Most of us know Nebraska only from 35,000 feet. Those who’ve gotten up-close and personal—i.e. looking out the car window along Interstate 80—think of it as a flat, featureless, vast expanse of nothingness. Only with smelly cows.
Y’all obviously haven’t seen the Sandhills yet, much less breathed them in. This is where folks get inspired to write phrases like ‘amber waves of grain,’ although it’s actually indigenous prairie grasses anchoring the sand dunes that cover one-third of the state. That’s 19,300 square miles … more than twice the size of Vermont.
The sky is just as big here as it is in Montana. On a clear day, you can see … well, we’ll let professional wanderer Charles Kuralt describe what it’s like to drive Nebraska Highway 2, which traverses the region from east to west: “This road will take you to one of the last unexplored frontiers where vast treasures can be found,” notes Kuralt, who’s been around. He ranks it among America’s 10 most beautiful highways.
Since distance is measured in country miles out here, that’s a good thing. Beautiful views from the road can make a long drive an end in itself. And unless you can hop a freight to get from Point A to B in the Sandhills, plan to drive a lot.
The junction of NE 2 and U.S. 83, the very middle of the middle of nowhere, is as good a place as any to start your treasure hunt. Let’s call the cities of North Platte point A, and Valentine point B. They’re 130 miles apart. There are ranches in between, but no towns with more than 200 people (Thedford has 196).
So where do we go from here? Well, for a history trove on where the West was won, take 83 south to point A. For top-notch recreation, head north to point B. Either way, you’ll get to take in vista upon endless vista of gently undulating greenish-ochre, i.e., Sandhills. (You may not see many of the half-million or so cattle that reside in them thar hills because most are grazing out of view. Out here, a 5,000-acre ranch … more than 12 square miles … is just fair to middlin’ in size.)
Coin flip: tails. We’re heading north to Valentine and the Niobrara National Scenic River, much of which flows through a national wildlife refuge. Wild this river is not. The only wet you may get is from your kayak or canoe paddle dripping on you. The rapids wouldn’t drown an ant, but there are waterfalls to enjoy along the way.
Still sound too rough for you? Well, you wouldn’t have to get your new Tory Burch kicks wet if we went tankin’. Really. Back at the intersection where we started, after a short (well, 20-some miles) jog west on NE 2, you may board a flat, round, galvanized livestock tank on the Middle Loup River, a spring-fed stream that’s more like a narrow lake that moves.
Now, before heading south again, we should head east into a herd of bison in their natural element. Many of the 800-some head of buffalo at the Perfect ‘10’ Bison Ranch are grizzled veterans who have established their own social order and are unfazed by horseback or ATV riders. They’re free-range and all-organic—yes, this is not a ‘no-kill’ shelter; David Hutchinson raises the gentle beasts for their meat. And his burgers are good. You could spend all day here … and since you’ll be whooped, the ranch includes a B&B.
By now, we’ve ventured a considerable distance east of our starting point. But probably not so far removed that GPS can’t help get us headed southwest, where the richest lode of history can be mined. So, take a deep breath, and … North Platte is where William ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody started the show that evolved into the modern rodeo. Then, as earlier in the 19th century, most pioneers used the Mormon and Oregon trails to journey west through the wide Platte River Valley. The transcontinental railroad has always had a presence here; the Union Pacific today operates the world’s largest and busiest switching yard. Not far east is a relocated and restored stop for the famed, yet short-lived, Pony Express.
[the essentials]
stay
Valentine boasts the Niobrara Lodge. Unfussy and modern, it’s a great place to lay your head after a busy day of river frolic or bicycling. Try the Arrow Hotel, a vintage sleepery with an authentic (not tacky) saloon feel in the center of a small town named Broken Bow; its Bonfire Grill, alone, is worth the stay. In Mullen, the Sandhills Motel is a great resting place before or after a Loup River tank float.
play
Golfers have innumerable sand hazards at The Prairie Club … well, mostly out of bounds, which is the Sandhills. Open since 2010, there are 36 holes plus a 10-hole, par 30 ‘dessert’ course designed by Gil Hanse and a fourth course under construction, also by Hanse.
eat
With four times more cows than people, Nebraska could use our help in reducing the four-legged population, one steak at a time. Valentine’s Peppermill and EK Valentine Lounge prepares some of the best beef anywhere from the state that’s second in U.S. production only to Texas. Bailey’s American Cuisine in downtown North Platte serves a delightful spin on mac ’n’ cheese, with pulled pork and bacon jam.
shop
Find a craftsman who can make you a custom pair of cowboy boots. How about a purse repurposed from gaudy boot tops? Look up lapsed cowboy Kyle Rosfeld at Sandhills Boot Co. in Cody. Or, why not a hat made from the genuine article, beaver felt? Bar-None Hats is a one-woman operation in Thedford. If you’re not interested in the real deal, some of the most wonderfully cheesy trinkets anywhere dazzle in North Platte at Fort Cody.
Photos: Bill Beggs Jr.