Sandhills Road Trip Part 3

Leaving the beauty of the Nebraska National Forest, we come to the town synonymous with the forest, Halsey. We were still looking for a local tavern, but again, were unlucky.

We did, however, find the quaint Halsey Frontier Inn, which looks like it would be a fun getaway for a visit to the area.

Nebraska Highway 2 continues to follow the beautiful Middle Loup River valley, which makes the drive extraordinary. Finally at Thedford, we were able to find a place to grab lunch. While it wasn't the picturesque local diner or tavern that we were hoping for, the Sandhills Oil Company did serve a good sub sandwich.

Another gem in the Nebraska Sandhills is the tiny, newly unincorporated community of Seneca. There are still some remnants of the bitter unincorporation political fight visible in town, but it is my hope that over time it will heal.

Seneca has to be one of the most scenic settings for a small town in Nebraska. Early on the railroad recognized the importance of the location, and the community was once thriving. Today, however, it's pretty quiet and many locations are for sale.

 Including the building housing the Cattleman's restaurant.

 There is still a post office.

 And a community center.

 The school is long since closed. My heart tells me that if the right people realized what a beautiful area this is, these buildings could be repurposed.

 Heading out north of town, you can look back toward the town and the valley and experience the beauty.

You'll even see some unexpected sights, as there is an exotic animal farm on the banks of the Middle Loup River.

Farther to the north, the Seneca Road beckons into the distance, but that is a road trip for another day.
You can find out more about Seneca by following their Facebook page.

A little farther to the west, we come to Mullen where we fueled up and headed south toward home.

Here's a quick windshield tour of Highway 97 between Tryon and Mullen.

We took the time to take the Tin Camp road between Highway 92 and Sutherland. Though only a two-track, the road is always worth the extra time that it takes.

Thank you for sharing this Sandhills road trip with us. Plan your own adventure one day soon!