs. Omaha has most restaurants per capita in the US, so there are plenty of good places to eat.
C'mon Padma, Mt Crescent is nothing compared to the skiing in Colorado.
The Nebraska Party, the only party more right-wing than the Republicans.If the Nebraska Party (http://www.nebraskaparty.org/pages/379645/index.htm) has anything to say about it.
I guess that ends my shameless self-promotion of Omaha.
A'AbarachAmadan said:
I live around the Kansas City area, one state south of Omaha. The weather here is pretty much the same here. Remember that over here in the Midwest we have 4 distinct, moderate seasons. Winter is moderately cold (at least, it can get below 0), summer is hot (90's at hottest), and spring and autumn are pleasant and cool. We hardly ever get more than a few inches of snow in the winter.
Enjoy Omaha.
Best... zoo... ever.
Be sure to visit it sometime.
A'AbarachAmadan
Deity
Padma said:
Rush hour traffic? Please, no! Please, no!
Down with Ashland! Did anyone mention the SAC museum? It is pretty cool because you can see an actual SR-71 in person. I beleive that it is hanging from the roof at the entrance. The SAC museum is a huge indoor building containing actual aircraft some in various stages of restoration and on display.
http://www.sacmuseum.org/collections/collections.htm
http://www.sacmuseum.org/collections/collections.htm
Chris85
Emperor
Yeah, SAC Museum is awesome, they got a bunch of different kinds of planes and even a few space capsules, rockets, and flight simulators. Actually that whole area around SAC Museum has some cool stuff.
Well, nothing like you would have in DC.A'AbarachAmadan said:
Duh. But if you really, really wanto to ski, and don't want/have time to go to COlorado, it is there.Chris85 said:C'mon Padma, Mt Crescent is nothing compared to the skiing in Colorado.
A'AbarachAmadan
Deity
Padma said:But if you really, really wanto to ski, and don't want/have time to go to COlorado, it is there.
Since you posted it, I looked it up. Weak, but FAR, FAR better than nothing. Since learning to ski while living in Europe I really miss it. I actually brought my skis with me to Okinawa
and even took over a week off to go to Hokkaido to ski. I'm sure I'll be spending a few weekends there; and if the lines aren't bad, then every two day weekend will see me and the boys on the slopes!! 
7ronin
海軍少佐
Please accept my condolences. I'm not sure I would want to be a part of Stratcom - it is a very large and bloated bureaucracy. Of course it's not a life sentence and doing a stint as a purple suiter always looks good when you are going up for promotion.
It's only a three-year tour, and yeah, "purple suit" time always looks good on a servicemember's "resume", these days.
So long as it's not a three hour tour.....
A'AbarachAmadan
Deity
Turner_727 said:
And I even see a Fun Plex on line.
Ovulator
Regent
If you're an outdoors person Omaha is a crappy town. No scenery, forests, hills, swimmable rivers, not much for lakes, mountains, oceans, crappy weather pretty much year round.
If you spend most of your days in doors/driving omaha is okay, everything is pretty close and their is pretty much everything in town.
Visitors are impressed with SAC and the zoo.
oh yes, and republicans. stinking republicans.
an informative link: http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Omaha
If you spend most of your days in doors/driving omaha is okay, everything is pretty close and their is pretty much everything in town.
Visitors are impressed with SAC and the zoo.
oh yes, and republicans. stinking republicans.
an informative link: http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Omaha
Man, I tell you what, I drove cross-country from the east coast, to the west, passing through that area (the Great Plains States). I was scared. I went hundreds... and hundreds... and HUNDREDS of miles w/ no cellphone coverage. I drove the speed limit, so my engine would stay reliable.
At night, out there - you're on the Interstate, there's NO ONE around (at all), and you see these lights off in the distance... civilization!! A small town, perhaps??
And you keep driving. Driving. Driving some more. 30 miles later, and you're still not at the lights yet. "You've got to be kidding me". I figured visibility was 35-40 miles, usually. From the time you could see some lights, to the time you'd actually reach them. But they looked so close. FLAT as a board. And WHAT would it be, when you actually got there? A remote little mini-industrial site or something.
The range on my car is about 400 miles. I didn't take any chances. Whenever there WAS a gas station, I refueled.
There were exits, every so often, that would seem to go nowhere. Turned into dirt roads, soon as you left the Interstate.
I didn't get cell phone coverage back until I got close to Denver.
Man, I have one word for you... DESOLATION. Kansas, and Nebraska. Ugghh... never again. If your car breaks down out there... you DIE. I recommend getting a satellite phone. Seriously. If I had to drive that way again, I'd have two of those things.
I had to drive 'til 4 in the morning one night, since it took me about 6 hours to find a place to sleep... from the time I wanted to.
