Lauritzen Gardens Revisted & Kenefick Park Omaha, NE Part V

Hello Hive friends and readers. A few weeks ago I visited here but I really didn't have the time or the phone juice to experience all of the outside beauty. I just gave a tour of the inside show case floor and showed you the views of the green houses. Today I got the opportunity to just do that.

If you missed the first time I visited here or want to visit my series of other Greater Omaha Area articles here they are:

River's Edge Park Part I
Council Bluffs Historic Hay Market Part II
Historic Oakland Avenue Part III
Lauritzen Gardens Omaha, NE Part IV

I will show you some remarkable plants, trees, and flower gardens. I took over 200 photos so I'll try to select a few of them. Since I had time I also visited Kenefick Park, a park that high lights connecting the United States railroad from the east to west back in 1860's.

Well there is a path to each garden and you will get some good walking in. The first garden I visited was The Hitchcock-Kountze Victorian Garden. A lot of different varieties of flowers in this garden and very much had a victorian feel.

I walk a little further and run into one of many small waterfalls. Beyond that is an area that has some trees. The tree pictures were taken at the end of April sadly they looked nothing like that today. The Crap Apple tree (white flowers) I found beautiful and you could smell it from a great distance away. I was very fond of it's smell.

In the distance is some more trees with beautiful colors. Seeing across the field is some prairie grass. The Midwest use to be filled with prairie grass. Growing population and farming eliminated much of it. If I'm not mistaken from learning about history, prairie fires led to it's decrease as well. Today you really only see it in preserve locations. There around today but not in the mass quantities it once was.

I did get to visit this place in late April but none of the roses were bloomed. Well almost a month later it is much different. Notice the differences in the second and third photos above?

What is there not to like about roses? This family of flowers come in so many species and different colors. A flower than can be given to others with different meaning depending on it's color. If only I brought some pairing scissors, haha. Actually I wouldn't do that I'll just respect the views and smells.

After departing the rose garden along the trail to my next destination is a variety of tulips. I just love the shape of tulips and enjoyed the view of multiple colors. You know where my next destination is by looking at the pictures above? I'll just tell you if you don't, a Japanese Garden!!

A very cool entrance to this garden. I also realized it's way to sunny to take a selfie without the shades, haha. I wasn't trying to look more Asian with my narrow eye look, I was squinting due to the sun light. This garden holds a miniature look a like of Mount Fuji. I loved how the trails led to a dock with a small pound that was filled with tiny gold and white fish. Most of them were to far away to determine if they were Koi or gold fish. I hope they are Koi, that would be cool to see when they grow. The rock formation is pretty cool as well as the scrubs and other plants.

As I'm writing this I have noticed a lot of pictures aren't in my gallery for whatever reason. The sunshine and taking pictures with my phone is quite challenging. When I take wide shots, my phone turns black. So I take several blinds shots in hopes I get a good picture. It's time to invest in a camera. What's missing in this garden is a nice sized building made mostly of wood that contained some plants and sitting space to get some shade. I took a few minutes relaxing in here to get a break from the warm sun rays.

Next up on the trail I see another garden decorated with flowers on the outside. It's a bit too far away to see what's within. I get closer and realize it's a herb garden.I'll admit I'm far from being considered a botanists and I can't recall ever seeing herbs in original form in nature. I found this gathering of them the coolest among a few others.

The last garden I visited was a shade garden. Before getting there I had to take this photo of a metal dinosaur decoration over this small area of planted flowers and plants.

I will tell you this is the last of the photos I will share because again many didn't make it to my photo gallery. I get in the middle of the shaded garden and they have a neat little waterfall. As I walk through the garden there are stop points to sit and rest among the many plants, trees and flowers it has to offer.

Kenefick Park

This is a neat park that tells the history of the transcontinental railroad. A park and a museum in one, super cool.The best thing it is free :) I'll show you some historic pictures and tails. Our final destination will include two locomotive engines that were absolutely work horses for the Union Pacific Railroad.

I'm not going lie after walking the garden for 3 miles up and down several hills made the grand staircase look super high. I just took a good gasp of air and started walking up. Honestly it wasn't as bad of a climb up stairs as my eyes were telling me.

Once at the top of the staircase I check out the wheel sculptures. Nothing to fancy, just some wheels to locomotives or rail cars. I can imagine the wheels are super heavy and makes me think golly how much does a whole train weigh?

I arrive to the Mid Plaza area where there is some cool historic pictures and reading information. The Transcontinental Railroad route was in planning as early as 1853. The civil war (1861-1865) really prevented progress on it even though President Lincoln signed it into law in 1862. This project really put Omaha on the map as the city grew quickly during this time. It's not filled with as much track as it once was but there still is a lot.

Next a few foot steps later we arrive at what is referred to as Canyon Wall. Some more older photos with stories. In all there were about 10 photos with their stories. It amazes me how a railroad bridge was made back than out of wooden trusses and how much time it would have took to construct. It very much looks like something out of an old western movie.

Passenger transportation by rail back than must have been exciting. Prior to the twenty century many of our U.S. presidents traveled by train. I know President Lincoln's funeral included stopping in many cities and towns via train. It was a heck of a lot faster than horse and buggy.

It was also neat to see Omaha Union Station during it's early days. It still stands today and is now the Durham Western Heritage Museum. There is a lot to see in that museum and not only railroad history. Rest assured you will see an article about it soon.

The park is named after John Cooper Kenefick. He served as the senior official for Union Pacific from 1970 - 1986. His Innovations helped the company greatly. He contributions most certainly led Union Pacific in becoming one of the largest and most profitable railroad companies in the country.

Here we are at the dead end of the park. What awaits us are two work horses of the Union Pacific Railroad. Let's start with "Big Boy" the bigger of the two. Weighing an amazing 1.25 million pounds this coal burning locomotive could hit speeds up to 70 mph. Wow that is impressive and let me tell you it was put into production in 1944. At the time Union Pacific became the fastest railroad in the country with this beast. No wonder why railroad crossing arms became a thing. There isn't anything awaiting on its track stopping this train. Hear the horn Choo Choo means stay clear, yes I think I will.

I was able to take some pictures of the engineer/conductor station. Not the best pictures as I put my phone directly onto the dirty glass from the outside of the train. It's much larger than I thought it would be.

This train to me is everything of the modern day train. A diesel train meaning no more throwing coal for fuel. This train is referred to as a "Centennial" and was in service from 1969 to 1984. This particular locomotive was the first produced and made it's first run out of Omaha to Ogden, Utah. Coming in at just 545,000 lbs fully loaded this dual diesel engine train can reach speeds of 85 mph. This train was retired after logging almost 2 million miles.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of these two places which are just within walking distance from each other. Take care, be safe, and enjoy what's left of your weekend.