Jun 1, 2012 - Day 20 Scott’s Bluff, NE

We drove to Scott’s Bluff to see the bluff and rock outcroppings that were landmarks for the pioneers on the Oregon Trail, California Trail, and the Mormon Trail. The bluffs are 500 feet high. Wagon wales, the deep ruts from the wagons going through can still be seen in a few places although most have been plowed under ages ago. There was a small, but interesting museum at the visitor’s center, but the real site was the bluff. We drove to the top and hiked around for a while. On the way back to Ogallala, we also stopped at Chimney Rock. It...

Jul 28, 2011 - Day 35-Two Rivers Campground to Area's Finest Campground, Olgallala, NE

4:00 a.m. this morning and the thunderstorm visited us again. However, this time it was right on top of us. The lightning was more intense and the thunder louder. Many of the thunder claps sounded right over the top of us. And, it really rained hard. The wind was blowing at a good clip, as well. However, the wind wasn't as strong as in South Dakota where you could actually feel the coach rock. Again, the storm lasted a little over 1/2 hours and was mostly gone. It kept raining a little now and then but not like before. We couldn't help...

Jul 3, 2011 - Travel Day - Ogallala, Nebraska

A good travel day ........... nice roads (only about three contruction zones) and NO WINDS! Good rest areas, just disappointing no welcome center in Nebraska on IH 80 heading east but we think we know enough about Nebraska that we can held it and the driver was doing ok so he was able to drive until almost Sidney for the rest area around mile marker 52. As we travel along American's highways and we see cars with tags from so many states - makes us very proud of our nation and freedom and very grateful to be Americans. Please remember...

Jun 29, 2011 - Eastward Ho. Roads Less Traveled

Headed directly to the Greeley Freight Station Museum. 5500 sq ft model railroads. I'm in heaven! So are the boys! Mrs. P opted for shopping on mainstreet. The museum has been open for two years now. Well worth the $6 if you are a train guy... or gal. From there we headed to the back roads, mostly gravel, taking us through the Pawnee National Grasslands and up to the Pawnee Buttes. Not the Rockies, but still a nice place. Settled in for the night in Ogallala, Nebraska.

Jul 14, 2010 - On my way home...Nebraska & Iowa

Last night I pulled into Lake McConaughy SRA outside of Ogallala, NE, after a monstrously hot day of 97. I was worried about Abby as the a/c in the cab doesn't to anything for the rest of the unit. I kept battery fans going on the bunk and when she moved to the couch, I knew she was warm. I also didn't know if the a/c would be powerful enough to cool down the unit. But it was. I also had hot water without turning on the water heater. All the water in the pipes had heated up and it was hot!! Needing to get out I finally went for a short...

Jun 2, 2010 - Ogallala - Part 2

We were invited to my cousin’s house for supper and she invited her daughter, Shelly, and her two boys, Parker and Hunter, and my aunt, Jean. Her son, Chris, and one of his children, Tommy, are staying with my cousin and her husband as he and his family are relocating to Ogallala. As we drove over to their little town of Keystone, just outside of Ogallala where my cousin lives, we stopped so I could take a picture or two of the irrigation systems which are called pivots. There are usually about nine sections and they are in the fields all...

Jun 2, 2010 - Ogallala - Part 1

This morning we visited my aunt Jean who lives in an assisted living facility in Ogallala. It is very nice place and she likes living there. I took a photo of Jean, my cousin Judy, her husband, Buck, Jerry and me. We then went to see Front Street which represents the Old West in Ogallala. Like Dodge City, Kansas Ogallala was an end of the line for cattle drives from Texas in the 1880s. Cattle were put on trains that came into Ogallala and sent to markets in the East. The cowboys lived it up after they got their pay and many got into...

Jun 1, 2010 - We're in Arthur, Nebraska

We are camped on Lake McConaughy near Ogallala, Nebraska. You may never heard of this place but my husband Jerry has heard of Ogallala for the 37 years we've been married! This is where an aunt and uncle of mine and one of their daughters, Judy, have lived for many years. Judy and I are almost the same age and I visited them by myself when I was a child and her family lived in Crete, Nebraska, which is near the capital of Lincoln. The lake was made by a dam built in the 60s. Its primary purpose is to provide water for irrigation of the...

Apr 30, 2009 - A Giant Ball of Twine and a Space Ship Water Tower

From Abilene we went to Smith Center, KS to have some work done on our RV. We had plenty of time to check out the small town which we quickly grew to like very much. It is extremely warm and friendly. Just about everything is located on Main Street where the light poles have speakers playing music. I had my hair cut, for $10, at the only salon in town. We ate at all but one of the “eateries”. Again servings were huge while the prices were extremely reasonable. The owner of the Second Cup Café makes her own ice cream. We tried the strawberry...

Nov 18, 2008 - Ogallala to Grand Island Nebraska 28th October 2008.

Sylvia’s Comments After checking out of the motel this morning we went for a look around Ogallala. Last night we had passed an area in the main street called Front Street, which was a recreation of what the original town would have looked like, so this was our first stop. From 30th May 1854 Nebraska was a historic organised territory of the United States and became the 37th US state in 1854. Ogallala was a stop on the Pony Express and later, a stop on the transcontinental railway. The transcontinental railway was completed in 1869 and...

Aug 8, 2007 - Loving it here...

It has been a very enjoyable week here. We really got some good rest here and met a couple of full timers that asure us we will love this life style. So far, other than the elevation sickness, we have loved it. We didn't do a whole lot here. We of course went to Wal*Mart and stocked up on groceries and other odds and ends. We also visited the local museum. They also have a couple of large lakes in this area, but each time we went to see them, they were absolutely packed with people and we couldn't even get any decent pictures of them. One...

Jul 28, 2007 - Ogallala, Nebraska

After adding a second air conditioner at Longmont, Colorado we traveled to Ogallala, Nebraska to spend the night before going to last 100 miles to our destination. It was the worst 200 miles we have had so far. The roads were being repaired and the expansion joints had steel supports and everything in the back of the trailer either hit the floor or the couch with a few items just turning upside down. Speed didn't seem to matter, the bumps were just too high. We were amazed that nothing broke, just rearranged.