Holiday Weekend in Omaha

1. Lauritzen Gardens More than 5,000 poinsettias + model trains running past miniature Omaha landmarks = instant holiday hit (lauritzengardens.org).

2. The Durham Museum The city's largest indoor Christmas tree stretches 45 feet toward the Art Deco ceiling of the train-station-turned-history-museum (durhammuseum.org).

3. The Berry and Rye Craft cocktails- like the Trinidad Smoke made with dark rum and infused with tobacco smoke- reflect the bar's sexy appeal (theberryandrye.com).

4. Pitch Pizzeria Coal-fired Thai Pie with peanut sauce or Pitch Your Own with fresh mozzarella warms a winter day at this lively Dundee spot (pitchpizzeria.com).

5. Residence Inn Marriott Omaha Downtown A vintage FBI poster, vault door and terrazzo tile remind guests of the all-suite hotel's days as the Federal Building (marriott.com).

6. Old Market Snowflake-shape lights, an ice-skating rink and strolling musicians bring the holiday spirit to the revived warehouse district (oldmarket.com).

7. Over Easy Locally sourced ingredients flavor dishes like fruit-filled Pop Tarts and Dutch Baby pancakes with house-made jam (overeasyomaha.com).

8. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Gaze into a klipspringer's eyes and you'll never want to leave the toasty Desert Dome, part of this huge zoo containing an indoor jungle, too (omahazoo.com).