Whether it's Frisbee golf camping running hiking or bicycling, there's always something to do here!…read more A Corps of Engineers park that has been thoroughly restored, offering a marina, barbecue spots, and boat rentals for the lake. The 10 km path around the lake is perfect for relaxing or working out. Cannot say enough positive things about this location. A pretty and restful spot just outside the city.

If it wasn't for moving out to this area of town I probably wouldn't have a clue that this…read morebeautiful lake and park existed. Of course, I've seen the sign along the highway and my boyfriend had mentioned it before but none of that made much of an impression as the actual place did. Our first visit here was to break in our new bicycles. We entered on the west side of the lake where there is a pier for boats. There is another pier on the other side of the lake close to the camp ground but where we entered it was near a nice covered picnic area. We rode our bikes along the path twice here and enjoyed every bit of it. Since then I've gone a few times with my bike to ride and I loved every second of it. The staff here does a great job maintaining the path, piers, frisbee golf area and the ensuring the trash cans are all taken care of. I haven't camped on their campground yet but it always looks to be pretty tidy. I know my nephew has stayed there for a cub scout camp weekend and I didn't hear any complaints from their experience. One of the things I like about this area is there is a designated day camp area, they also have a lot of events going on here. I've noticed a couple of triathlons here. I appreciate having this gorgeous lake, park, camp area, close by and well kept. It is such a hidden gem just on the other side of the highway. I look forward to spring and summer next year to break out our bicycles again and maybe even spend a weekend camping here. If you have yet to check this lake out I highly recommend that you do! The path is almost seven miles with a good amount of benches along the way so you can also just sit back, relax, and enjoy being amongst nature!

This quaint community is next door to the city limits of Omaha and the Omaha airport. Several parks…read moreopen to the public is available. If you want to have a good view of the lake, barbeque, have kids play basketball, use the skateboard park, or BMX bike course, visit Mabrey Park located on the corner 9f Willow Drive and 18th Street. They close by 10 pm and allow watercraft to be lowered by the ramps into the lake. Outdoor picnic seating is also available around the park area. No swimming is allowed at this park. You will have to visit Wavecrest Park for that.

Carter Lake is a former channel of the Missouri River and was formed by flooding of the Missouri…read moreRiver in the summer of 1877. The city of Carter Lake, Iowa takes its name from the lake and there is an interesting background story to this lake located near the Omaha Airport. In 1930, Carter Lake was incorporated as a city in the state of Iowa, a status it has retained ever since but there has been lots of fighting over it. Carter Lakes Colorful History states that "Carter Lake was once called Cut-Off Island - a fitting name for a place torn between two cities and two states, yet connected to neither." Iowa and Nebraska constantly battled for the city named Carter Lake and it's water feature born of a change of course of the Missouri River. The ensuing legal battle over whether Iowa or Nebraska had jurisdiction over Cut-Off Island went to the Supreme Court. In a 1892 ruling, the court sided with Iowa on the basis that state lines remain the same when a river avulsed, or dramatically altered, its path in 1877. Therefore, the land had never left Iowa, despite its position on the Nebraska side of the river. It is weird driving through the area, as you are in Nebraska one minute and Iowa the very next. Carter Lake has not escaped water pollution problems and in 2005, the lake had reached a crisis level. Due to a number of factors, the lake water level was both dangerously low and polluted with toxic algae. Placed on Nebraska's Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters for elevated concentrations of nutrients, the lake was no longer a place for recreation and beauty, but a haven for floating contaminants. Interested citizens formed the "Carter Lake Environmental Assessment and Rehabilitation Council," and a community based watershed plan was organized to help improve the water quality. Now Carter Lake is a recreational hub for the area. The park is a great place to launch a boat for water sports and fishing, and also has baseball and football fields, basketball courts, and areas for picnics and larger gatherings. It is a beautiful gem of a lake and worth 5 YELP STARS.

Pamela and her husband Kirk run the great airboat rides and Skipper Kirk (or is it Capt Kirk?)…read morewe're amazing hosts! We gathered at their property, got on board and got our safety briefing. Life jackets and ear muffs were provided. Then we shoved off to the river where we saw fish jump and Eagles fly. Two Eagle nests!!! Capt Kirk stopped on a sand bar in the middle of the river so we could all hop out and frolic in the ankle deep warm water. when we returned, our grandkids said, "Let's do it again!" So it was a big hit on this Sunday afternoon. Strongly recommend it!!!

From the owner: Take a Stinger Airboat ride on the Platte River on a uniquely designed pontoon style airboat. Relax…read morein style while viewing the beauty of nature all along the Platte. Open from end of May until Labor Day!

We went on the wood boat ride on the river front. The driver was friendly. Price is reasonable at…read morejust $4/person. They provided bread to feed the ducks, geese, and swans on the river. It was a peaceful tour around the river past a beautiful fountain and back.

