SANDHILLS JOURNEY SCENIC BYWAYS

We were hitched and ready to go by a little after 9 this morning.  It had rained last night so the sand was wet.  Our RV site was a back to back (parallel parked).  We had a 5th wheel directly in front and a motorhome in back.  I decided to drive so it wasn't the easiest site to pull out of.  Bill sat in the co-pilot seat without coaching.  

Our travels took us on the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byways (highway 83) south to Broken Bow.  We almost stayed at the city park but it was still early and didn't look like a lot to do in such a small town.  We detoured to go to Elm Creek Sunny Meadows RV Park.  I pulled in and got an envelope and parked the rig.  It was only $15 per night for 50 amp full hook ups with Passport America.  The envelope said no checks only cash.  I didn't feel comfortable putting cash in the envelope.  We were looking to stay a week.  There wasn't much around only a truck stop.  We also need to get the oil changed on the truck so we decided to drive two exits on I 80 to Kearney.  

We pulled into the visitor center and I called the Kearney RV park.  It was $150 per week for 100 foot pull thru 50 amp full hook ups.  They have two parks one on one side of the Platte and the other without direct view of the river. We didn't really care about the beach access and decided the other one wouldn't have a lot of kids.   

Did I mention that it is hot?  The temperature at the bank said 103 degrees--on our outside thermometer it says 120 degrees in the sun.  And they also have humidity.  

We decided to take a short drive and get ourselves oriented.  

A very short distance from the RV park is the Archway Parkway.  It is a frontage road for I 80.  We came across the Great Platte River Road Archway.  It is a big arch across the interstate.   They had a huge parking lot (RV friendly spots).  

We went inside and were immediately greeted by a gold prospector.  He explained what we would see and where to go once we bought our ticket.  Senior price was $10 and well worth every penny.  You wore headsets that gave the pioneer stories and changed automatically as you went from display to display.  


Now bear in mind, you go up this escalator at least two floors high.  





All the ceilings and walls are painted as part of the scenery. They had a storm coming in in one story and I felt like it was storming outside.  It's hard to believe you were walking on an arch over a highway.    

The story started with the Oregon, Mormon, and California Trails.  There were stampeding buffalo.  The story continued with the gold rush, pony express, civil war, telegraph, railroad and stagecoach eras.

How do you like this early RV camper?

The story continued about the Lincoln Highway which celebrated it's 100 years a few weeks ago.  They even had a beautiful old Cadillac at a drive in movie.   

You could look out a window and see the radar clocking the speed of the vehicles. 

There was a very nice gift shop with reasonable prices. 



Bill couldn't resist playing cowboy.  

There was a Native American display across the river.  

We walked over the bridge to the display and found out that the trail connects near our RV park.  We can ride the bikes back over when it is cooler.  

As we were walking over the bridge we saw these huge fish. We immediately said do you think Jim or Ed would like this place.  

Do we look wilted?

Our admission ticket also included the "Human Maze".

The nice period dressed worker said I could look at the observation deck before going in.  I told him I was lost enough, I didn't need to prove it to myself.  

Just a few facts about this beautiful town.  It is 1733 miles from Boston and 1733 miles from San Francisco.  Population is 30,787 and was incorporated in 1881.  There are so many things to see and do we're wondering if a week will be enough.  

Turtle Safely......