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Publication dedicated to events, places, and activities in North Platte, NE as well as surrounding areas.
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By STEVE [email protected]
Nestled along thebanks of the North Plat-te River on N. JeffersStreet, Cody Park is bothrich in history and aunique local institution.
“Cody Park is one ofthose amazing attrac-tions and is somewhat of ararity in Nebraska,” saidLyle Minshull, city parksdepartment director.
The park has origins inthe late 1880s as the loca-tion of Buffalo Bill’sWild West show. Thelarge pond currently lo-cated in the park was thelocation of a horse rac-ing track and the arenaby which Colonel Codypracticed his show.
The park’s large picnicshelter was a NationalYouth Administrationproject built in 1939.Amusement rides were
added in the 1950s.Current park
highlights alsoinclude the manyanimal exhibits,which featuresseveral species ofdeer, elk, bison,
and other four-legged an-imals and waterfowl. TheUnion Pacific train dis-play exhibits one of thelargest steam enginesbuilt along with one ofthe largest diesel locomo-tives built. Softball fields,a disc golf course, tenniscourts and many play-grounds offer exerciseand recreation.
“Cody Park turns intoa spectacular display ofthe North Pole and San-ta’s workshop during theChristmas season,” Min-shull said of the park’ssignature seasonal event.
Relatively recent addi-tions to the park includethe disc golf course,
added in 2006, and a newconcession stand wasbuilt in 2009. The parkadded bison, or buffalo, toits animal exhibit in 2010.
Minshull said that chil-dren, parents, and grand-parents alike can appre-ciate what the park hasto offer.
“Generational gaps areclosed when grandpar-ents ride along withgrandchildren on thecarousel and at the sametime talking about the
fun grandpa and grand-ma had with their chil-dren [mom and dad]when they were young,”Minshull said.
“People of all ages arepassionate about the ani-mals on display in thepark,” Minschull added.“Especially when thereare new babies in theherd. Many animals havebeen given many differentnames because of theirfondness to the animals.”
For more informationvisit www.ci.north-plat-te.ne.us/recreation/parks/cody.asp.
2102 S. Jeffers, Inside the Quality Inn535-6168
Wedne sdays:ALL YOU CA N EAT
Prime Rib!Thursdays:
ALL YOU CA N EATBaby Back Ribs!
Open for Lunch Mon-FriOpen for dinner ever y night
Voted #1 Prime Rib6 Years In A Row
Lunch- Mon-Fri 11-5pm Dinner- Mon-Sat 5-10pm • Sun 5-9pm
Bar Open Everyday at 5pm
101 THINGS TO DO2 SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012 THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
Relive the Old West at theFront Street inOgallala
Once the destina-tion for cowboysseeking to ship outtheir cattle on theUnion Pacific Rail-road, Ogallala’s tiesto the old west runthick and deep. To-day, that historylives on at FrontStreet in Ogallala.
Located on EastFirst Street in Ogal-lala, the attractionis set up to look likea stereotypical oldcow town, completewith a livery and sa-loon.
Exhibits in thefree museum in-clude recreations ofan undertaker’s par-lor, barbershop andjail. Interpretivedisplays recount thecommunity’s histo-ry and the impor-tant role it playedalong the Pony Ex-press and GreatWestern trails.
Visitorscan dine onsteak in therestaurant,order up asarsaparil-la in the
bar, purchase sou-venirs in the giftshop and take in ashow at the CrystalPalace Revue. FromMay through Au-gust, the produc-tions feature musicand dancing sprin-kled with storiesabout the wild anduntamed west.
P e r f o r m a n c e skick-off with ashootout on thestreet followed byentertainment byrough and tumblecowhands and col-orful saloon girls.The attraction isopen from 11 a.m. to9 p.m. Mondaysthrough Saturdays.
Located about anhour west of NorthPlatte, Ogallala isthe county seat ofKeith County.
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Find your new favorite huntinglocation
West-central Nebras-ka is a hunter’s para-dise. From big game towaterfowl, central Ne-braska offers up a widevariety of hunting expe-riences on NebraskaGame and Parks Land.
