Mini Bartholomew Road Trip

We packed it up for a major road trip for the second time this year. This one was not as major as the last one as it only included 3 states. But we were off to see America again.

This time our destination was Omaha Nebraska. Not a number one vacation desination...unless you consider the US Olympic Swim Trials we happened to have tickets for.

We arrived to Omaha on Saturday, and I was talked into heading downtown by my guys who were ready to check out the city. It ended up being a blast. There was a concert going on,  a cool dancing on glowing discs area (kinda an interactive art piece named The Pool), tall buildings lit up with images of swimmers, and fireworks. A perfect beginning to our swimming filled week.

The Olympic trials. Wow. WOW! So much fun!  So cool to see. The night sessions had all the music/lightshow expected at an NHL game. There were emotional moments (first time Olympians earning a spot on the team....and the medal ceremonies), hilarious moments (Ryan Lochte wearing his own Lochte shirt he bought in the fan shop....The swimmer in the same heat as Michael Phelps who knew the only way he would get attention was to dress up as Batman), moments of awe (watching Michael Phelps swim his way to a record 5th Olympics....and a remarkable young lady named Katie Ledecky who is also one heck of a swimmer), and exciting moments (watching world records almost....so close....being broken).

However my first moment of holding back tears took place in the evening session the first night of the trials. The microphone of the person singing the national anthem cut out. Without missing a beat the entire sold out arena of swimming fans sang the most perfect rendition of the National Anthem I have ever heard.

In between all that swimming there was plenty of time to explore Omaha, which we enjoyed more than we thought we would. We ate ice cream, had a blast eating at Joe's crab shack, saw President Ford's birthplace and the Betty Ford memorial rose garden, enjoyed Old Market, went to the Union Pacific railroad museum, and spent good times at the Aqua Zone.

The Aqua Zone....where we spend plenty of money on USA Swimming and Olympic Trial clothing, Kyle and Ben surfed, and Nate, Kyle,and Ben tried to keep up with Michael Phelps in the endless pool.

Everyone enjoyed every minute of it. And amongst all the excitement, Kyle turned 40. Now we anxiously await the trials in 4 years so we can save up money and potentially go back. We can't wait to watch those we saw in person swim at the Olympics.