Getting the Tourists off 'flat' I-80

Grand Island, Hastings, Kearney, DesMoines, and the rest of Nebraska and Iowa

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eomaha
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Post by eomaha »

Perhaps the travel and tourism division could take out a 1/2 dozen or so of these new metro bill boards along I-80 ... and display pictures of Nebraska scenery.
DMRyan
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Post by DMRyan »

That's a good idea Jeff. The next time I go to...ok through midstate Nebraska, I'm going to make an effort to travel off the beaten path. I'd love to see what the real Nebraska is all about since I've always seen it from I-80. Carhenge and The World's 3rd Largest Ball of Twine, here I come!
projectman
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Post by projectman »

Don't forget Chimney Rock, Toad Stool Park(the Badlands of Nebraska), Smith waterfalls, Niobrara River, the Sand Hills, the Nebraska National Forest, Pioneer Village, the Fossil Beds(forget what it's called where they found the Mammoth fossils), the cranes in March. I'm sure there's more.
eomaha
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Post by eomaha »

Ash Fall Fossil Beds State Historical Park

http://www.ashfall.unl.edu/

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edsas
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Re: Getting the Tourists off 'flat' I-80

Post by edsas »

Coyote wrote: "If I-80 would have been 100 or so miles farther north, people would have a total different perception of Nebraska," Snitily said.
Even a mere 30 miles north would probably do the trick in most places. People driving I-80 really have no idea how close they actually are to some spectacular scenery.

I thought living in a place like California would erode my appreciation for the Sand Hills a little, but it's really only strengthened it because, as I've travelled all over the West, the realization that there is nothing in North America quite like these magnificent green hills has become starkly apparent. Sure I've seen breathtaking scenery elsewhere, but the Sand Hills hold their own, in my opinion.

My solution to combatting Nebraska's flat perception is to turn Highway 2 from Grand Island to Alliance into an expressway and then advertise it as a shortcut to Mt. Rushmore, Devil's Tower and Yellowstone, while at the same time, play up Nebraska's attractions like Carhenge, Fort Rob, Agate Fossil Bed, Toadstool Park, Chimney Rock, Pine Ridge, Chadron State Park, the Niobrara etc. People's "nothing" perception of Nebraska would change into "something" in a hurry.
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Coyote
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Post by Coyote »

Speaking of Hwy 2 - I will be attending a conference in Scottsbluff next weekend.
I am thinking of taking some time off beforehand to rediscover the sandhills.
So far my plans are spending the night in GI and taking 2 and end up ???
I have been trying to figure places for photo shoots but I am coming up short of ideas.
Any Suggestions?
edsas
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Post by edsas »

Coyote, since you'll be passing Halsey, you might try the observation tower in Nebraska National Forest, if it's open this time of year. I also like the area south of Mullen where the Sand Hills Golf Course is.
projectman
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Post by projectman »

Notice I didn't mention the monstrosity in Kearney over I-80. How could anyone miss that thing.
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Brad
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Post by Brad »

'Green corridor' touted for I-80

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10297253
As unlikely as it may seem, the Big Apple may provide a blueprint for painting Nebraska's primary highway green.

The historic tree-lined parkways built in the 1930s that radiate from New York City are inspiring a team of consultants drawing up a future vision for the Interstate 80 corridor between Omaha and Lincoln.

In a draft report, the consultants advocate a "green corridor" concept that would preserve scenic views, protect sensitive environmental areas and require that new buildings blend into the scenery.

Development along I-80 would be clustered at interchanges, each with a distinctive character "providing a subtly out-of-the-ordinary traveling experience."
StreetsOfOmaha
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Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

That should probably be it's own thread.  These two topics have nothing to do with each other, other than that they both concern I-80.
"The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is actually the right to destroy the city."
Lewis Mumford, The Highway and the City, 1963
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