Logo graphic by Mike Hortens Design

Saturday, July 13, 2019

Nebraska


Welcome to Nebraska!


This is our first visit to Nebraska.  We will be driving through the eastern side at a later date.

As many of you know, we use the website Atlas Obscura at times to find some different and unique places to visit.  Our first stop was in Alliance, Nebraska.  It’s not close to much of anything.  But, having been to Stonehenge in the U.K., I was intrigued to see this site, Carhenge:

 
 
 
 
 
 

Scottsbluff:

We stopped for a few nights in the town of Scottsbluff, on our way to Wyoming.  When we booked our Airbnb, we were not looking for any sightseeing opportunities, just a place to relax.

Wow – did we hit the jackpot!  Our Airbnb place was on the edge of the Scotts Bluff National Monument!


Here is a sunset our first evening:

 

Of course we had to drive to the summit -- through 3 tunnels!


The views from the summit are Awesome!

 
 
 

Mitchell Pass would often be congested with wagon trains headed west.  Wagon wheel ruts still exist!

 
 

We also learned about nearby Chimney Rock, so we took a drive over there!  To the emigrants, this lonely spire indicated the end of the plains and the beginning of the rugged mountain portion of their journey.


Nebraska has provided yet another piece to the puzzle for us regarding our ancestors who came west on the Oregon trail.


Next week we visit the 1st National Park in the U.S!