OT: Nebraska Nice

[VandallHuskerJulie]

Back from my annual drive from Idaho to my home state and had a few random thoughts.
Thanks so much for those of you who gave me advice years ago on how to cut thru the panhandle to see Scottsbluff and Chimney Rock.

Construction woes. Those are real. I've never seen so much construction on virtually every interstate and highway that I was on. And I was on a lot of them, thru a lot of states. By far the worst was trying to get onto I80 at Ogallala. They were literally moving the cones around while I was trying to find the access ramp. On the way home I drove on NE state highways quite a ways and it was much better.

Now for the good stuff. Scottsbluff National monument. When times short even sitting in the parking lot eating a runza while looking skyward is amazing. Chimney Rock - incredible selection of NE/plains history books. Omaha - yes, the zoo (esp. the aquarium) gets better every year. Lauritzen Gardens for a concert. Forest Lawn Cemetery. Runzas. Off the beaten path - Ravenna and Broken Bow. The Custer County Museum in BB is a gold mine for anyone who had family who homesteaded in BB or were in S. Butcher photos. BB even has a Runzas!!

And finally, "Nebraska Nice" is real. ❤️ I'm guessing that those of you who act like jerks on this board are pretty nice as well. I'm proud to be born in this state and a grad of UNL. Now let's bring in the football season!!! GBR!!

 

[Laner2]

I'm only a jerk when I'm awake! Seriously Julie, fun reading this. I'm reminded of a road trip a buddy and I made in 74 when I was back home on leave. We decided to throw some clothes in a couple of bags and head out to Flaming Gorge Canyon in Wyoming. Hit the mesas on I80 around 2 am. Beautiful night sky and ZERO traffic. We stopped on the top of a rise in the road and could see for miles in either direction....no traffic at all. We relieved ourselves on the center lane divider and howled like loons. Fun times.

 

[Husker.Wed.]

We relieved ourselves on the center lane divider and howled like loons. Fun times.

Did something similar once. Found out later someone had snuck some dust into my bag of weed.

 

[Wasker77]

I had an almost Nebraska moment just this past Friday night. I put on my boots and wranglers and my wife and I went to the tiny North Cental Washington Fair in nearby Waterville. Waterville is a small farming town that is also the county seat with a population of 1,100 people and an elevation roughly 3000 feet (high for Washington. Most towns are along rivers). It is surrounded by dry land wheat fields (Harvest was just recently completed). It receives about 10 inches of rain per year. Why is it these rural events are so fun and safe? No drama, no fights, no shootings. Just fun. There were probably about 2000 of us in the grandstands to watch Clint Black put on a heck of a show. Clint in my mind plays "Real" country music. Clint was entertaining and his band was great. If I squinted ever so slightly as to blur my vision, I could almost imagine myself being back in a small town in Nebraska.

 

[thall_]

Fine line between being nice and being a pushover.

Unfortunately, the culture has erred on the latter and it has permeated throughout everything.

 

[VandallHuskerJulie]

Fine line between being nice and being a pushover.

Unfortunately, the culture has erred on the latter and it has permeated throughout everything.

As my grandmother used to say "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Wise words to consider following.

 

[thall_]

As my grandmother used to say "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Wise words to consider following.

Was your grandma good at football?

Sorry, but I just don’t care

 

[GaRed]

As my grandmother used to say "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Wise words to consider following.

My grandmother was born out by Columbus .She said the same thing , never heard her curse or say anything bad about anybody.

 

[Cedric]

Back from my annual drive from Idaho to my home state and had a few random thoughts.
Thanks so much for those of you who gave me advice years ago on how to cut thru the panhandle to see Scottsbluff and Chimney Rock.

Construction woes. Those are real. I've never seen so much construction on virtually every interstate and highway that I was on. And I was on a lot of them, thru a lot of states. By far the worst was trying to get onto I80 at Ogallala. They were literally moving the cones around while I was trying to find the access ramp. On the way home I drove on NE state highways quite a ways and it was much better.

Now for the good stuff. Scottsbluff National monument. When times short even sitting in the parking lot eating a runza while looking skyward is amazing. Chimney Rock - incredible selection of NE/plains history books. Omaha - yes, the zoo (esp. the aquarium) gets better every year. Lauritzen Gardens for a concert. Forest Lawn Cemetery. Runzas. Off the beaten path - Ravenna and Broken Bow. The Custer County Museum in BB is a gold mine for anyone who had family who homesteaded in BB or were in S. Butcher photos. BB even has a Runzas!!

