Nebraska

I was thinking about what to post today, that would be more exciting than my day to day activities. (Okay you can say it out loud... thank goodness). It got me to thinking about my own back yard or actually what is beyond my own back yard. With the economy in the state it is, maybe we need to travel locally for fun things to do. Nebraska has so many neat things to see and do.

I find it hard to believe that none of the "Three Sisters" has mentioned one tourist attraction right in our hometown. Maybe we don't see it as an attraction, but a lot of people stop and visit it year round. Any guesses ?

Spot # 1 to visit: Carhenge http://www.carhenge.com/

It is located just two miles north of Alliance on Highway 87. You need to get out of your car, walk out to the cars and walk around it. It's actually pretty neat. For the first nine years that Keith and I were married, I drove by this site daily thinking to myself, "Why are all these people stopping and looking at carhenge, or car wreck as my young niece & nephew would call it". So one November when Nicki brought Andrew to Nebraska for a visit, when made a stop there. It was kinda neat . So get out of your car and walk around ... it's worth it.

Next spot you could visit on the "traveling our own backyard":

Spot # 2 Chimney Rock National Park http://www.nps.gov/chro/index.htm

A favorite spots that Krista and Dani drag Aunt Trudy to every year!

If you are really feeling the pioneer spirit you can also partake in Gordon Howard's wagon rides and eat at the chuck wagon cookout. http://www.oregontrailwagontrain.com/

Also worth stopping at is the Scottsbluff National Monument and a side trip to the Riverside Zoo in Scottsbluff. http://www.riversidezoo.org/

Side note: another fun place to stop and eat at is in Paxton, Nebraska at Ole's Steak House http://www.olesbiggame.com/ . If you have spent the day at Lake McConaughy http://www.lakemcconaughy.com/ than drive over to Paxton to eat.

Spot # 3: Fort Robinson State park just outside of Crawford http://www.stateparks.com/fort_robinson.html

You can take trail rides on horseback, by jeep or stage coach. You can learn about the native American history of the fort. Stay in the camp grounds or in the soldier's living quarters. They host a fun fourth of July rodeo and party. Growing up we took many class trips to Fort Robinson and always had a good time. Check it out.

These were just a couple of local sites that I have been to. Now is a couple of things I hope to do and visit in the next year. Also local.

Toadstool National Park north of Crawford, Nebraska:

Or Agate Fossil Beds
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument -Agate Fossil Beds and its surrounding prairie are preserved in a 3,000 acre national monument. Once part of "Captain" James H. Cook's Agate Springs Ranch, the nearby beds are an important source for 19.2 million year-old Miocene epoch mammal fossils. Cook's ranch also became a gathering place for Chief Red Cloud and other Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Indian people. The monument's Cook Collection of American Indian artifacts reflects years of gifts brought by the Indians during visits to the ranch from the 1880's through the early 1900's. Phone: (308) 668-2211 or Visit Agate Fossil Beds

A little farther from our back yard but still in Nebraska.

River Tubing! We have the Niobrara River, Dismal, and Loup rivers that you can leisurely raft, tube or tank down.

(disclaimer: I don't know who these people are)

Then on yet another trip to eastern Nebraska, I would like to stop here:

Located at Gretna, Nebraska

http://www.holyfamilyshrine.org/

Isn't this the neatest church! Of course I wouldn't be listening to the sermon, I would probably be gawking around.

If you are already in Eastern Nebraska than you have to stop at the

Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha.
http://www.omahazoo.com/

These are just some of the fun things I want to get to this summer.

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