Iowa & Nebraska Trip 2020

This was our first time flying on an airplane during COVID-19. We were all scared and double masked up to be safe. We flew American Airlines which I do no recommend for future flights because the company books from 75% to 100% full. Luckily all of our stops were about 75% capacity.

We followed every safety measure possible while traveling. The only parts where we had to take off our mask was when the TSA asked us to and when we ate snacks and lunch. Other than that, it is required to wear a mask at all times. Snacks are provided in a little snack baggie once entering the airplane.

Santa Ana Airport was very good at making everyone safe. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was packed with people and no social distancing. I was so paranoid that I couldn’t even take pictures or videos there. Omaha Eppley Airfield Airport was also very good at taking COVID-19 measures. Overall, happy that we got from and back safely and healthy.

Iowa

We stayed with family in Iowa and had a lot of homemade food everyday. It was a rare chance for us to eat at a local spot here. We had fun walking around the neighborhoods, fishing at Storm Lake, driving through long distances of cornfields, shopping at Walmart, and buying corn from a local farmer!

Please note that we didn’t go to Iowa to have fun, but to attend a family member’s funeral. We had to wait a couple of month to make sure things were a lot safer for us to do a service here. It took us a couple of months, but we made it happen. We honestly were happy to be able to spend this time together and to send off our family member who passed away during COVID-19.

Nebraska - 801 Chophouse

Richie, Betsey, and I had a couple of hours to explore Nebraska. We made reservations at 801 Chophouse Omaha for dinner since we have been craving for their foie gras and bone marrow. Betsey definitely did not approve of this restaurant, but she came along to explore. The food at 801 Chophouse was pretty good. We ordered Oyster Rockefeller, Roasted Bone Marrow, 16 oz. Ribeye, Duck Fat Potatoes, Creme Brulee, and Trio of Sorbets.

The oysters with hollandaise was so refreshing! We really enjoyed this and we just love oysters. The Roasted Bone Marrow was AMAZING. Came with tomato and raisin chutney, capers, grilled lemon, pickled onion, parsley, and toasted baguette. The marrow was so rich! Melted in our mouths and tasted almost like butter! The 16 oz. Ribeye topped with foie gras was not bad. I am not a huge fan of steak, but I wouldn’t mind just eating the foie gras by itself. It had such an interesting texture of softness and thickness together. The Duck Fat Potatoes was made with caramelized onions and pecorino romano. This was our least favorite. It just tasted like hard chips and nothing flavorful or unique about it.

We ended our dinner with Creme Brulee and Trio of Sorbets. The Creme Brulee was not bad. I prefer this to be more creamier side like pudding. The Trio Sorbet was so delicious! Came with blueberry, passion fruit, and lemon. The passion fruit was so fruity and tarty! The lemon helped clean our palates. The blueberry was not bad and had chucks of blueberry pieces. Overall, this was a very yummy dinner.