As published in The Florida Villager
Well my faithful readers, I’m about to take you way out of your zip code to Western Nebraska. Let me dispel a myth right up front; Nebraska is not just about cornfields. I think I saw two the whole time I was there.
Never been to Nebraska, never thought I would go to Nebraska, but I am here to tell you I’m going back. Nebraska is about the beautiful topography, history, and the great outdoors. The hiking is amazing for beginners to serious hikers. There’s kayaking, horseback riding, mountain biking, hunting, fishing, and my all time favorite, tanking (more on that later).
I am about to show you a Nebraska you never thought existed. My journey started in North Platte at the North Platte Canteen, one of the largest volunteer efforts of WWII. Six million servicemen came through here and were met with food by the local women. I was fortunate enough to hear one of those servicemen playing the old piano as I walked around the museum. Be sure to check out Fort McPherson next door.
Moving onward, I stopped at Golden Spike Tower, which stands eight stories above the world’s largest train yard – Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard. Next stop, The Buffalo Bill Ranch. A fascinating tour of his home and memorabilia gave an up close and personal look into Buffalo Bill Cody’s life.
Now for the best part, Tankin’ on the Loup. Imagine a pristine day, picnic lunch, and a huge old-fashioned washtub that holds five adults floating down a river. There is no other way, in my opinion, to experience the Sandhill environment. Just sit back, get your camera ready, and take it all in, including the five wild horses that cantered down to the water’s edge. The horses passed way too quickly and how I longed to kick back, cowboy hat over my eyes, and listen to the beauty that surrounded me just a little longer.
Back in the car on the way to Crawford I passed through the Sandhills (20,000 square miles of mixed-grass prairie and sand dunes) – a view not to be missed. Take in the small town feel of Crawford while you dine at MJ’s Ranch House.
Waking up in what use to be the enlisted men’s barracks at Fort Robinson State Park was a peek into history. The morning was cool but invigorating as I sipped my coffee in a rocker on the porch. Many of the original buildings of the fort still stand, including the stables, which is where I paddled up for my ride to Soldier Creek. You want to know peace? Then get on the back of a horse and ride through grassy fields with nothing but wildflowers and the native birds to keep you company.
Just when I thought this trip couldn’t get any better, I found out how wrong I was. Hiking in the Soldier Creek Wilderness made me pause in awe. The Pine Ridge is an area whose surface has eroded into buttes, ridges and canyons with Ponderosa pines standing guard along the way. If you look closely enough, you can find bone fragments embedded in the ridge, as I was lucky enough to do. There are no words that could aptly describe this scenery.
Further down the trail, I made a stop at High Plains Homestead for a BBQ. It is an Old West settlement complete with a saloon. Hudson-Meng archaeological site, Carhenge (a take on Stonehenge with cars), the Oregon Trail, Chimney Rock, and the grand finale, a cookout dinner at Oregon Trail Wagon Train camp with a covered wagon ride under the stars, rounded out my final days.
Let your imagination run free and make memories that last a lifetime as you explore Western Nebraska. The frontier trails are calling.
Westward Ho!