Throughoutsoutheast Ne-braska, in ru-ral Lincoln,Keith, Perkins,Chase, Hayes,Dundy and Hitch-cock counties,
the Conservation Re-sources Program givesgreat public access for
hunting of a wide vari-ety of species, includingdeer, turkey, antelopeand other waterfowl.
To learn where to go,when the seasons are,learn about other regu-lations, and to file forpermits, head towww.outdoor nebras-ka.ne.gov.
3
Take the whole family to Cody Park
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Telegraph file photo
Donkeys are among the many animals at Cody Park.
The Art and Gift Gallery
516 North Dewey, North Platte, NE • 308-534-1946
Visitor Hours: 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Tuesday-SaturdayThe Art and Gift Gallery is a cooperative of talented local artists.
Come in and browse, and enjoy the wide variety of art forms found in our five gallery rooms!
Looking for a great gift for that special someone? Stop in and see what we have to offer!
Visit us on the Web!npartandgiftgallery.com
or scan the QR code to the right
101 THINGS TO DO SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012 3THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
Experience theWild West at FortCody Trading Post
To get the essence ofNorth Platte’s history,visit the Buffalo Bill’sMiniature Wild WestShow at the Fort CodyTrading Post, on thenortheast corner of the I-80 and Highway 83 inter-section. The Wild WestShow is on display allyear round at the FortCody Trading Post, aswell as the Old West Mu-seum, which featuresitems from throughoutthe American West.
In operation since 1963,the Fort Cody TradingPost has helped to pre-serve North Platte’s rolein the great history ofthe American West. Thetrading post was origi-
nally locatedalong U.S. High-way 30, and movedto its current lo-cation next to theinterstate in 1967.
The Fort CodyTrading Post also
has souvenirs and giftsfor travelers, includingold western wear andhistory books. Duringthe summer the tradingpost is open 9 a.m. to 9p.m. every day of theweek. During the wintermonths, the post opens at9 a.m. and closes at 5:30p.m., Monday throughSaturday. Sunday hoursare noon to 5:30 p.m.
Fort Cody also hosts amusic series each sum-mer, on Thursday nights,showcasing local and na-tional acts as they passthrough North Platte.
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See the original station of the ‘lightningmail’ in Gothenburg
Visit one of the few Pony Express stationsleft in the country in Gothenburg. The SamMacchette Pony Express Station has beenpreserved in Ehmen Park, 40 miles east ofNorth Platte, just north of Highway 30.
The Pony Express, beginning in St.Joseph, Mo., and ending in Sacramento,Calif., wound its way through Nebraska fol-
lowing the Platte River, and the Oregon Trail. Thestation in Ehmen Park was used as a fur trading postand ranch house along the Oregon Trail, before beingconverted into a Pony Express Post Office in 1860-61,during the short-lived horseback mailing service.
The original post was southwest of Gothenburgand in 1931 was relocated to Ehmen Park in the mid-dle of town, and has been open to the public sincethe early 1950s. The museum is free to everyone andis open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the summer monthsand 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in May and September.
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Fish for crappie atWellfleet Lake
Located alongMedicine Creek inthe hill countryaround Wellfleet, 30minutes south ofNorth Platte in Lin-coln County, is Well-fleet Lake. The 50-
acre lake is home to a pletho-ra of native fish, most no-tably crappie. Anglers fromacross the area flock to thelake during the spring and fallmonths to fish for the abun-dant native fish.
The Nebraska Game andParks Commission allowselectric motors and non-pow-ered boats onto the lake, andprimitive camping is avail-able. Don’t forget your cam-era, either, as Wellfleet StateWildlife Management Area,just west of the reservoir is aprime spot to bird watch as well.
For more on Game andParks fishing locationsthroughout Nebraska, visittheir website at www.out-doornebraska.gov.
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Wellfleet Lake and State Wildlife Management Area is a hidden jew-el in southern Lincoln County, featuring abundant fishing, boating andprimitive camping throughout the year.
Telegraph file photo
Attend a local softball gameThroughout the summer months
head to Centennial Park in NorthPlatte to take in the sights andsounds of baseball and softball. Areayouth participate at every level, fromT-ball and Little League to AmericanLegion ball and high school.
In 2012, North Platte will play host to theAmerican Softball Association Northern Na-tionals 16U Softball Tournament, running fromJuly 30 through Aug. 5. The tournament will beat Dowhower Softball Complex along 16thStreet, west of Highway 83. Bill Wood Field isjust north of Dowhower Softball Complex.
