Crane Quest, Day 4a -- In Town in Kearney NE

Museum of Nebraska Art:  We all wanted to see MONA -- Museum of Nebraska Art.  So we trooped downtown to check out the Central Avenue area and MONA.  MONA is located in the old post office, and it's as nice an art venue as you are going to find -- not just in the Midwest, but in many far-more populated areas of the country.  And they've done a lovely job in presenting the art in there. MONA is at 2401 Central Avenue, surrounded by nicely textured, herring-bone brick streets. The interior, thanks to the Postal Service of that era when they used marble, is beautiful.  We spent two hours in MONA, enjoying the collection of art that ranges from Audubon and Catlin to modern accomplished Nebraska artists. After MONA, we walked along Central Avenue, with all its late 1800 and early 1900 buildings.  They've done a great job restoring the facades and giving the downtown area a nice hometown feel. After walking Central Avenue, we popped into an antique shop with an interesting and entertaining collection. We ate lunch at the Alley Rose restaurant -- highly recommended.  They have a lunch buffet of high-quality items, including some of their specialty spud dishes, and a very attractive lunch menu that included all the prime rib I could possibly eat for $10.  Add another buck and get their amazing salad bar.  And they have a good selection of beer.  Their dinner menu looked very inviting as well. 

After lunch we headed for the motel for a break from the icy wind and to start layering up for the evening in the blind at the Rowe Sanctuary to see the cranes return to the river after gorging on corn all day (Post Crane Quest Day 4b). 

Brian, with Photos by Brian. Text and Photos copyright Goin Mobyle LLC 2010.