There is No Place Like Nebraska
By Louise Heiselman
May 21, 2004
There is No Place Like Nebraska!
"There is no place like Nebraska!" A lot of Nebraskans feel this way and yet others don’t appreciate what we have in our own back yard. I remember years ago taking a trip to Napa, California to visit our daughter, Charlotte. Soon after getting on the bus we passed a farmer plowing. The lady setting next to me leaned over and asked me if I could tell her what the black stuff was that the farmer was putting on the ground. I looked again at the farmer plowing and told her that he was just turning the soil. She looked surprised and said where she lived the soil was red. I had a wonderful vacation but I remember when we got within a few miles of Lincoln and I could see the Capitol Building, I wanted to sing. "There is No Place Like Nebraska."
Many of us have lived most of our lives in Nebraska and yet really know very little about our state. I would like to mention three ways that have helped broaden my knowledge of the state. The first was about 20 years or more ago. During the summer the paper ran once a week a printed map and article about a Mini trip or Vacation to someplace of interest near Lincoln that could be taken in a day or two. The map showed the destination but also the little towns along the route, and the article gave you the population and a good idea of what you could expect when you got there. I wish I had saved them. I didn’t get to take the trips but I learned about different towns and their population and things of interest there. Later when I would hear the town mentioned I would remember some of the things I had read and the map showing how to get there.
When we take trips we often try to find someplace to buy a post card to say "Wish You Were Here" and tell about the exciting things going on. Ten or twelve years ago, the Tourism Office of Nebraska ran "Postcards from Nebraska" on the radio. These were taped messages that were run several times a day and night about different activities taking place in the state and even travelers traveling through the state could hear what was going on and could also take advantage of the activities. You probably remember them; they were narrated by Peggy who was head of Tourism for the State at that time, and also happens to be my daughter. We all learned a lot about things going on in the state and many are things that take place every year.
Now I am learning so much from another radio program-- "Visions Along the Platte River Valley" by Phil Walker. He makes the history so interesting. He tells about the early history of the state. So far he has three CD’s out on this history. I haven’t purchased them yet but hope the first two are still available. The third one is on sale now. I think anyone who has children should purchase them as they could learn so much about the early history of our state by listening to them, and they are interesting enough that they wouldn’t mind listening to them several times. I would think that they would also help them with Nebraska History in school.
Louise