You will see signs that say, "(So-and-so), Colorado, Comfort Inn, $49 a night... 689 miles. I thought, "man, those guys are serious about advertising". *Cough*... no, that was actually the next motel franchise, down the road!!
Never again.
God help you.
At night, out there - you're on the Interstate, there's NO ONE around (at all), and you see these lights off in the distance... civilization!! A small town, perhaps??
And you keep driving. Driving. Driving some more. 30 miles later, and you're still not at the lights yet. "You've got to be kidding me". I figured visibility was 35-40 miles, usually. From the time you could see some lights, to the time you'd actually reach them. But they looked so close. FLAT as a board. And WHAT would it be, when you actually got there? A remote little mini-industrial site or something.
The range on my car is about 400 miles. I didn't take any chances. Whenever there WAS a gas station, I refueled.
There were exits, every so often, that would seem to go nowhere. Turned into dirt roads, soon as you left the Interstate.
I didn't get cell phone coverage back until I got close to Denver.
Man, I have one word for you... DESOLATION. Kansas, and Nebraska. Ugghh... never again. If your car breaks down out there... you DIE. I recommend getting a satellite phone. Seriously. If I had to drive that way again, I'd have two of those things.
I had to drive 'til 4 in the morning one night, since it took me about 6 hours to find a place to sleep... from the time I wanted to.
You will see signs that say, "(So-and-so), Colorado, Comfort Inn, $49 a night... 689 miles.
I thought, "man, those guys are serious about advertising". *Cough*... no, that was actually the next motel franchise, down the road!!Never again.
God help you.
Man, I *love* the scenery around here. Beautiful forests, lots of hills, etc.
Have you visited Fontanelle Forest? Have you ben to the Zoo's Wildlife Safari down by Ashland? (just to name a couple of places.)And Lotus49 must have a pretty poor cellphone plan.
I can drive from Omaha to Denver without being out of my coverage. Besides, every 5 to 10 miles along the Interstate there is another town. If you look at a map, and/or read the signs on the road, you can find them when you turn off. They are usually within a mile or two of the actual exit. In this part of the country, it is relatively standard to have towns about 7 miles apart. In the horse and buggy days, that meant almost anyone could go to town, do their business, and be back home, all in one day.Yeah, driving the interstate system will be long and boring. It wasn't built for scenery, it was built to get you from point A to point B in the fastsest, smoothest trip. If you want scenery, you take the back roads and actually go through all those little towns. Not as fast, but certainly more interesting.
A'AbarachAmadan: FunPlex: 72nd and Q, Dude!
I haven't been there, but I've seen it. It seems to be *the* place for waterslides, etc. here. Well, if you take Kansas, and cut it in half vertically - it's that western half that I was having horrible flashbacks about when I typed all that. From the time you leave Salina, KS, and head west, until you reach a little town called Limon, CO... there is NOTHING. Nothing at all. I know. I drove it. It's like being on another planet. Heck there probably IS more civilization on the Moon, than in western Kansas.
Western Nebraska can't be all that radically different. I'm just saying... the Great Plains... there's not a whole lot out there. You can go hundreds and hundreds of miles, and see nothing but flat-as-a-board farmland. You feel like you're in the Twilight Zone.
If I ever have to drive to the East coast again, I'm going all the way down to L.A. via I-5, and then take I-10 the whole way. I know it's a lot further to drive. But screw those plains, man. It was winter when I made the trip, and I didn't see any cars or trucks anywhere. I seriously would have froze to death if my car had broken down.
Western Nebraska can't be all that radically different. I'm just saying... the Great Plains... there's not a whole lot out there. You can go hundreds and hundreds of miles, and see nothing but flat-as-a-board farmland. You feel like you're in the Twilight Zone.
If I ever have to drive to the East coast again, I'm going all the way down to L.A. via I-5, and then take I-10 the whole way. I know it's a lot further to drive. But screw those plains, man. It was winter when I made the trip, and I didn't see any cars or trucks anywhere. I seriously would have froze to death if my car had broken down.
Chris85
Emperor
Yeah, the western half of Nebraska is quite uninhabited especially in the sandhills, where towns are atleast 50-60 miles apart. As Padma said, there are many small towns you can find just off the interstate and I do find cell phone coverage is suprisingly good out there considering not many people use the cell phone towers out there.
Fun Plex although not much of an amusement park does have a kick donkey go-kart track and waterpark. There's also Boulder Creek which is just like Fun Plex that's located in Millard.
Fun Plex although not much of an amusement park does have a kick donkey go-kart track and waterpark. There's also Boulder Creek which is just like Fun Plex that's located in Millard.
