And I would drive 500 miles, and I would drive 500 more!

Like the old camp song goes, second verse, same as the first, a little bit louder and a little bit worse.  

Seriously though, day 2 of the tour was another day on the road, and another beautiful 500 miles of the USA, starting in Cheyenne, WY, and ending at Council Bluffs, IA, on the banks of the Missouri River. 

To some people, states like Nebraska, Iowa, etc., are just fly-over-states, but they are truly beautiful.  Over the years, I've lived in America's Deep South, Great Plains, Pacific Northwest, California (which is it's own thing), Hawaii, Midwest and Mountain West, and I visited the rest.  America is unbelievably large, and unimaginably beautiful.  Its deserts, mountains, plains, forests and coastlines each have their own beauty.  And on day two of the tour, I left the Mountain West and entered the Great Plains - Nebraska!

Western Nebraska shifts from the short-grass prairies of eastern Wyoming into the gently rolling plains and farmland of the midwest.  I traveled west to east across the entire state along I-80, much of which parallels the Platte River - about which, I am told, explorers and pioneers used to say, "It's too shallow to navigate, and too wet to plow."  That's about right.

Just to whet your appetite for this great state, here is a shot of what western Nebraska is will treat you to:

As the day went on, I passed some interesting icons.

This is the Great Platte River Road Gateway Monument. And this is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

"The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument is a monument on Interstate 80 located three miles east of Kearney, Nebraska, United States. Originally proposed in 1997 and opened in July 2000, it houses a historical experience that tells the story of Nebraska and the Platte River Valley in the development of America."

If you are driving along I-80, you might be tempted to think that Nebraska is covered entirely by trees, but in the Great Plains, trees are found where there is water, and its riverbanks are almost entirely lined by them.  The rest of the state is gently rolling hills and agricultural fields.

Nebraska's primary crops are corn, soybeans and wheat.  And this is what a typical rural Nebraska skyline looks like.

The eastern end of Nebraska is defined by the Missouri River, which has its headwaters hundreds of miles away in the mountains of Montana, and joins the Mississippi just north of St. Louis, MO.

I was surprised and delighted to discover the vistas above when I opened the curtains in my hotel room.  The place I stayed in Council Bluffs, IA, was right on the bank of the Missouri River.

The plan for day 3?  The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Omaha, NE.  

Stay tuned!