Nebraska Travel Conference 2007

Tonight I'm writing this blog at the close of the 2007 Nebraska Travel Conference in Columbus. As always, the staff of the Nebraska Division of Travel and Tourism, especially Paula Bohaty, did a fantastic job in organizing the conference.

Deb and the staff and volunteers of the Columbus/Platte County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the New World Inn, were wonderful hosts. Thanks also to Governor Heineman for making Tourism a priority, attending the event and presenting the Travel Industry Awards, and to Richard Baier, the Director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and Christian Hornbaker the Director of the Division of Travel and Tourism for their leadership in the industry.

Lincoln County was especially fortunate this year as two of our tourism partners were presented with Travel Industry awards.

Dancing Leaf Cultural Learning Center in Wellfleet was awarded the 2007 Outstanding Eco-Tourism Entity. Les and Jan Hosick were on hand to receive their award from Governor Heineman. You can learn more about their attraction at www.dancingleaf.com.

The 2007 North Platte Rail Fest received the award for Outstanding New Event for communities with populations over 10,000. Dave Harrold accepted the award on behalf of the many volunteers who made this event possible. The North Platte Rail Fest website is www.nprailfest.com.

Congratulations to these winners and to all of the other award winners from across the state.

The Nebraska Travel Conference is a fantastic networking and educational event. The North Platte/Lincoln County Convention and Visitors Bureau has been fortunate to participate in this event for a number of years. We encourage every business involved in tourism in Nebraska to consider attending. Next year's event will be hosted by the Kearney Visitors Bureau.

See you all next year at Kearney!

Community Unity Obelisk Tile Project

The dictionary definition of an Obelisk is: an upright 4-sided usually monolithic pillar that gradually tapers as it rises and terminates in a pyramid.

North Platte's definition of an Obelisk is a community art project that will draw the entire community together and create a series of art objects that will beautify our community. While not technically obelisks because they won't taper as they rise to their nine-foot height, these beautiful tile-covered sculptures will be a sight to see. The Creativity Unlimited Arts Council has named this project Community Unity, and it has lived up to it's name.

Each Obelisk will be covered by nearly 400 hand-painted 6-inch square tiles. Tile painting events are being held throughout the community, at schools, in the mall, at local events, and by appointment. It doesn't take a professional artist to paint a tile (I should know, I have actually painted a tile myself!). Designs can be drawn on paper and then traced on to the tile and then painted. Designs painted so far have depicted local school mascots, family milestones, local attractions and historical landmarks.

Five Obelisks will be produced, one in Iron Horse Park near Interstate 80, in Centennial Park, on the Courthouse Lawn, on the Lutheran Family Services park at the junction of Highway 30 and Highway 83, and in Cody Park. Making an effort to see all five Obelisks will draw visitors into the heart of our community. Other Obelisks will follow through the years.

Each tile will be numbered, and the location recorded, so that in years to come, your decendents can come to North Platte and see the tile you painted. The Obelisks will not only be beautiful sculptures, but also treasured family heirlooms.

You can find more information about the Obelisk project and tile painting opportunities by visiting the website of Creativity Unlimited Arts Council at www.artsinnorthplatte.com, or by calling the North Platte/Lincoln County Convention and Visitors Bureau at (308) 532-4729.

Happy painting!

Christmas Craft Shows

Even though the trees have barely begun to turn, let alone lose their leaves and there's a cold drizzle falling outside, my thoughts did turn to Christmas today. I'd rather think about all of the upcoming Christmas Arts and Craft shows than take a trip down the already-displayed Christmas aisles at the local box stores.

The Platte River Mall at 1000 S. Dewey hosts their Fall Art & Craft Show on October 6 through 28.

The Cowboy Christmas Gift Show is November 3 and 4 at the D & N Event Center, 501 E. Walker Road.

The annual St. Pat's craft show is November 10 at 415 N. Chestnut.

The 20th annual Methodist Church Craft Show is December 1 at 1600 West E.

If your thoughts are turning to Christmas shopping, be sure to check out one of these events. You can find out more information by checking out the CVB website Calendar of Events at www.visitnorthplatte.com, or calling (308) 532-4729, or 800-955-4528

Author Open House at A to Z

I just updated the Calendar of Events with a notice from A to Z Books about their upcoming Author Open House. Just in case you miss the listing there, I'm going to remind you here in the blog.

