Omaha probably doesn’t rank too high on most people’s list of Summer vacation spots but when your brother in law (Luc) makes it to the College World Series, you head to Nebraska!
So in June 2021 we found ourselves en route to the “Greatest Show on Dirt.” Along the way we stopped at the World’s Largest Truck Stop, a Mecca of every tawdry name key chain and foam bill mesh hat your heart could desire. Clean restrooms, hot coffee and some good people watching make it a must stop as you roll through Iowa.
Speaking of rolling through, we stayed overnight in Waterloo, Iowa and we experienced the craziest wind storm I’ve ever seen. The hotel and all surrounding businesses lost power. There goes that free breakfast! On the plus side, it did ensure we were up and at ‘em early to get to Omaha.
Pulling in to town you can feel the excitement in the air. Along with the College World Series the Olympic swimming trials/qualifiers added an additional element of excitement in the air and it’s insanely impressive how Omaha can handle these large scale events and fan bases. I kept trying to ride the hotel elevators with some famous folk. Didn’t happen but a girl can try.
On our first night there, we picked Luc up and headed to Spezia Italian restaurant – Omaha has an incredible Italian food scene, including a “Little Italy.” Luc can put away bread like most people breathe air so it was fun to catch up and watch his eating show. My girls love pasta and the portions were enough to share with all of our fellow patrons. The ambiance is beautiful with local artist’s work featured throughout the dining room. A must visit for authentic Italian cuisine.
Another gem we discovered in Little Italy is Ethnic Sandwich Shop. Small and unassuming, with limited outdoor seating and a tiny area to order, at first glance you may think, “What’s the hype?” Easily one of the best hoagie sandwiches I have ever had. Jess and I were fighting over the last piece! Everything is homemade including their amazing macaroni and egg salads and their cookies are to die for. It was fun to sit outside and watch the line of folks steadily make their way inside to order. This place does a killer business!
There’s really nothing to compare the actual College World Series games to. Years ago I went to a World Series game in Cleveland (go… Guardians I think?) and it was a charged atmosphere but multiply that by 10 and you’ll get Omaha. Walking in feels like heading to a festival. It’s electric!
I had no idea Omaha felt like walking on the face of the sun in the Summer. 104 degrees on the field. So in the stands my face melted off. Literally mascara rolling down my face. I happened to have a pin with #40 Luc Lipcius on it and a nearby ESPN camera happened to spot this. Now I was the last kid picked in every single athletic event. My elementary school gym teacher (Mrs. Thomas was the best!) allowed me to be “permanent stop watch operator” as I pretty much failed in all sporting ventures.
And now I’m on ESPN.
And the Jumbo Tron.
And my face has melted into my clothing.
Needless to say, Hollywood didn’t come calling but it was fun to get a few dozen texts from folks seeing me broken down on national television.
The Volunteers didn’t advance as far as we would’ve liked but we loved the entire experience. We spent a lot of time in the downtown host hotel, talking with teammates, their families and a host of media and fans. My girls loved all the souvenirs for sale (my wallet didn’t… kids t-shirts for $50?!) and Jess loved getting to talk with SEC Network guru, Chris Burke, for a bit. He was very nice!
On our last evening we celebrated the big season ending at DJ’s Dugout, a huge sports bar featuring walls of tv’s tuned to seemingly all of the sports all of the time. This seemed to be the place to be as fans from all over the country were streaming in to drink a few and discuss the games. And, since Vanderbilt also was in the College World Series, we sat near the “Vandy Whistler” … Google him and find out if you’re a hater or supporter – certainly a unique way of “cheering” for your team. Sports fans, head on over to Omaha for the Greatest Show on Dirt sometime. It’s an incomparable experience and you will most certainly love Omaha and all its offerings in the process!
Onto the next adventure, friends!
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