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North Plate River
North Platte is shoe horned between the South
Platte River (which you've been following) and the North Platte River
which flows out of Wyoming. Usually the North Platte looks very peaceful
- and is - but with a little precipitation it can get downright ugly.
The combined flow - named the Platte River - has a long history of
flooding downstream.
The Wild Bunch
"The Wild
Bunch" is the Nebraska keynote overwhelmingly adopted by North
Platte. Stop
by the Visitors' Bureau (at 219 S. Dewey which is on US-83 just over
the bridge). They'll show you how everything in North Platte is easy to find and convenient. They will load
you up with stuff - and a lot of interesting stories - about the early
frontier days and the people who survived to make North Platte what it
is.
They have rodeos, shoot-outs, even realistic chuck wagons - all
in the summer, of course. The also have museums - a lot of them; they
even have TWO railroad museums. If you didn't know how important the
Union Pacific's pioneering effort in building that first
transcontinental railroad was, and is, to this part of the world, you will
certainly find out in North Platte. The toll-free number of the
Visitors' Center is 1-800-955-4528.
Wellfleet
Dancing Leaf Earth
Lodge and Cultural Learning Center features a reconstructed earthen
lodge plus nature trails, canoeing, and a Medicine Wheel. Wellfleet is
on US-83 about 28 miles south of exit 177 in North Platte. There are
many good hotels offering discounts in
North
Platte.
(continued
in column 2)
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(continued
from column 1)
Buffalo Bill's State Historical Park
Most folks (at least
Americans and Canadians) have heard about Buffalo Bill Cody who ran the
gambit from outlaw to showman. There is a Buffalo Bill State Historical
Park here but this is much more than a museum. It is clear across town -
follow the US-83 (you will be joined by US-30 at East 4th Street) to
East 12th Street, Turn left (US-30 goes left, here, too) and drive on to
North Buffalo Bill Avenue (it's about 25 blocks but they're hard to
count, here). Turn right and follow Buffalo Bill to the Park (2921
Scouts West Ranch Rd). You'll see the 18 room, 19th Century mansion.
They are open 9a to 5p; from Memorial Day to Labor Day they are open 7
days a week. Before Memorial Day and after Labor Day they are closed
weekends and they close completely during the Nebraska Winter (November
through March).
Children's
Museum
Driving hundreds of miles every day can be nerve-racking
with a car full of kids - or even one :-). We did it with six. It is
hard to find a place to stop with a diversion that they all will enjoy.
This could well be your answer.
Located on the main thoroughfare, North Jeffers Street (which is
also US30 and 83) is the Children's Museum. Oh, another museum? Not
quite. This one is like the 'big city' hands-on science museums which
have become so popular. Lots of things for folks of all ages (yes, you,
too) to interact and 'play' with. When you get finished, walk a couple
blocks either way for Chinese, Mexican, Americanized Italian or good,
old-fashioned pizza. Or, just load up with ice cream cones. Traveling
should be fun but you've got to stop and 'smell the roses' once in
awhile.
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