I had my first experience with Heartland Gondolas Inc. last night. We had a reservation at 8:30pm…read morefor 4 people on the private Gondola. Mike, the owner, had told me on the phone that it would be $10 per couple. When we got there our boat driver (who wasn't Mike), told me it was $20 per couple. I informed him that was not what I was told by Mike. He walked about 100 yards away to talk with Mike and then came back to inform me that Mike thought there was only one couple that I booked, but he would go ahead and do it for $20 but I could tell he was super angry. The gentleman (I don't know his name) then proceeded to give us the cold shoulder the whole ride. Wouldn't answer questions unless asked several times and then just gave one word answers. He scowled the entire ride. I felt bad because of the confusion so I apologized again after we got off the boat. He looked away from me as I was talking and drank a big swig of his gatorade and then LITERALLY turned his back on me without a word. My family proceeded to thank him for his time and he didn't acknowledge any of them either. At this point I was furious. No matter how you feel you should never treat people this way. I immediately went over to Mike by the big boat and had a talk with him. Barely did I get my story out when Mike said he completely remembered our phone call and he had told the "boat guide" that our rate was $20 flat. So the boatman LITERALLY LIED TO US and then made us feel terrible and uncomfortable the entire ride with the grand finale of completely ignoring us at the end when I was only 1 foot in front of him. Mike was super nice and asked if I wanted my $20 back. I declined but I want to report this because the gentleman under his payroll was absolutely terrible and needs to be removed. He is most likely trying to scam all of us unsuspecting guests. If I hadn't talked to Mike I wouldn't have found out the truth. This ride would have been an amazing experience if it hadn't had been for the boatman. The view of the city and the fountain are breathtaking. I highly recommend doing a tour at sunset.

Lake Manawa State Park in Council Bluffs has something for everyone who loves the outdoors. Have a…read moreboat? Launch it in the 753 acre oxbow lake for sailing, canoeing, or water skiing. Paddle boats are available to rent. Swim at the lifeguard protected swimming beach. Fish from the dock or from a boat in a quiet backwater. The campground offers modern bathrooms. There are hiking and biking trails that connect to the trail system in Council Bluffs. The picnic area has shelters for bigger groups and the Dream Playground is a wonderful place for kids with abilities and disabilities to really let loose and have fun. Lake Manawa is truly a great spot to enjoy being outside with family and friends.

This is probably the best park we've been to in a while! I love all of the slides and hidden…read morefeatures! Our kids are 2 and 3 and they loved it!

NP Dodge park is sort of a hidden gem of a park. Tucked away near Hummel park it's vast green and…read moreit's location butted up to the Missouri river make it a versatile park for multiple uses. Since living in the area for the past few years I've visited several times for different reasons. The park is large enough to take a nice stroll and walk your dog, there's trails near by that you can begin in the park and keep exploring. There are several soccer fields and open spaces to let children play as well. I also like that this park has several different parking lots so finding a spot is easy. One of the things I was wondering was how security is and if the police drive through to make sure there's no issues going on. I hope so! The park is kept in great condition. It's clean, there are a few different restrooms and the people I've come across seem respectful. Most recently, my boyfriend and I did the Florence Days 5K that began at NP dodge park! It was such a fun run and great to see the community come out to this area of Omaha! There's so much history out here as well as natural beauty that's easy to miss with the hustle and bustle of daily life. If you have yet to trek down this area I highly suggest that you do. Especially in the morning, it's absolutely gorgeous!

(NOTE: The NP Dodge Park Pavilion is currently closed because of the riverfront flooding. I called…read morethe parks department and they said it may be reopened in the future, so I wanted to sing its praises for when it reopens!) We held our wedding reception at the NP Dodge Park Pavilion. It has a wood cabin ambiance that fit perfectly with our naturey/rustic theme, and the best part - it was HUGE. It easily accommodated our 100+ guests, tables, chairs, dance floor, Photo Booth, etc! The best part is that it's literally just the venue rental, which may sound weird to say that's the "best part" - but it means that you can use your own caterer and decor, and not have to get stuck with all the set vendors that so many venues only allow you to use. There is also a cute little pond outside, that was perfect for a few more formal group shots, during golden hour. They allow you to have beer and wine for your event with the license you get, but that was fine with the guests we had. There's also a whole kitchen and bar area that was perfect for our caterer's needs. If they do open up the Pavilion again in the future, and you're looking for a cost-effective and beautiful event space, definitely check it out!

I purchased a Moomba surf boat from Victory Marine in 2021. It was quickly apparent that the boat…read morewas improperly prepared by the technicians at Victory. The decal letters on the side of the boat quickly came off due to improper adhesive work and had to be replaced. Plastic vent inserts were improperly installed and had to be repaired. This past season, we entrusted Victory Marine to store our boat for the winter. Without our permission, the staff at Victory pulled our boat from storage and displayed it at their boat show. Our boat was returned to us with damage to the hull and trailer, and Victory assumed no responsibility. We also received our boat with two dead batteries, which is the second year in a row this has happened. These infractions resulted in a better business bureau claim, during which Victory claimed that I gave them permission to show the boat, which is an outright lie. In addition, we had multiple warranty issues that needed to be repaired this season. When I went to pick up my boat, Victory staff stated that all repairs had taken place. However, it was only after I inspected the boat closer that I discovered several items that had not been taken care of. When I brought this to the attention of the staff, they told me those items were not covered. If you're in the market for a new boat, do your homework. A warranty is only as good as the company providing the service and the manufacturer providing the support. I will never do business with Victory Marine again.

Tim went out of his way to give great customer service. We appreciated his amazing follow up.read more