Blogs from United States, North America - page 25

Niobrara State Park is a public recreation area located at the confluence of the Missouri and Niobrara rivers in the northeast corner of Nebraska. The state park occupies river bluffs to the west of the Niobrara River. The Park offers 120 acres of free-range horseback riding as opposed to designated trails. Twenty cabins sit high on the bluffs overlooking the beautiful Missouri River Valley. Although there were over 100 campsites, we were the solitary campers during most of the week. We enjoyed hiking the trails at the park, some good cardio as it was hilly. Many overlooks with views of the Niobrara & Missouri Rivers. One day we even took a bike ride. Glad we had electric bikes to help us up the hills! We enjoyed a picnic lunch at one of the overlook areas. Would ... read more

Utah, Colorado and Kansas. We have been racing along I-70. I have convinced John (I think) that we do have enough time to make our destination on time. Therefore, we can slow down, check out roadside attractions, look for postcards (good ones are hard to find), listen to local radio stations and just enjoy the journey.... read more

We continued our journey east from John Day to Wallowa mountains known as Little Switzerland 160 miles away. From John Day to Baker City 80 miles then La Grande 44 miles heading to Wallowa 36 miles. We set off at 10.00 arrived 4pm with a stop at Baker City for lunch. There is lots of history along this route connected with the great gold rush, the timber industry and the immigrants that helped shape this areas history. At John Day we visited Kam Wah Chung state museum and amazing historic time capsule capturing the lives of the Chinese community and their input into the gold rush. Two Chinese men unrelated became the main stays of the Chinese community. One was a Chinese doctor practising Chinese medicine the other an entrepreneur. Together they set up a community ... read more

We continued along US 26 or Journey through time scenic byway. The marks of time are stamped across this landscape through prehistoric fossil beds, mining boomtowns and surprising sights like the Painted Hills. 55 million years of life are preserved in the rocks in this region, which is why its been given National Monument status. Enroute we stopped at the stunningly beautiful Painted Hills. The geological features are the random deposits of fossilised forests from millions of years ago giving rise to ochre, bronze and black colours over the hills, making them look as if Painted. We continued from Mitchell a small but full of character town. We stopped for lunch at its one pub where it threatened to punch us in the face if we didn't buy its beer 😄. We didn't and they didn't ... read more

Bill, friend Kate and I resumed our journey across the USA on the original transcontinental highway in the heat of August. I was excited to return to Omaha where I spent most of my high school years. We planned a full day to finish up the last section of the Lincoln Highway in Iowa, then revisiting my old haunts and Omaha home. It was a nice icebreaker to remind us of the challenges of the road ahead as we traversed farm roads along the Loess Hills of Iowa. Omaha has emerged as a vibrant city – lots of development. I used to take quiet hikes in Fontenelle Forest with my parents – it’s now an admission-based attraction and even offers ziplining, ropes and bridges high above the forest floor. My personal highlight, after stopping by Mercy ... read more