Pictures of the Week 2008-39
Hello All,
We hooked up the rig and departed Idaho Falls to the east via US-26. In Wyoming we turned south on US-191 to I-80. Then we followed I-80 east to Rawlins where we parked for three days waiting for a cold front to pass.
For two days the wind howled and rain pounded. It turned our dusty fifth wheel and truck into a muddy nasty mess. On the third day it was as if someone had flipped a switch--not a cloud in the sky. So we decided to take a drive on one of the Wyoming Scenic back-country byways.
Wyoming could easily compete with Montana as “big sky country,” with lots of wide open spaces. Don’t think we passed a half dozen other vehicles on our eight-hour drive. The varied scenery in the state is quite amazing. We went north around Seminoe Lake and then looped back south via Hanna and back to Rawlins.
Did we mention that there are pronghorn everywhere in Wyoming? As a matter of fact there are more pronghorn in the state than people!! Here’s another bit of trivia for you. Did you know that the pronghorn is equal to the cheetah as the fastest animal? Both can attain speed bursts of 60 MPH. However, the pronghorn can sustain 30 MPH for many miles!!
We hooked up the rig and departed Idaho Falls to the east via US-26. In Wyoming we turned south on US-191 to I-80. Then we followed I-80 east to Rawlins where we parked for three days waiting for a cold front to pass.
For two days the wind howled and rain pounded. It turned our dusty fifth wheel and truck into a muddy nasty mess. On the third day it was as if someone had flipped a switch--not a cloud in the sky. So we decided to take a drive on one of the Wyoming Scenic back-country byways.
Wyoming could easily compete with Montana as “big sky country,” with lots of wide open spaces. Don’t think we passed a half dozen other vehicles on our eight-hour drive. The varied scenery in the state is quite amazing. We went north around Seminoe Lake and then looped back south via Hanna and back to Rawlins.
Did we mention that there are pronghorn everywhere in Wyoming? As a matter of fact there are more pronghorn in the state than people!! Here’s another bit of trivia for you. Did you know that the pronghorn is equal to the cheetah as the fastest animal? Both can attain speed bursts of 60 MPH. However, the pronghorn can sustain 30 MPH for many miles!!
After a night’s sleep we broke
camp and continued east on I-80 into Nebraska, making a stop for the night in
Sidney. Dave checked the campground
rules and found there was no restriction on washing rigs. So, we washed and waxed the fifth wheel and
truck! We were exhausted afterwards but
happy with our accomplishment. The next
day we continued our trek east on I-80.
When we made it to Omaha we parked the rig for a few days
of exploring. The two main things we wanted
to see were the zoo and billionaire Warren Buffet’s home.
Our first adventure took us to the Henry Doorly Zoo. We were excited, as they have a large orangutan exhibit there. These guys are a real challenge for zoo keepers because they are great climbers, strong, ingenious, and extremely curious.
The zoo tells a story of receiving their first Sumatran orangutan in the mid-sixties named Fu Man Chu. Fu was very talented at creating and using tools. He figured out how to use small pieces of wire from a light cover, bend and manipulate it to open locks. After many mornings of finding Fu and other orangutans outside, several people were accused of not locking doors. It was discovered that Fu Man Chu was carrying a piece of wire along his gum line. He had not only figured out how to make a useful tool, but how to hide it for future use.
Unfortunately, the orangutans’ ingenuity results in most zoos housing them behind glass or chain linked cages. The Doorly Zoo was no different, which was disappointing and it also made for lousy photos. We got a real kick out of the youngster in the following photos.
Our first adventure took us to the Henry Doorly Zoo. We were excited, as they have a large orangutan exhibit there. These guys are a real challenge for zoo keepers because they are great climbers, strong, ingenious, and extremely curious.
The zoo tells a story of receiving their first Sumatran orangutan in the mid-sixties named Fu Man Chu. Fu was very talented at creating and using tools. He figured out how to use small pieces of wire from a light cover, bend and manipulate it to open locks. After many mornings of finding Fu and other orangutans outside, several people were accused of not locking doors. It was discovered that Fu Man Chu was carrying a piece of wire along his gum line. He had not only figured out how to make a useful tool, but how to hide it for future use.
Unfortunately, the orangutans’ ingenuity results in most zoos housing them behind glass or chain linked cages. The Doorly Zoo was no different, which was disappointing and it also made for lousy photos. We got a real kick out of the youngster in the following photos.
We decided our next stop in the zoo would be the
gorilla exhibit. However, when we came
across the following birds we were mesmerized.
They are about the ugliest birds we have ever seen and since the sign
had been obliterated, we don’t even know what they were!! However, we later
learned that they are a Northern Ground Hornbill.
When our belly buttons started playing tag with
our backbones we decided that maybe we should get something to eat before
seeing the gorilla exhibit. We chose the zoo’s treetop restaurant. It was awesome because the restaurant is
literally at the treetops of their jungle exhibit. It was fun watching the birds and animals
while dining. Throughout our lunch this
guy spent most of his time howling. We
think he was trying to entice some girls to come up in the treetop with him.
After lunch we took in the
gorilla exhibit. They have done a
wonderful job in designing the exhibit.
