THE WORLD-HERALD
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park
15 FAMILY-FRIENDLY
ROAD TRIP DESTINATIONS
ONLY HOURS FROM OMAHA
S
JAIME WYANT
ummer vacation is here, which means lots of time for family road trips. We’ve compiled a list of my favorite day trips and short weekend trips from Omaha, as well as longer trips too. So if you’re looking to get away this summer, we’ve got a ton of great ideas for you below!
DAY TRIPS FROM OMAHA 1. Nebraska City, Nebraska. Nebraska City is well known for the yearly fall Applejack Festival, but it’s a wonderful place to visit any time of year. Nearly all of the orchards have other fruits to pick throughout the year, and there are many events going on all summer
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June 2022
long. You can visit the Arbor Day Farm Tree Adventure, walk around the Arbor Lodge State Historical Park and stop by the beautiful Lied Lodge & Conference Center. The Tree Adventure is an especially good place to go if you have kids; there’s so much learning and fun. For the history buffs, there’s the Missouri River Basin Lewis & Clark Interpretive Trail and Visitor’s Center, the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum and Mayhew Cabin with John Brown’s Cave. If you’re heading to Nebraska City with just adults, many of the orchards also produce wine you can taste and enjoy onsite. nebraskacity.com 2. Eugene T. Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Nebraska. Mahoney State Park has enough attractions to last you a week. Campsites and cabins fill up months
in advance (especially for summer weekends), but there is no reason not to go visit for the day. There are plenty of big attractions — indoor play area, outdoor miniature golf and water park — but it’s their not-so-common things that make it shine. Paint pottery, climb the lookout tower or rent a paddle boat. You can also tackle the high ropes course or go on a trail rise. All of the attractions are very reasonable in cost. You’ll also need a $6 daily or $31 yearly Nebraska State Park permit. As a bonus, you could easily visit the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum or the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari while you’re out that direction. Both are less than a fiveminute drive from the entrance of Mahoney State Park. outdoornebraska.gov/mahoney
