Bang, zoom, To the Moon!

It was a busy day for us! In the morning we visited the Holy Family Chapel, then the little side tour of the Lied Platte River Bridge, a stop for lunch at the local Crackle Barrel Restaurant, then on to the Strategic Air and Space Museum located in a suburb of Omaha, Nebraska.

The building was pretty impressive looking from the outside....

and the inside wasn't bad, either!

SR-71

This was the sign by the SR-71.

Another plane just "hanging" around.

In one of the hangars I noticed a large quilted American flag hanging on the wall.

The flag was made up of 686 fabric squares hand painted by children from local schools plus seniors from various senior centers in the area. Each square depicts "What America Means to Me."

Here are some close-up photos.

This Star Wars display was kind of neat.

pod racer

We couldn't get in any of the planes, but they were still impressive in size alone.

This display was quite interesting. This suitcase was found in a soldier's attic.

The suitcase was filled with medals and badges that the soldier had earned,

plus newspaper clippings

and other memorabilia.

What makes this so special is that the soldier was Ed Mauser, who served in the 101st Airborne, Easy Company during WW II, and was a member of the famous "Screaming Eagles" which was depicted in the HBO series "Band of Brothers". These items are on loan from his family to the museum. They were found stowed away in that suitcase in an attic.

Another interesting display....

This funny stubby-looking plane is called the "Goblin". Only two were ever manufactured.

"The goblin was a good idea that never quite worked. The aircraft was designed and built to work as a 'parasite' escort fighter for the B-29 Superfortress and B-36 Peacemaker bombers when they were beyond the reach of land-reached escorts. The Goblin would attach to the parent bomber via a hook and a trapeze arrangement and be released when needed from the larger aircraft's bomb bay."

The Goblin could be released okay, but the problem arose when it tried to be reattached. The program was cancelled in 1949.

Although this museum really wasn't my cup of tea, I knew Jim was interested in it. Usually when we get to a new area, we gather all the information of sites we are interested in touring. Then we sort through them all, narrowing down our choices using time, money, and personal choice as a guidance. Sometimes one person wants to see something more than the other; usually the other person gives in and makes the sacrifice. This museum was interesting, and when I got tired, I just sat down while Jim wandered around.

It was a full day and my feet were aching me. It was finally time to go home and rest.

The following day was full of touring!