And finally, "Nebraska Nice" is real. ❤️ I'm guessing that those of you who act like jerks on this board are pretty nice as well. I'm proud to be born in this state and a grad of UNL. Now let's bring in the football season!!! GBR!!

I just drove back yesterday to Nebraska City from one of my bicycle trips to Wyoming. Wow, you're right about the construction. I made the mistake of pulling off at Ogallala for gas and ran into the same mess you did. Also got off of 80 and took Highway 30 from Kimball to Brule. You gotta stop for a tin roof sundae in Potter

 

[VandallHuskerJulie]

I had an almost Nebraska moment just this past Friday night. I put on my boots and wranglers and my wife and I went to the tiny North Cental Washington Fair in nearby Waterville. Waterville is a small farming town that is also the county seat with a population of 1,100 people and an elevation roughly 3000 feet (high for Washington. Most towns are along rivers). It is surrounded by dry land wheat fields (Harvest was just recently completed). It receives about 10 inches of rain per year. Why is it these rural events are so fun and safe? No drama, no fights, no shootings. Just fun. There were probably about 2000 of us in the grandstands to watch Clint Black put on a heck of a show. Clint in my mind plays "Real" country music. Clint was entertaining and his band was great. If I squinted ever so slightly as to blur my vision, I could almost imagine myself being back in a small town in Nebraska.

I have memories of seeing guys in ball caps and bib overalls when we visited family in Ravenna and Broken Bow. Sure enough, going thru both towns we encountered men in bib overalls and ball caps. Saw one guy with a cowboy hat which thru me off completely.

 

[OzzyLvr]

Back from my annual drive from Idaho to my home state and had a few random thoughts.
Thanks so much for those of you who gave me advice years ago on how to cut thru the panhandle to see Scottsbluff and Chimney Rock.

Construction woes. Those are real. I've never seen so much construction on virtually every interstate and highway that I was on. And I was on a lot of them, thru a lot of states. By far the worst was trying to get onto I80 at Ogallala. They were literally moving the cones around while I was trying to find the access ramp. On the way home I drove on NE state highways quite a ways and it was much better.

Now for the good stuff. Scottsbluff National monument. When times short even sitting in the parking lot eating a runza while looking skyward is amazing. Chimney Rock - incredible selection of NE/plains history books. Omaha - yes, the zoo (esp. the aquarium) gets better every year. Lauritzen Gardens for a concert. Forest Lawn Cemetery. Runzas. Off the beaten path - Ravenna and Broken Bow. The Custer County Museum in BB is a gold mine for anyone who had family who homesteaded in BB or were in S. Butcher photos. BB even has a Runzas!!

And finally, "Nebraska Nice" is real. ❤️ I'm guessing that those of you who act like jerks on this board are pretty nice as well. I'm proud to be born in this state and a grad of UNL. Now let's bring in the football season!!! GBR!!

But did you get any Runzas while in Nebraska? 😁

 

[VandallHuskerJulie]

But did you get any Runzas while in Nebraska? 😁

Of course! I had 2!

If I'm coming via Wyoming I have usually get one in Scottsbluff, then walk around the Scottsbluff Natl Monument while eating it. This time I got a Starbucks (from Target) instead. So my first Runza was when I got to Omaha. My 2nd Runza was in Broken Bow. I went to a Runza restaurant again in Omaha but instead got a chicken salad - which was delightful and huge.

 

[Chief Wiggum]

Holy cow, if you are in Scottsbluff, skip Runza and go to El Charrito by the sugar factory....trust me, worth the stop, best Mexican food out there, bar none.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

Scottsbluff is pretty cool. Not sure could live there..but when linked with a Chimney Rock trip, I love westwrn Nebraska.

 

[Cedric]

Holy cow, if you are in Scottsbluff, skip Runza and go to El Charrito by the sugar factory....trust me, worth the stop, best Mexican food out there, bar none.

So right. Outstanding Mexican.
Also, don't miss the Open Range Cafe in Ogallala.
Eat your way across Nebraska!

