Noah and I left Ankeny first thing in the morning to ensure a 10:00 a.m. arrival in the Adams County seat of Corning, for a one-on-one tour of their recently-refurbished opera house. Nancy, the board president, provided the behind-the-scenes tour of the century-old facility. Noah liked the “steps.”
After the opera house, Noah devoured an M&M cookie at the local bakery followed by a glass of homemade chocolate milk at the McMahon Drugstore soda fountain. Our next stop was in Gravity, where Noah indulged me with a photo by the clever town sign. He was impressed with the utility trucks and workers installing new electric poles on the community’s main street.
“If Gravity goes, we all go.”
Our time in Bedford began with a quick stop in the town park which initiated Noah’s fear of sand. He ate a few bites of a grilled cheese sandwich at Dessert First, along with a full bowl of cottage cheese. I had a sloppy joe, potato salad, and chips at the quaint, enjoyable cafe. Here Noah had his second glass of chocolate milk.
The hour-long drive to Sidney gave Noah a chance for a nap before our stop at Penn Drug, which included Noah’s third and final glass of chocolate milk. The main street in Sidney was in complete construction mode, and Noah was impressed with the plethora of diggers and bulldozers.
A quick stop at Stoner Drug in Hamburg resulted in two new HotWheels cars; the next stop at Orschelin’s in Nebraska City included a purchase of a new orange dump truck and blue forklift. Another car was acquired at the Lincoln Target, then a good burger and fries were had at Honest Abe’s Burgers & Freedom.
Noah, me, and Honest Abe’s.
The remainder of the day was fairly unremarkable, along I-80. We stopped at another Target in Kearney and grabbed an apple juice box at the Lexington McDonald’s. We arrived at the Fairfield Inn & Suites in North Platte around 10:30.