North Platte

Post by **Coyote** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 6:38 pm

I had a meeting in North Platte over the weekend and came back with some area photos.
You can see the rest: http://necoyote.com/events.html

Historic North Platte

Buffalo Bill's Scout's Rest

3977 Challenger

Fort McPherson

100th Meridian

Pony Express Station

DMRyan · Post by **DMRyan** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 8:22 pm

Cool stuff. I've always wanted to see photos from the depths of Nebraska. Any downtown photos?

Post by **Coyote** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 8:54 pm

I should have taken more but there really wasn't a great shot of downtown except (just added to website):

Historic Hotel Pawnee

Fox Theatre

Alamo Bar

County Court House

Chela's

Post by **Coyote** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 9:37 pm

BTW - I'm heading to Minneapolis next weekend for a conference.
DMRyan or others - is there a photo shoot along the way?

DMRyan · Post by **DMRyan** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 9:49 pm

Are you asking for intersting photo sites to get along the way?

Which route are you taking to get their?

Post by **Coyote** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 10:06 pm

My route will be determined by what I could shoot along the way.
I have all day Friday to get to the Twin Cities.
I went to grad school in Collegeville so I have travelled many routes there.
The only interesting place I found was Pipestone, MN.
I have been thinking of shooting Kimballton
but don't know yet of a better location that needs a photo shoot.

DMRyan · Post by **DMRyan** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 10:10 pm

Well, I guess it depends on what you want to photograph, but Storm Lake, Orange City, Spencer, Spirit Lake/Okaboji and LeMars are all pretty nice towns in NW Iowa. You can visit the world Ice Cream Museum with free samples in LeMars.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 10:34 pm

(back in North Platte)

My favorite stop is the Bailey yard. It's like the Grand Central station of freight yards (135 trains a day!)

I wonder where they're at with the 'Golden Spike' observation tower which was proposed to be built.

Post by **Coyote** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 7:22 am

They really need to build some kind of platform.
I couldn't find a location to get a shot of the yards.
There are overpasses but the sidewalks face the wrong way.
All I was able to get was this:

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 9:29 am

There is an observation platform farther down that road (past the engine shops that you can see off in the distance in your first photo)... it isn't very high... but it gives a decent look at the 'hill' where the cars are unhooked... a bend around which most of the incoming trains come in... and the bulk of the yard in general. I assume this is the location where the new tower is to be built as well.

I have to say... the first time I visited... it was just me and my (at the time) 5 year old son, after dark. We were looking, listening... and saw a train coming around the bend... very slowly, rumbling, shaking the ground almost... it's lights shining right at us as it came around. My son waved into the lights at this otherwise intimidating looking monster coming 'right at us'... and as the engine came parallel to us... this friendly looking engineer was waving right back at my son, giving a couple of short blasts of his horn. In one of those silly kind of ways, kind of choked me up.

Post by **Coyote** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 12:33 pm

Another great story from North Platte is their WWII war efforts and the North Platte Canteen.

ABC Upclose filmed a feature about it:
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/UpClose/ ... Email.html

NETV filmed a show about it - it was just again broacasted Monday.
http://net.unl.edu/nptv/canteen.html

And a book was recently written about it.
http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/fea ... ne/greene/

and many stories:
http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0800/sto ... _0116.html

The Depot was destroyed by UP in the 1970's

edsas · Post by **edsas** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 2:41 pm

Awesome! Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I was born in North Platte and lived there until I was 12. I have a lot of memories of Baily Yard. I look forward to going up in the Golden Spike soon.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 7:54 pm

Wow, that Hotel Pawnee is a neat building. Does anyone know what it's currently being used for?

sokkerdewd · Post by **sokkerdewd** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 11:05 pm

Hey Coyote,

My family and I are from Mankato, so I drive that route often from Omaha...we also have a cabin North of Willmar, MN...lots of stuff to see along the way. My suggestions for your photo shoot:

The Loess Hills Scenic Byway through Western Iowa.

Downtown Sioux City, especially the renovated Orpheum.

Depending on if you're going to Collegeville/St. Cloud, or Minneapolis, will determine your route from here.

If going to Minneapolis,

The Blue Bunny Visitor's Center in LeMars, IA, is nice...there's a great hotdog place (yes, hotdog) near there too...name eludes me.

Mankato has a lot of scenic and historical sites, from the Carnegie Art Center to the waterfalls of Minneopa State Park, and festivals such as the Mdewakanton PowWow that happens every September celebrating local Indian history and culture. If you bring your bike, there's an extensive trail network that takes you through tunnels, over bluffs and vistas...my favorite is the Red Jacket Trail near Mt. Kato ski area...but the Sakatah (over 40 miles long) is pretty as well. Fall colors are just starting up there right now according to my dad.

The Jolly Green Giant looms large near Le Sueur, and the drive along 169 from Mankato to Minneapolis is scenic.

If you're going to Collegeville, continue north on 29 to Sioux Falls, and get some pictures of the Falls with downtown in the background...then take 23 Northeast towards Collegeville/St. Cloud.

Pipestone is cute, and has some history, but if you stop at the Buffalo Ridge near Marshall, and climb it, your view is spectacular...from there, you can see why they're called "Great Plains." Passing through the Minnesota River valley near Granite Falls is pristine and perfect in the fall too.

If you brought your bike this way, you could stop in Spicer and ride the Glacial Ridge Trail to New London, or the Lake Wobegon Trail near St. Cloud...all should be great this time of year.

Hope your drive goes well!!!!

sokkerdewd · Post by **sokkerdewd** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 11:09 pm

Coyote,

Forgot one thing on the way to Collegeville...Marshall is another Ice Cream town, having Schwann's headquartered there...you can stop in for samples there too...

or if you take the 60 route through Le Mars & Blue Bunny to Mpls via Mankato...

Ice cream both ways...either way, you win!!

Post by **Coyote** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 2:45 am

Canteen spirit will forever be immortalized

DIANE WETZEL THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH wrote:The 20th Century Veterans Memorial will honor the 55,000 volunteers who operated the North Platte canteen for 51 months during World War II, and organizers are hoping that some of the "Canteen spirit" remains to help pay for the planned sculpture. Cambridge artist Sondra Jonson has been commissioned to create a sculpture bearing the likeness of canteen founder Rae Wilson.

Work on the Veterans Memorial began in 1998, when it was announced that a permanent memorial was to be built at Iron Horse Park where Interstate 80 intersects with U.S. Highway 83. Groundbreaking ceremonies took place on July 29, 2000. The proposed sculpture, called simply "The Canteen Lady," will stand 5 feet, 4 inches, and feature a young woman carrying a basket filled with fruit, candy and tobacco on one arm, and holding out an apple with the other.

JB · Post by JB » Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:00 pm

Thought I would just give an update on this. Â The Golden Spike has been completed... I haven't been back to see it yet, but I believe it would provide the platform you guys needed to take some good pics!

http://video.nptelegraph.com/Golden_Spike.html

Post by **Coyote** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:03 pm

Thanks JB. I don't have plans any time soon to get out there - I will have to look for an excuse.