I started my trip in Nebraska’s capital, Lincoln. My first stop was the state capitol building, which a local told me is sometimes jokingly called the “Penis of the Plains” because of its unusual height in an otherwise relatively flat state. Comparing it to all the other state capitol buildings I’ve visited, I’d place this one toward the upper end. It’s definitely not one of my favorites, but I appreciate its unique design and towering height.
The giant hand in the second photo also caught my attention, so naturally I photographed it without actually walking over to find out what it was. Later I tried to research its meaning and couldn’t find anything. I originally assumed it was some type of memorial or had a religious meaning. Eventually I started searching businesses in the area and discovered it belonged to an insurance company. I went through an impressive amount of research just to identify a giant hand I could have learned about by walking across the street.
Lincoln was a more interesting city to explore than I had expected. Downtown is compact enough to walk around easily, with a mix of older buildings, churches, restaurants, and newer development. I also came across this musician performing downtown while I wandered around the city.
One of the most interesting parts of Lincoln is the Haymarket District, historically the city’s warehouse district. Warehouse districts became important throughout the Great Plains and Midwest during the expansion of the railroads in the 1800s. Huge warehouses were built near rail lines to store and distribute goods arriving from other parts of the country.
As transportation and industry changed during the following century, entire districts of warehouses became obsolete. In many American cities they were abandoned or demolished, but Lincoln preserved much of its old warehouse district. Beginning in the 1970s, the area was redeveloped for new uses. Today the historic buildings are filled with restaurants, bars, shops, and other businesses while much of the old warehouse character remains.
By chance I arrived in Nebraska the day before the first college football game of the season. I like to take things as they come when traveling, so I didn’t have any serious plans for Saturday. Someone I met on my flight passionately described the game and invited me to tailgate with him before kickoff. His family and friends had a tent set up outside the stadium, so I joined them for a little pregaming before everyone headed inside.
Several locals explained to me that football is Nebraska, and seeing Lincoln on game day made it easy to understand what they meant. I’m glad I met the guy on the plane because I honestly had no idea the opening game was happening while I was there. The Cornhuskers have a long history in college football, and people in Nebraska take an enormous amount of pride in their team. The streets around the university filled with crowds migrating toward the stadium, many dressed almost entirely in red.
The celebration extended well beyond the stadium. Bars were packed with fans, some of whom were already intoxicated before the game even began. Others showed their loyalty with face paint and shirts carrying slogans like “Fear the Corn.” Even as someone who hadn’t traveled to Lincoln for football, experiencing the city on game day ended up being one of the most memorable parts of my visit.
After all the excitement surrounding the Cornhusker game, my next destination might seem a little boring in comparison. Lincoln created the Sunken Gardens in 1931, and I had read enough praise about them that I made sure not to miss the place. The gardens themselves were actually quite small, but they were beautiful, with a rainbow of flowers, landscaped paths, and plenty of benches where you could sit and relax.
I was strolling through the gardens when a Korean woman and an American woman approached me and both attempted to convince me to attend a service at their church. It was an unexpected ending to a quiet walk through the gardens, but random encounters like that are part of what I remember about traveling through Lincoln.