 

[VandallHuskerJulie]

Both sound wonderful but I still had about a 7 hour drive to get to my destination (Omaha) which is why I stuck with Starbucks.

 

[dinglefritz]

I have memories of seeing guys in ball caps and bib overalls when we visited family in Ravenna and Broken Bow. Sure enough, going thru both towns we encountered men in bib overalls and ball caps. Saw one guy with a cowboy hat which thru me off completely.

You do know why they wear bibs in the summer right?

 

[TruHusker]

My stories.

Back around 1978, my wife and I were both working in NW KS. I grew up in SW Nebraska and wanted to move back to the state. My wife was from NW KS. When we decided to move we just took some trips to Nebraska in cities we would consider living in. We stopped in stores downtown and just generally talked to people in several towns. We were blown away by the friendliness of people in Grand Island. We eventually moved there and lived there for 5 years, where both kids were born. We moved back to NW KS when I started teaching at the tech college and have stayed in KS ever since. We both miss Grand Island a great deal knowing it has changed. We don't get up there as much as we would like. We would move back to that area if it wasn't so dang cold. Our first January in GI average like 4 degrees. It was one of those winters like no other.

While at the college, a department took a field trip to several AG places and one was in or around GI. They came back and remarked at how clean everything was and how nice everyone was in both GI and Kearney.

All the time I lived there I was never past Bridgeport. A few years ago my wife and I planned a trip to Scottsbluff and the sites on our way to Montana and Wyoming. My wife had her heart set on a Runza while we stay the night in Scottsbluff so we go to the place and of all things - they were out of Runzas! Wow was she disappointed. I don't like them much so it didn't break my heart. I must not be a true Nebraskan. Even today when my wife visits her sister in Omaha she stops in York and buys several Runzas on the way home to freeze for later. They are safe around me!

There is no place like Nebraska!

 

[huskerfan66]

My stories.

Back around 1978, my wife and I were both working in NW KS. I grew up in SW Nebraska and wanted to move back to the state. My wife was from NW KS. When we decided to move we just took some trips to Nebraska in cities we would consider living in. We stopped in stores downtown and just generally talked to people in several towns. We were blown away by the friendliness of people in Grand Island. We eventually moved there and lived there for 5 years, where both kids were born. We moved back to NW KS when I started teaching at the tech college and have stayed in KS ever since. We both miss Grand Island a great deal knowing it has changed. We don't get up there as much as we would like. We would move back to that area if it wasn't so dang cold. Our first January in GI average like 4 degrees. It was one of those winters like no other.

While at the college, a department took a field trip to several AG places and one was in or around GI. They came back and remarked at how clean everything was and how nice everyone was in both GI and Kearney.

All the time I lived there I was never past Bridgeport. A few years ago my wife and I planned a trip to Scottsbluff and the sites on our way to Montana and Wyoming. My wife had her heart set on a Runza while we stay the night in Scottsbluff so we go to the place and of all things - they were out of Runzas! Wow was she disappointed. I don't like them much so it didn't break my heart. I must not be a true Nebraskan. Even today when my wife visits her sister in Omaha she stops in York and buys several Runzas on the way home to freeze for later. They are safe around me!

There is no place like Nebraska!

Stop by the new runza in geneva. They have frozen runzas in their freezer (of course) all the time. We buy them by the dozen for away game days and for our out of state kids when they come home

 

[c3o]

Was your grandma good at football?

Sorry, but I just don’t care

She was all state.

 

[Ki11ersker45]

I just got back from dropping off my son for college. Me and my wife traveled through 7 states in 7 days. We were only in Lincoln for two days but it was fun, just like old times. Highlight was the Chiefs and Bears pre season game and the St Louis Arch.

 

[Husker.Wed.]

I'm guessing that those of you who act like jerks on this board are pretty nice as well.

Back in the day in my large company had an online internal message board when boards were a newfangled thing. We picked our real names for screen names, or a nickname to post anonymously. One poster (Knight or something like that) was bitter, contrary, mean, combative, and made things personal. One time he posted something about his education or a travel trip or something that gave him away to me. I went and asked him if he was Knight and he admitted he was. He was the kindest, gentlest, most nurturing guy on the planet. Taught me early on some people take on radically different personas once seated behind a keyboard.