Mom and I went west, stopping at a handful of post offices on the way. Why post offices? Because of the murals, of course. Nebraska has about 12 post offices with murals painted in the 1930s. Each is a different scene of the west, and they are installed about the postmasters' offices. I've been up to Schuyler, and Mom went over to Pawnee City and Auburn. On our trip, we stopped in Geneva, Hebron, Red Cloud, Minden and Ogallala to see their art.
We also found the world's largest porch swing, which is in the park in Hebron. In Red Cloud, we toured sites from Willa Cather's childhood, including the opera house, her family's home and a couple churches. In the Episcopal Church, we got to see some beautiful paintings on the windows. The pictures seem to glow and were absolutely fantastic.
North Platte is the home of the Bailey Railyard, which is massive, to say the least. We visited the Golden Spike Tower and watched Union Pacific employees sort trains. Thousands of rail cars go through the railyard every day, which blew my mind. We also visited Massacre Canyon near Trenton, which is the site of the final battle between Indian tribes. The Sioux and Pawnee fought in the 3.5-mile canyon, and that battle is remembered with a memorial monument.
A word of warning - be careful driving in Yuma, Colorado. Even if they're not marked, every intersection includes dips. And "dips" is an understatement. You really need a map and a guide to find your way out of them. This has been a public service announcement on behalf of every vehicle that might be driven in Yuma.
Scotts Bluff is one of the more impressive settings in Nebraska. With massive limestone bluffs towering over the neighboring towns of Gering and Scottsbluff, you can't help but feel insignificant. I could only imagine what the pioneers must have felt after weeks on the flat prairie to see the bluffs rising out of the horizon. While there had to have been some rejoicing to be finally across the ocean of grass, there had to have been some trepidation about what kind of terrain was yet to come.
The Stuhr Museum was a place I'd been before, although it had been a *very* long time. I remembered the Gus Fonner Rotunda because I was impressed with a round building. Don't ask me why. It was a long time ago. We also stopped at Lee's Marble Museum in York, mainly because it's on the 2015 passport. Jars and jars of marbles line the top shelves of the building, which is also a flea market. It was probably one of the most unusual museums I've ever been to.
So when you take into account Rock Creek Station and the Homestead Monument, Mom and I covered more than 1,100 miles.
