A Travel Guide to Nebraska
Nebraska is a Midwestern state located on the central portion of the Frontier Strip: South Dakota forms its northern border; Iowa most of its eastern border with just the south east tip bordering Missouri; Kansas forms most of the south with Colorado taking in a small part of the southwest; Wyoming forms the rest of the western border completing the embrace. Its state capital is Lincoln.
Lincoln is a beautiful capital offering free tours that take in the old State Capitol building and The Governor’s Mansion. It also has a Children’s Museum and a World of Quilts display forming over 600 masterpieces and not forgetting Morilla Hall which hosts a national history museum and Planetarium.
Though Lincoln is the capital city, Omaha holds the crown of the largest. The metropolis offers a host of activities including the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium ranked second best zoo in the United States in a recent magazine listing. Lauritzen Botanical Garden offers a relaxing tour of many diverse floral attractions and for a display of the Cowboy’s faithful friend enjoy a trip to the Aksarben race track where occupying jockeys race home a firm favourite. As it is the largest city there are no shortages of places to eat whether it is for tour breaks or fine dining and in the evening there are plenty of bars and clubs for the late night reveller.
The Great Plains occupy most of Western Nebraska and not only are they home to some great outdoor sports such as boating and fishing but also due to its diverse land regions such as the Sandhills, Pine Ridge, Rainwater Basin, High Plains and the Wildcat Hills. These will offer great interest to naturalists and conservationists but for those who enjoy ostentatious displays or are cowboy enthusiasts then Fort Cody Trading Post is a must-visit. It is named after the great pioneer and showman Buffalo Bill who spent 32 years in Nebraska. Here you can enjoy one of the finest Wild West shows in Miniature with over 20,000 hand-crafted figures, one of the largest displays of folk art and if you arrive at the right time of the year – the Grand Parade. The Grand Parade is an exhibition of cowboys from around the globe who flock here to show off their national costumes. Besides viewing authentic cowboy gear, there is also the opportunity to view relics from the Cavalry vs. Indian Wars as well as Native American beadwork and Skookum dolls.
There are many waterways in Nebraska but the two main ones are that of the Missouri and Niobrara. The Niobrara River flows through north central Nebraska and has many waterfalls increasing the pace of the water making it a prime location for canoeing, tubing and kayaking. It is also home to a diverse range of flora and fauna.
There is plenty of self catering vacation rental accommodation available in Nebraska from period style vacation homes located in the capital, the cities and other towns to rustic cabins in some of the more beautiful rural stretches of the Nebraskan countryside.
