| Trekking Through a Capital City |
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Spend a fun-filled day, weekend, or week exploring Lincoln—Nebraska’s capital and second-largest city—and all the fascinating stops it offers. With world-class cultural venues and art museums, award-winning wineries, historic neighborhoods, expansive parks, the impressive Capitol building, eclectic shops, and restaurants serving mouthwatering dishes, Lincoln definitely has something for every taste and interest. Start your Lincoln tour in Raymond northwest of town sampling a delicious wine at WindCrest Winery, a place your palate and relaxed body will not want to leave. A short drive from there takes you to James Arthur Vineyards. The winery features a wine-tasting room, a gift shop, and peaceful hiking trails. Once you enter Lincoln, immerse yourself in the arts at the Lux Center for the Arts. The one-of-a-kind International Quilt Study Center & Museum has more than 2,300 beautiful quilts on display. The nearby University of Nebraska State Museum of Natural History offers a look even further back into the area’s history with a prehistoric mammoth exhibit. Designed by internationally famous architect Philip Johnson, the Sheldon Museum of Art is an excellent modern art gallery that houses 20th century American art. The Great Plains Art Museum features changing exhibits and collections of Western art. Take a leisurely stroll through the Historic Haymarket District downtown for a glimpse into the remarkable beginnings of the prairie city. Now filled with coffee houses, restaurants, art galleries, and shops, the Haymarket was once the center of the area’s agricultural commerce. Relive the feeling each Saturday during the summer at the Haymarket Farmers’ Market, the largest in the state. Learn more about Lincoln’s political and architectural history with a tour of the State Capitol. By 1914, more than one-third of Lincoln’s population was made up of Germans from Russia and their descendants. Learn more about this hearty group of early immigrants at the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Museum. If you’re really looking to get out into the wild, try a bike ride, a horseback ride, or a trail walk at Pioneers Park, Lincoln’s most celebrated open space. Also check out the Pioneers Park Nature Center while you’re there. Take the short drive southwest of town to Denton’s Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center and explore more than 350 plant species and 170 bird species on more than 600 acres of rare, native tallgrass prairie, springs, wetlands, and ponds. Afterwards, enjoy a relaxing time sipping a variety of delicious wines at Prime Country Winery. The perfect gift awaits you at SouthPointe Pavilions shopping center in south Lincoln. The Lincoln Children’s Zoo is another worthwhile stop. Complete with a train, a petting zoo, and other fun wildlife exhibits, this is a stop your kids will go wild for! After looking at the animals, head to Westfield Gateway and look for some bargains. Don’t forget your checkbook. Not just a destination but an experience, Deer Springs Winery northeast of Lincoln is located in a quiet country setting just minutes from the city. Route Directions • Start at WindCrest Winery (3110 W. Branched Oak Rd.) • 2 miles left on W. Branched Oak Rd., right on NW 27th St., left on W. Raymond Rd. to James Arthur Vineyards • 13 miles right on W. Raymond Rd., right on N. 14th St., left on Superior St., right on N. 48th St. to Lux Center for the Arts • 2 miles right on N. 48th St., right on Holdrege St. to the International Quilt Study Center • 3 miles right on 33rd St., right on O St., right on N. 11th St., right on Q St. to University of Nebraska–Lincoln campus (Sheldon Art Gallery, Museum of Nebraska History, State Museum of Natural History, and Great Plains Art Museum) • 3 blocks west to the Historic Haymarket District (8th and Q Sts.) for unique shops, bars, restaurants, and boutiques • Downtown Lincoln, south of the Historic Haymarket District, for enticing shops and restaurants • 5 blocks south of downtown to the State Capitol at Centennial Mall and K St. • 2 miles right (south) on S. 16th St., right on D St. to the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Museum • 4 miles left on S. 6th St., right on A St., left on S. Coddington Ave. to Pioneers Park • 12 miles left on W. Van Dorn St., left on SW 84th St. (take Spur 55A to SW 91st St.), right on W. Denton Rd., left on SW 98th St. (becomes SW 100th St.) to Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center • 4 miles north on SW 100th St., left on W. Saltillo Rd., left on SW 142nd St. to Prime Country Winery • 23 miles south on SW 142nd St., left on W. Roca Rd., north on Homestead Expressway (US-77), right on Saltillo Rd., left on S. 27th St. to SouthPointe Pavilions • 4 miles right on S. 27th St. to Lincoln Children’s Zoo • 4 miles right on S. 27th St., right on O St. to Westfield Gateway • 9 miles left on O St., left on N. 148th St., right on Adams St. to Deer Springs Winery |
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