Authors on hand to read from their books and sign copies will be Ken Huebner (My Life and Community), Wayne D. Dundee (The Day After Yesterday), Lori Clinch (Are We There Yet and Don't Make Me Pull Over), Dixie Eckhoff (Just a Little Bull), D. Jean Smith (Medicine Creek Journals), and Billie Thornburg (City and Prairie Bones, Birdie and Me, Birdie and Me and Miles Too, and Sandhills Kid in the City).

The event is scheduled for Saturday October 6th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at A to Z Books, 507 North Jeffers.

As I've mentioned in this blog before, A to Z Books also hosts an "Open Mic" night every 2nd and 4th Fridays beginning at 7:00 p.m. There's poetry and prose readings from local writers, live music, food and lots of fun!

Nebraska Hall of Fame

The Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission will meet in North Platte at 7:00 p.m. on October 11 at the Holiday Inn Express. The Commission holds hearings in each of Nebraska’s congressional district, and this is the last of such meetings. The commission is considering its choice for the next person to be named to the Nebraska Hall of Fame. One of the people being considered is North Platte native Bill Jeffers. Mr. Jeffers rose through the ranks to become President of Union Pacific Railroad during the years of World War II. He is responsible for offering the use of the North Platte Depot to the North Platte Canteen.

Other candidates for the Nebraska Hall of Fame are: Grover Cleveland Alexander, Charles Edwin Bessey, Georgia Arbuckle Fix, Andrew Jackson Higgins, Malcom X and Evelyn Genevieve Sharp.

This sounds like it will be an interesting and educational evening.

North Platte Community Playhouse

The talented players of the North Platte Community Playhouse will debut “State Fair” on September 28 with a performance at 8:00 p.m. The Rodgers and Hammerstein play is directed by Jennifer Winder, with Willa Brinkmeyer assisting.

In a slight change of schedules for the 2007-2008 season, performances the first weekend (September 28, 29 and 30) of a production will be on Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., and on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. The second weekend (October 6 & 7) there will be no Friday night performance. Saturday’s performance will again be at 8:00 p.m., with an additional matinee on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

The description on the Playhouse website reads:

A Midwestern tradition provides a backdrop for a farmer and his family who go to the Iowa State Fair. Pop has high hopes of winning a Blue ribbon with his prize hog and Mom has aspirations of winning a prize with her pickles, while their son and daughter find both romance and heartbreak. Musical numbers by Rodgers and Hammerstein include "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "It's a Grand Night for Singing".

More information can be found on the website at http://northplattecommunityplayhouse.org/

2007 Rail Fest is History

The 2007 North Platte Rail Fest is officially history, and everyone involved feels it was a great success. Judging from some of the comments I’ve heard from Union Pacific Bailey Yard employees (my husband included), the #1 goal of the festival was achieved – that of making local UP employees feel appreciated. The secondary goal was showcasing the Railroad itself and capitalizing on the popularity of all things Railroad among a segment of the population, and that was accomplished as well.

According to our un-scientific map of the United States, on which visitors were invited to insert a pin indicating their home town, we had visitors from 38 states and the District of Columbia, four Canadian provinces, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Germany, Israel, Bahamas, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Japan and Mexico. We even had a pin indicating Antarctica, but I’m still trying to figure out if someone is pulling my leg or not.

I just got off the telephone with chief organizer Dave Harrold, and he’s already making plans for next year. Stay tuned to the North Platte Convention and Visitors Bureau website, www.VisitNorthPlatte.com, or the Rail Fest website, www.nprailfest.com for future plans.

First Day of Rail Fest

So… the first day of the first-ever Rail Fest is behind us, and, Wow, what a day it was. Actually, as I write this, the first day isn’t behind a lot of people, who will be at Cody Park until 10:00 p.m., when the dance ends and the booths close. Visitors this first day came from Japan, Israel, the Netherlands and across the United States.

Rail Fest starts on Saturday at 7:30am with the pancake breakfast. The first Bailey Yard tours and the Operation Lifesaver trains depart at 8:30, and continue throughout the day. Don’t worry if you don’t have tickets. Today, everyone who was on standby was able to board both the trains and the buses.

Not all of the Rail Fest activities are going on in Cody Park, either. The Rail Fest Art Show and Sale is at the Platte River Mall, the Cemetery tour is, of course, at the Cemetery, and the Lincoln County Historical Museum is hosting special displays on Bill Jeffers and the early unions.

For a complete schedule of events, visit www.nprailfest.com. Hope to see you sometime this weekend in North Platte.

