Crossing Nebraska

The Cheyenne Quality Inn was comfortable, and we slept well, waking at 5:30. We cleaned up and packed before a very good breakfast in the hotel lobby of waffles, eggs, home fried potatoes, biscuits and gravy plus the usual cereal and baked goods.

After a quick German lesson, we checked out and got on I-80 eastbound. The kid at the desk said the lights that we saw coming in last night were probably more windmills or gas/petroleum wells. There was a bit of fog leaving Wyoming, but it soon cleared leaving slightly cloudy skies.

After about 45 minutes we left Wyoming and entered Nebraska. Mary checked AAA and state maps and travel books but found that most of the interesting areas in Nebraska are in the northwest corner of the state, which we aren’t traveling through on this trip. We passed a ranch of llamas or alpacas along the way which was a change from the cattle and open rangeland that we had been driving through.

At Chappell, Nebraska, I-80 follows the Pony Express route to Kearney, Nebraska. According to the guidebooks, there are some structures remaining along the route from the short lived Pony Express. We learned that, because the route was so dangerous. The Pony Express advertised for riders as "Young, skinny, wiry fellows, not over 18. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred."

At the Big Springs exit we took a stretch break then picked up US 30 that runs north of the South Platte River. US 30 follows the route of the Oregon and California Trails and is known as the Lincoln Highway, commemorating Homestead Act of 1862. This act opened up vast areas of western land to any “citizen or intended citizen” who would live on, cultivate and improve the land.

The land along US 30 in western Nebraska was mostly cornfields, with some cattle and scattered small towns. There was some sage but more grassland and sunflower fields.

Boot Hill in Ogallala, NE

At Ogallala, Nebraska we walked around the Boot Hill Cemetery and read the signage of some of the better-known graves. Most residents were buried in the town cemetery, but those without money for a burial, criminals or vagrants were unceremoniously buried in Boot Hill. It seems that every western town has a boot hill. We learned that because Ogallala was located at a rail hub, it was the end of many cattle drives. By the time the cowboys reached Ogallala, they were ready to enjoy what a town had to offer. By the 1870s, Ogallala was notorious for lawlessness and was often described as “Gomorrah of the Plains.” Stories report that no meaningful law enforcement of any kind existed in Ogallala.  The citizens of the town became outraged and imposed vigilante justice on one of the most notorious criminals. Other criminals and troublemakers soon left the town. We drove to Ogallala’s Front Street area where a reconstructed town held souvenir shops and tourist traps, so we continued east on US 30.

Front Street in Ogallala, NE

We stayed on US 30 to North Platte, Nebraska where two forks of the Platte River join. The Mormon Trail headed northwest here along the North Platte. This is the route that Mormon pioneers traveled from Navoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1846-47. North Platte is where “Buffalo Bill” Cody built his Scout’s Rest Ranch in 1886, his primary residence until 1913. This property is now a multipurpose park with walking paths and ball fields. The park’s entrance has flags and a marker for each US state.

To make better time we got back on I-80 eastbound at North Platte. As we drove, the landscape changed from plains to river bottom and was much more agricultural again.

After a quick stop for fuel in Henderson, Mary drove east for a while. We were happy to see gas prices at a more reasonable price than the nearly $4.50 that we were paying in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho. At Lincoln, Nebraska we left I-80 taking state route 2 east to Iowa and picked up I-29 east of Nebraska City. As we drove, we noticed the outside temperature rising, not surprising since we had come down in elevation from the high plains. By the time we made it to Lincoln, the car thermometer showed 82 degrees. I spent some time in Lincoln in the late 1990s while working for the College Board with the Advanced Placement program. I enjoyed the University of Nebraska and the town of Lincoln.

Steve picked up driving again in Mound City, Missouri going through St. Joseph avoiding Kansas City. We stopped for a quick dinner at McDonalds in Mound City where we had our favorite sandwich, the McDouble.

At St. Joseph we took US 36 to Cameron, Missouri then took I-35 a short distance to US 69 for 8 miles, then MO 116 for 10 miles, and MO 13 for 50 miles into Higginsville, Missouri. There was a little roadwork with resurfacing on MO 13, but the route was a good one. We were pleased to not have to drive through Kansas City.

Samantha (the car GPS) kept trying to get us to get back on I-70 through Kansas City, but we drove through that area many times in our travels and have learned to avoid the traffic there whenever possible.

We stopped at Casey’s gas station in Higginsville, mostly to clean the bug guts from the windshield then checked into the at the Higginsville Sure Stay Best Western around 8:30. The Sure Stay was very conveniently located just off I-70 about 20 miles east of Kansas City. Our room was clean and comfortable. We each did our German lessons then went to sleep.