Top: Omaha quietly goes about its business as the early morning sun rises on a new day. Forbes Magazine put Omaha on the top of its list of the nation's fastest-recovering major cities. So did the Brookings Institute and Moody's. Its diverse economy, stable housing prices, low unemployment, and vibrant arts and music scene are some of the reasons that it regularly shows up at the top of the "best places" lists. Although the city is home to many large corporations, including over 30 insurance companies, it is most noted as the domain of investor, Warren Buffett. Omaha, like Mr. Buffet, is prosperous, yet unpretentious.

Bottom: Children run through fountains at the entrance to the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge, which links extensive networks of hiking/biking trails in Nebraska and Iowa. The bridge encountered considerable opposition from local citizens who considered it to be a waste of federal taxpayer dollars.