It was both glass and open air--no chain linked cages. It had the largest collection of big silver
backed males of any zoo we have visited.
They are such a magnificent animal.
Here it looks like he is
thinking “I wonder if they are good to eat!!”
The following fish is an
Arapaima. It is one of the world’s
largest fresh water species and is found in the Amazon River and its
tributaries. At about eight feet long
they are massive to say the least. We
were amazed at how their tails glow, even through the water.
We thoroughly enjoyed the zoo
and would highly recommend it as a place to visit. Our next stop in Omaha was the Lauritzen
Gardens. It is hyped as Omaha’s
botanical center. We found it to be an
absolute bust! In our eyes it was the
least favorite gardens of all we have visited--and we have visited a lot of
gardens. They did have a magnificent
administration building--maybe that’s where all the money goes!! When we spoke
to the attendant on duty, she said that they had suffered 100 mph winds and
large hail in June, and that this storm had destroyed a lot of their plants.
Kenefick Park is located a short walk up about 80 steps from the parking lot at Lauritzen Gardens. The park features two of the greatest locomotives ever to power Union Pacific Railroad trains--Big Boy No. 4023 and Centennial No. 6900. It also includes interpretive signage, native plants and grasses, and a view of the Nebraska and Iowa landscape along the Missouri River.
Locomotive 4023, built in 1944, was one of 25 “Big Boy” type articulated locomotives. They were designed in Omaha by Union Pacific to support the nation’s entry into World War II. Built for speed, the coal-burning, stoker-fired Big Boys guaranteed Union Pacific’s status as the nations fastest railroad. Despite a running weight of 1.25 million pounds, the Big Boy had pulling power equal to 7,000 horsepower at its 70-miles per hour design speed. After the war, diesel locomotives eventually surpassed the Big Boys. The two locomotives on display were being kept in pristine condition. It was a real challenge trying to photograph them since they are both over 105 feet long.
Kenefick Park is located a short walk up about 80 steps from the parking lot at Lauritzen Gardens. The park features two of the greatest locomotives ever to power Union Pacific Railroad trains--Big Boy No. 4023 and Centennial No. 6900. It also includes interpretive signage, native plants and grasses, and a view of the Nebraska and Iowa landscape along the Missouri River.
Locomotive 4023, built in 1944, was one of 25 “Big Boy” type articulated locomotives. They were designed in Omaha by Union Pacific to support the nation’s entry into World War II. Built for speed, the coal-burning, stoker-fired Big Boys guaranteed Union Pacific’s status as the nations fastest railroad. Despite a running weight of 1.25 million pounds, the Big Boy had pulling power equal to 7,000 horsepower at its 70-miles per hour design speed. After the war, diesel locomotives eventually surpassed the Big Boys. The two locomotives on display were being kept in pristine condition. It was a real challenge trying to photograph them since they are both over 105 feet long.
Our final venture in Omaha was
finding Warren Buffet’s home. While
there are all types of information on the internet about Mr. Buffet, coming up
with a street address for his home proved to be a challenge.
When we Googled “Warren Buffet’s home” it would come up with a picture of the neighborhood and even photos of the home--but no address. We then resorted to asking locals if they knew where he lived. Finally, a gentleman provided the neighborhood but didn’t know the street. He also stated that his home was in a modest neighborhood and that the house blended in with his neighbors.
Armed with this information we cruised around the neighborhood until we spotted the home. He resides in a 6,000 square foot brick and grey stucco home he bought in 1958 for $31,500. It’s not in a gated community and has no security guard or surveillance cameras that we could see. It’s just a house in an upper middle-class neighborhood, where houses now list for between 500 and 650 thousand dollars. We found this kind of surprising for a man worth 62 billion dollars. This year Buffet soared past Bill Gates of Microsoft to become the world’s wealthiest man. Gates had held the position for the previous 13 years.
Buffet lives by the adage buy what you need, not what you can afford. There is a lesson there we could all learn. By comparison Bill Gates lives in a 66,000 square foot mansion!! And then there are the Traveling Browns who live in a 500-square foot RV!!
When we Googled “Warren Buffet’s home” it would come up with a picture of the neighborhood and even photos of the home--but no address. We then resorted to asking locals if they knew where he lived. Finally, a gentleman provided the neighborhood but didn’t know the street. He also stated that his home was in a modest neighborhood and that the house blended in with his neighbors.
Armed with this information we cruised around the neighborhood until we spotted the home. He resides in a 6,000 square foot brick and grey stucco home he bought in 1958 for $31,500. It’s not in a gated community and has no security guard or surveillance cameras that we could see. It’s just a house in an upper middle-class neighborhood, where houses now list for between 500 and 650 thousand dollars. We found this kind of surprising for a man worth 62 billion dollars. This year Buffet soared past Bill Gates of Microsoft to become the world’s wealthiest man. Gates had held the position for the previous 13 years.
Buffet lives by the adage buy what you need, not what you can afford. There is a lesson there we could all learn. By comparison Bill Gates lives in a 66,000 square foot mansion!! And then there are the Traveling Browns who live in a 500-square foot RV!!
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns