Not much to do - we take up gambling

  Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States
Thursday, May 10, 2007

Sunny day as we left for downtown Council Bluffs to visit the Railroad museum which is in the old Carnegie Library. MJ once again joined a school party (getting worried about him) on a guided tour round. There was a huge map on one of the walls showing the first transcontinental railroad route. It was interesting to see how short a distance the westbound crew were making initially as they struggled through the Sierra Nevada as opposed to the eastbound crew galloping across the Nebraskan Plains.

Railway Station Office in Council Bluffs Museum

Council Bluffs Carnegie Library (now rail museum)

Advertising for vacation rail journeys

We also got some info from a very tall older volunteer and Chris had a conversation with a kindly old lady who was very interested in the Royal Family - especially in the US mind at the moment as the Queen has just been over for a State visit.

We were going to look at the squirrel cage prison which houses one of only three revolving jails where the cells are hand cranked round only allowing one cell at a time access to the exit but decided against it in favour of a visit to the River Boat Casino - Hurrahs. This allowed us to enjoy both the Missouri River (albeit only from the car park - where we once again saw evidence of flooding) but also $1.25 beer and hotdog deal.. It had the added advantage of counter-recessed gambling machines offering Blackjack. We had a chat with Nate on the bar who was very nice but IQ of 60 I'd guess and then pressed on with some serious gambling at 25c/deal inserting a dollar note each. MJ lost his almost immediately and pressed on with the beer and dog. Munchie was quietly working away on the machine. After scoffing dog and gulping beer MJ got back on machine with another $1 and promptly increased it to $2 - so net zero overall. Munchie printed out her ticket and proudly presented it - $3!!!. So overall the meal and "entertainment" cost us net $3 - about 75p each. Margetts would have been proud of us.

After all the excitement we returned to our room for the day's chores - oh yes...you all thought it was endless fun and games...but no, we have to plan our route, identify the next few nights hotels on the internet, write the shopping list, write this blog, copy the photos. There's hardly any time for watching the TV - which is probably a blessing, although nearly every hotel has a public channel and HBO or Primetime (advert-free TV). We LOVE Richard Meyer who is firmly Democrat and hates BUSH - it's amazing how vicious the stuff is, far worse than you'd get on UK TV.

Back to chores, we then went to the airport as our lovely little, red Toyota needed its 10,000 mile service - we've done about 2,500 miles so far - fortunately we could hang on to it if we come back 10am tomorrow and get an oil change. We were amazed at how modern Omaha looked with skyscrapers etc. The city and the town are divided by the Missouri and whilst Lincoln determined that the Transcontinental railroad would start in Council Bluffs (it being the larger town at the time) the Terminus was built on the west side in what is now Omaha.
The hotel didn't have a pool so we sat in our camping chairs at the side of the building drinking Buds and getting a sun-tan whilst over-looking I-29. I guess it probably looked very eccentric.

The evening's entertainment involved a trip back to the Casino for a buffet meal at $9.95 each. It lacked some atmosphere (but that's been true in many of the places we've eaten in) but the food was excellent and included both beef and turkey roast cut by the chef. The deserts.....'nuff said.