Horse Creek Adventures

You have the best of both worlds here – wonderful countryside to explore and yet within driving distance of a couple of jumping cities. If you’re up for a big night out, head for the Old Market District in Omaha (50 minutes' drive), packed with pavement cafés and bars. Not to be outdone, the state capital Lincoln (an hour and 15 minutes) offers you the Historic Haymarket District, with lots of dining options and farmers’ markets in the former train station. Get a grip on Iowa history by nosing around a Plains Indian earth lodge at the Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Visitor Center (20 minutes), or impress your mates with your in-depth knowledge after touring military displays and an early-1900s country house at the Greater Shenandoah Historical Society Museum (30 minutes). Nebraska City (20 minutes) can hold its own too, with a colonial-era mansion and estate at Arbor Lodge State Historical Park. If chilling in the wild is more your style, Waubonsie State Park (10 minutes) and Forneys Lake State Wildlife Management Area (15 minutes) are set up for wildlife watching on nature trails, kayaking and the chance (and it’s only a chance) to spot bald eagles.