Ghosts of the Union Pacific Cemetery Tour

Buried deep within the Rail Fest schedule of events (no pun intended!) is an event that every true history or rail buff will enjoy.

From 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Saturday September 23 is the “Ghosts of the Union Pacific Railroad” cemetery tour at the North Platte Public Cemetery, just down the street from Cody Park, the site of most of the Rail Fest activities.

Hosted by the North Platte Library Foundation, the Cemetery tour features local actors portraying characters from the past, whose lives were, in some way, touched by the Union Pacific Railroad.

One character is George W. Vroman, born Sept. 27, 1841, who represented Union Pacific employees at the first arbitration case in United States history between railway employees and the company that took place in North Platte in 1879.

Another is Rae Wilson, who organized the North Platte World War II Canteen, which served more than 6.5 million service men and women between Christmas Day 1941 and April 1st, 1946.

These and more than a dozen more characters from the past will come to life at the Cemetery tour. Tickets are available at the gate, and will include a booklet containing the biographies of the characters and the actors.

The complete schedule of events can be found at the North Platte Rail Fest website at www.nprailfest.com, or at any of the information booths located in Cody Park during Rail Fest.

Living History at Rail Fest

Have you ever wished you could turn back the clock to the time when rail travel dominated the nation? When every little town had a depot and getting to the nearest big city was as easy as a walk across the platform in your hometown depot?

You can relive those days at the Cody Park Railroad Museum during Rail Fest, when local station masters, retired railroaders, telegraphers, and even volunteers from the North Platte Canteen will be sharing their stories.

Visit with them, ask questions, hear their stories, and share your stories or those of your family with them. Whether you’re a rail fan, a history buff, or just have a nostalgia for “the good old days”, you’ll enjoy meeting these wonderful people.

Check the schedule of events out at www.nprailfest.com, or stop by any of the information booths at Rail Fest to see what time the different people are available for a visit.

Most of the preparations have been made, all that's left to do is to see you all here! Remember, the first-ever North Platte Rail Fest will begin with the first tours of Bailey Yard at 8:30 a.m. on Friday September 21.

Rail Fest is Coming Soon

I'm out of town for a few days at the Upper Midwest Convention and Visitors Bureau meeting, but I know all of my friends in North Platte are still busily preparing for the first-ever Rail Fest coming up fast on September 21, 22 and 23, and anxiously watching the forecast. I've checked out the weather channel, and I think the weather is going to be perfect.

So, if you haven't heard, North Platte, home of Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, the world's largest Railroad Classification Yard, and home to more than 3,000 Union Pacific employees and more than 1,500 UP retirees, is hosting it's first-ever celebration of the railroad, it's importance to North Platte and the United States, and how much we appreciate UP's employees.

If you want to find out about everything that is going on, visit the Rail Fest's website at www.nprailfest.com. Just a few highlights include non-stop entertainment, tours of Bailey Yard, rides on the Operation Lifesaver train, tours of the UP training facility at North Platte Community College, a kids hobo costume contest, the UP's #844 Living Legend, and many of the Heritage Units.

Remember these are just the hightlights! From the time the Bailey Yard tours start at 8:30 a.m. on Friday the 21st to the closing ceremonies at 4:00 on Sunday the 23rd, you will find something celebrating railroading going on in North Platte

The Beautiful Outdoors

My husband and I don’t often get the opportunity to go out and do non-work related fun stuff together, but we had a great time over Memorial Day weekend, and I wanted to share it. I guess if I’m blogging it, it wasn’t totally non-work related!

We got the camper ready for the first time in 3+ years (I know… we’re pathetic!), and drove up to Diamond Bar Lake in rural McPherson County. The beautiful, Sandhill groundwater lake is exactly 31.8 miles north of Sutherland, and right around 25 of those miles are on pavement! The rest are gravel/sand roads, so if you are pulling a camper, a four-wheel drive is extremely recommended.

We pulled in just before noon on Monday and set up camp. Mind you, it is completely bare-bones. No facilities at all. We were the only ones there, so we set up right near the shoreline of the lake. Diamond Bar has 120 surface acres of water, and is extremely shallow. While we didn’t try it, one could probably wade nearly halfway across the lake and not be in water over your head. The shore, except for a few places is choked with cattails and reeds. We could have fished, as did the three groups of locals who joined us later in the afternoon for awhile. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission website lists the possible species as Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch, but what everyone caught was Bullheads.

