Sandhills Road Trip Part 1
Late last fall, we took a road trip to rectify a deficit in my Nebraska credentials - the fact that I have never visited the Nebraska National Forest at Halsey. It was a great trip, despite the fact that
the only satellite radio station we could find that carried the Nebraska-Purdue game was a Purdue station. It made the loss so much worse!
In all, we traveled 262 miles through some of the most scenic country in Nebraska.
Our first stop was the beautiful Pony Express Station in Gothenburg. We had hoped to travel the Lincoln Highway from Sutherland to Gothenburg, but it was closed for part of the way, so we just hopped on I-80 at North Platte.
After Gothenburg, we headed north on Highway 47 to Arnold.
As we get close to Arnold, we drop down into the beautiful South Loup River valley.
Just south of Arnold is the Arnold State Recreation Area, a wonderfully scenic lake and park that is a great asset to the community. You'll be able to read more about the vibrant community of Arnold in my Sunday Story series that will feature stories from the "One Hundred Years on the South Loup" history book.
North of Arnold, the beauty of the canyons continues to intensify.
As you can see, the canyons surrounding Arnold are spectacular! As you read the stories of the pioneers in the coming weeks in the Sunday Stories series, imagine settling this land with only the sweat of your brow and a little horse power to carve a life out of these hills. On another note, wouldn't these canyons make an incredible zipline course?
In the fall, the annual Sandhill Crane migration is high and fast. Small groups cover hundreds of miles each day from their nesting grounds in the north to the overwintering grounds in the southern U.S.
In all, we traveled 262 miles through some of the most scenic country in Nebraska.
Our first stop was the beautiful Pony Express Station in Gothenburg. We had hoped to travel the Lincoln Highway from Sutherland to Gothenburg, but it was closed for part of the way, so we just hopped on I-80 at North Platte.
Farther to the north, we are back in the Sandhills. Enjoy this little windshield tour of the Arnold-Dunning road. This is the road that hosts the annual Sandhills Open Road Challenge Race. This quick windshield tour doesn't do the beauty of the road justice.
However, if you are fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time in the Nebraska Sandhills, you can encounter these small groups as they take a brief respite.
Stay tuned for more images of this incredible area of the Nebraska Outback.
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