We began our day in Omaha, NE at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. I have been to many zoos and aquariums in our TAA travels, but I was intrigued by the fact the Doorly Zoo has been consistently ranked among the best in the world and named #1 Zoo in America by TripAdvisor and USA Today. Set on 160-acres and home to over 33,000 animals, it is globally known for its massive indoor and outdoor habitats. Consequently it was a lot of walking broken up only by the “Skyfari” a chairlift-style tramway traversing the park. It provided a welcome rest while allowing us to see a male lion, bongo and a few other animals that were hidden from view from the land based viewing positions of the exhibits.
Our zoo time was followed by lunch in Omaha at Big Mama’s Kitchen, another restaurant featured on Drive Ins, Diner and Dives, where Matt and I both enjoyed open-faced meatloaf sandwiches. We then left the state of Nebraska by heading to Des Moines, IA. Right before arriving in downtown, I decided it was time to remove 4 days of bugs and dirt from the RV and so we pulled into a self-service car wash. At 9’ 9” in height the RV just fit under the 10’ height of the stall. I have not been to a self-serve car wash in decades and was delighted to see it was no longer a choice between wash and rinse but 20 different selections to choose from, all of which could be used at any time for $1/minute. I chose Pre-soak, Bug Off, Hot High Pressure Soap, Tire/Wheel Cleaner, High Pressure Rinse, Rain-X and finally Low Pressure Spotless Rinse. 15 minutes later, the vehicle looked like it did when Matt and I picked it up.
Our final stop was the Iowa State Capital just a few minutes from the hotel. We have now seen the state capitals of all three states we have visited and Iowa was the most impressive with its surprisingly shiny gold dome and classical architecture. Our lodging for the night was the beautifully restored 1919 Hotel Fort Des Moines in the heart of downtown. Both Matt and I decided we had enough fried foods (at least for the next 12 hours) and decided on an Italian pasta dinner at nearby ex-Masonic temple turned restaurant, Centro which was excellent.