I would say that we reveled in the silence, but silence isn’t really what you could call it. Granted, there were almost no man-made noises, an occasional jet high overhead, and an infrequent traveler on the nearby county road, but, that’s not to say it was quite. Hundreds of yellow-headed blackbirds nest in the cattails, and the pasture is thick with meadowlark and other song birds, then there’s the ducks, even a pheasant, the cows, and the coyotes. We did revel in the sounds of nature, but who knew blackbirds could make such a ruckus, and would sleep for such a short time. Full dark came after 10:00 p.m., and ended before 5:00 a.m. Unless it was full dark, the birds were singing.

The views are what I would consider breathtaking. The rains have been plentiful this spring, so the surrounding hillsides are lush with green grass and wildflowers. The cows with their young calves grazing in the pastures are quite contented. While we were hoping for clear skies to view the spectacular Milky Way, we were instead treated to a light show from the thunderstorms that surrounded us (and thankfully, stayed away).

Whether you live in one of the towns of Lincoln County, or you’re a visitor to the area, you don’t have to drive too far off the beaten path to enjoy communing with nature, as we did this weekend. There are four major lakes in Lincoln County – the Sutherland Reservoir, Lake Maloney, Jeffery Lake and Wellfleet lake, not to mention numerous Interstate 80 barrow pit lakes (all well stocked with fish, I might add), and many Wildlife Management Areas maintained by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

No matter where you decide to go, you will get to take in Nebraska’s spectacular scenery, wide-open spaces, numerous and widely-varied birds and wildlife, and best of all – peace and quite (kind of!).

For more information, visit the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission website at: http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/. For most of the areas, you’ll need a state park sticker, either annual or daily, which are available at numerous locations.

There are also a number of private entrepreneurs who would be more than happy to host you for a back-to-nature getaway. These include Prairie Sands Hunting and Bed and Breakfast, Knoll’s Country Inn Bed and Breakfast, Tin Camp Ranch, McDermott Ranch Resort, Fort McPherson Campground, and Dancing Leaf Cultural Learning Center. Visit the North Platte Convention and Visitors Bureau website for more information: http://www.visitnorthplatte.com/recreation.htm.

Now is the time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors of Nebraska.

North Platte Railfest

We have just received the first draft of information concerning the first-ever RailFest in North Platte, scheduled for September 21 through 23 2007. It is billed as “railroad appreciation days for railfans and employees".

North Platte is certainly the right place to hold railroad appreciation days. Home to the largest railroad classification yard in the world, Union Pacific Bailey Yard, North Platte is definitely a railroad town! The statistics are sometimes conflicting, because the yard is constantly expanding, but it is estimated that more than 3,000 men and women work at Bailey Yard, it covers 2,850 acres and switches 10,000 rail cars daily. The main rail line through North Platte is the busiest rail freight corridor in the nation, with more than 135 trains operating over the line every 24 hours.

The goals for the RailFest include recognition the contributions made by the rail industry and its employees to the past, present and future development of North Platte, show support for members of our existing railroad family and extend a welcome to new members relocating to North Platte from other cities and states, and create an interactive festival for railroad and steam engine enthusiasts and employees from across the United States.

Some of the festivities already being planned are
NebraskaLand Bank Pancake Feed
Tours of locomotives on display locally:
Tours of the 1903 Baldwin UP #480 Steam Locomotive
Tours of the 1943 UP #3977 “Challenger” Steam Locomotive
Tours of the 1969 UP #6922, the world’s largest diesel locomotive

Interactive Locomotive Simulator
The Radio Shack
Literary Guild speakers and authors
Graffiti Contest
Harley Owners Group Motorcycle Rally & Show
Gold Wing Owner’s Group Motorcycle Rally & Show
Haz-Mat Seminars
Live Music in the Pavilion
Union Pacific Railroad Choral
Women of Railroading Fashion Show and Luncheon
Tours of Mid-Plains College Railroad Technology Center
Railroad Equipment Manufacturers booths
Railroad Art and Collectibles Vendors
Games for children and families
Food vendors and carnival rides.

If you love railroading, either the big stuff or models, you are going to find something to enjoy at the first-ever RailFest in North Platte.

You can get more information on the festivities by contacting the North Platte Original Town Association, 1021 North Jeffers, PO Box 1704, North Platte, NE 69103. Phone: 308-534-3648, Fax: 308-534-6175, e-mail railfest@nque.com.

You can get the scoop on everything going on in North Platte by contacting the North Platte/Lincoln County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-955-4528 or visiting the CVB website at www.VisitNorthPlatte.com.