In and Out of Nebraska

Since crossing the border from Mexico into Arizona several months ago, we have rarely driven more than a hundred miles each day, and occasions when we had, were generally surrounded by long periods of sedentariness. Travelling through Arizona, Utah and Colorado, we have consistently found things to do and see in close proximity to one another, and so there have been very few days where I have spent any significant length of time behind the wheel. This changed quickly as we left the Rockies behind us and headed east towards Nebraska. Even after researching the route carefully, we struggled to find things worth stopping for, and the distances between waypoints on our map were rarely under two hundred miles.

After a night in Loveland (little more than a convenient stopover point), we drove onwards to the I76, and started the 1,000 mile interstate journey that would take us to Chicago, our next major stopover. After a few hours of uninspiring driving, we left Colorado for Nebraska, and joined the I80, the road that would be our home for the next 660 miles, and which would take us within striking distance of The Windy City. After driving almost exclusively on winding backroads since re-entering America around 4,000 miles ago, it took some adjustment to get used to the endless monotony of the interstate system. Interstates can be boring at the best of time, but with little more than pancake flat corn-fields as far as we could see, I80 was difficult to enjoy.

At 450 miles, the journey from Loveland, CO to Lincoln, NE was too far for us to drive in a day. Thankfully I had come across a recommendation on the Expedition Portal Forum for a lake to stop at on the west side of Nebraska called Lake McConaughy. With few topographic features of note for several hundred miles in any direction, I wasn’t surprised to see the large number of other campers when we arrived at the lake, but I was surprised at how large the lake was. A dam on the North Platte River has created an enormous lake, complete with soft sand beaches, surrounded by stands of cottonwoods, and in places the lake is so big that it is difficult to see the other side. It was challenging to find a spot not near numerous other campers, but on the north shore we found a secluded spot on the sand, under the shade of several huge trees.

The number of visitors to the lake, has attracted a number of local entrepreneurs, who make a living dragging peoples RVs and trailers onto the soft sand of the lakefront, using huge 4x4 tractors. With these powerful and capable vehicles to hand, I was less cautious than normal when driving Jim onto the sand. Thankfully I was surprised to find that even in the soft sand near the lake edge, Jim coped fine, and I with the diff-lock engaged we had no trouble keeping traction.

We had been warned about the huge storms that can descend on the plains, and it wasn’t long before we were treated to our first lightening show. Thankfully we didn’t encounter a tornado, but at times the lighting seemed frighteningly close to hitting the truck.

After a quiet night spent at the lake, we rose early, and we were soon continuing our slow march down I80. After six hours (300 miles) of driving, stopping only to visit a roadside museum showcasing a variety of historic military vehicles, we arrived in the Lincoln, Nebraska’s state capital.

We spent the following day in central Lincoln, walking around the downtown area. Lincoln has little in the way of a historic centre, and we were a little disappointed by the shops and restaurants on offer. The highlight of the day was visiting the state capitol building, and the adjacent governor’s mansion, but neither were as impressive as comparable buildings that we’d visited in other states, and the free tour of the capitol was decidedly uninspiring. The redeeming feature for Lincoln is its large and numerous parks, and Boris enjoyed long works along Antelope Creek and in the adjoining recreation areas. The photo below gives you a good idea of how flat this part of Nebraska is; the view in all directions is pretty much the same.

After a day in Lincoln, we once again joined the I80, and after a short drive, we stopped in Omaha, a city straddling the border with Iowa. Omaha is blessed with a decidedly more attractive centre, filled with converted warehouses, and we enjoyed an afternoon walking around downtown, and enjoying the large city park adjacent to the mighty Missouri River. Sadly, like the Mississippi in New Orleans, any chance of enjoying a view of the river, or a stroll along its banks, is ruined by an enormous levee and an imposing concrete flood defence wall. Visitors have to make do with a landscaped lake in the park.

We stayed less than a day in Omaha, and after a slow start scanning some documents for the truck’s insurance renewal, replacing the windscreen wiper blades and topping up the air in the tyres, we got back on the I80 again, this time headed into Iowa, towards the city of Des Moines.