Omaha

Sitting on the banks of the Missouri River, Omaha serves as a gateway to the Great Plains. The city has been transformed from its rough-and-tumble days as the terminus of cattle drives and railroads to a business hub — today it is the headquarters of several Fortune 500 firms, including Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway. Omaha is also a major industrial center (numerous manufacturing plants are based here), yet it still boasts plenty of parks and recreational trails along its wide avenues. Just outside of downtown, the Old Market is the spot for shopping and dining in converted warehouses and other historic buildings. While the city’s famous stockyards are long gone, Omaha still retains reminders of its years as the beef capital of America, which is evidenced by its numerous steakhouses. Crowds also visit this Midwest city for its famed zoo and the College World Series, which comes to town each June.