If you want to go out on your own, consider the Fort Kearny State Recreation area's Hike-Bike Bridge, just a few miles south of of Kearney. The trail is a converted railroad bed and the wooden observation bridge offers a nice viewing spot. The trail is free, but there is a $3 parking pass that should be purchased at the Fort Kearny Visitors Center. Be prepared for about a two-mile hike to the bridge and for cooler nighttime temperatures.
No matter where you observe the Sandhills Cranes, you'll want to have binoculars or telephoto lenses handy. When spying on the birds in the field, the best bird blind is really your car. Be sure to pull completely and safely off the roadway and then sit still and watch the show in the cornfields.
For more advice and information, contact the following sources:
--Nebraska Game and Parks Commission-Kearney, at www.ngpc.state.ne.us;
--Rowe Sanctuary and Ian Nicolson Audubon Center, at www.rowesanctuary.org;
--Crane Meadows Nature Center, at www.cranemeadows.org;
--Kearney Visitors Center, at www.kearneycoc.org.
While you're waiting to see the Sandhills Cranes in the early morning or late evening, why not take in some of the local attractions?
You might want to start your day 12 miles south of Kearney, in Minden, at the Harold Warp Pioneer Village. Families for generations have been coming to this modern shrine to human ingenuity. It's practically the attic of our forefathers. There are more than 50,000 historical items, housed in 26 exhibit buildings on the grounds.
Be sure to set aside a good chunk of time to see all of the exhibits, and wear comfortable walking shoes. The museum is open year round, but the working 1800s steam carousel is only operational during the summer months. The grounds of Pioneer Village also include a motel, an RV park, and a restaurant for weary travelers. To get to Pioneer Village, just follow the signs from Interstate Exit 279, 10 minutes south. You can also learn more at the Pioneer Village website, www.pioneervillage.org.
Oh, and film fans might be intrigued to know, Pioneer Village was one of two stops made by Jack Nicholson in the quirky 2002 movie, All About Schmidt. In the movie, Nicholson plays a recent widower and insurance sales retiree, Albert Schmidt, who travels from Omaha to Denver, rediscovering himself and his home state.
The other stop in the movie? The Great Platte River Road Archway, of course.
Probably the most visited sight in Kearney is the one that most travelers can't help but notice. The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, actually spans the four lanes of I-80, with an exterior design that imitates the Nebraska sunset. It was conceived by former Nebraska Governor Frank Morrison as a tribute to the overwhelming affect the Great Platte River Road had in the development of the United States.
The Archway tells the story of the Oregon, Mormon, California, and Pony Express trails; the Lincoln Highway, and the nation's first Interstate highway, I-80, via technologically impressive dioramas. The trip through it begins with a ride on the largest escalator in Nebraska, which carries you up into the arch through a portal designed to make the visitor feel as if he or she is traveling in a wagon caravan on the way West. From then on, visitors listen to exhibit interpreters through their headsets as they walk through life-like displays. Children find the archway particularly entertaining, with its multi-media storytelling presentations and its hands-on approach to teaching.
The Archway is open year round, and offers a restaurant and gift shop that sells Nebraska-made items and history books. The manicured grounds are also ideal for picnics. Admission is reasonable, and children under 5 years of age are free.
For more information, visit www.archway.org.
Savvy travelers know that Kearney has a lot to offer if you just look. Maybe that's why everyone, from Sandhills Cranes to early pioneers, from movie crews to today's modern families, make it a point to stop and take in the sights.
I know I'm glad I did.