Centennial Park in North Platte also features
seven youth baseball diamonds for baseball andsoftball. However, that’s not the only amenity atNorth Platte’s largest park. There are two hard-surfaced, lighted tennis courts, 10 soccer fields,a gazebo, a shelter and a large playground area,as well as a dog park.
Along with Dowhower Softball Complex onthe north side of North Platte, across Highway83 at Cody Park is Carpenter Softball Complex,utilized by the North Platte Sports Association.Cody Park also features lighted tennis courts.
For more information on Centennial Parkand Cody Park, and the activities that can befound there, go to www.ci.north-platte.ne.us/recreation, or call the city Recreation Depart-ment at 308-535-6774.
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101 THINGS TO DO4 SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012 THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
Eat with a polar bear at Ole’s Big GameSteakhouse and Lounge
For more than 78years Ole’s Big GameSteakhouse andLounge has been oneof the favorite water-ing holes in Paxton,and a destination spotfor many travelers
along Highway 30 and now I-80, Opened at midnight onAug. 9, 1933, the day after pro-hibition was ended, Ole’s BigGame Lounge offered a trulyunique dining experience.
For 35 years, Rosser “Ole”Herstedt, traveled the world onhunting trips, bringing his tro-phies home and mountingthem on the walls of hislounge. In the 1980s, Tim Holz-faster took over the businessfrom Ole and carries on thesame traditions, expandingthe business and opening up arestaurant side. Thus, Ole’sBig Game Steakhouse andLounge was born.
One of the main attractionsis the polar bear Ole broughtback in the 1960s, displayed inthe lobby. People come for theatmosphere, and return for theservice, Holzfaster said.
Located at 123 North OakStreet in Paxton, 30 miles westof North Platte, Ole’s opens at7 a.m., Mountain Time, everymorning, and serves until 10p.m. Monday through Satur-day. On Sundays, Ole’s stopsserving at 9 p.m. Breakfast isserved from 7-10 a.m. and themain dining area opens at 10a.m. every day. For more infor-mation, contact 308-239-4500.
A real polar bear is among theanimals on display at Ole’s BigGame Steakhouse and Loungein Paxton.
File photo
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Relive Nebraskafootball history atthe Touchdown Club
N e b r a s k ableeds Corn-husker red, andthere’s no betterplace to experi-ence some of therich football his-tory than the
Touchdown Club inNorth Platte on HuskerSaturdays in the fall.
With memorabiliafrom decades of footballexcellence, watch aHusker game on the bigscreen amongst signed
jerseys and photos ofHuskers from the past.Fans can see autographedphotos of Tom Osborne,Johnny Rogers, MikeRozier and Scott Frost.
In the 1980s, longtimeowner and sports collec-tor Butch Rasmussen be-gan to put some of theHusker memorabilia he’scollected over the yearsonto the walls of theTouchdown Club, and itsgrown to amazing pro-portions today. For moreinformation about theTouchdown Club, call308-535-0212.
Go down a waterslideat Cody Go Karts
Looking fora day of funwith the fami-ly? Head tothe water parkat Cody GoKarts, on Hal-ligan Drive,near the I-80 and Highway 83intersection.
Cody Go Karts Family FunPark offers two go karttracks, bumper boats, hi ball,miniature golf, three differ-ent kiddie races, a gameroom, three water slides, treestump slides and conces-
sions. Since 1981, the familyfun park has offered NorthPlatte families and visitors afun, safe environment.
In March, weather permit-ting, the dry part of the parkis open on weekends at 11a.m., and then opens onMemorial Day weekend sev-en days a week, beginning at10:30 a.m. Summer seasonhours end on Labor Day, andthe dry park stays open onweekend from 11 a.m. to 6p.m. through the first or sec-ond weekend of October. Thewater park opens in Juneand closes on Labor Day, andis open from 1-6 p.m. all week.
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Watch a parade during theNebraskaland Days celebration
Thousands of people flockto downtown North Platte onthe second Saturday of Ne-braskaland Days for the cele-bration’s annual parade.
In 2012, Nebraskaland Daysheld its 44th annual parade,which starts on East FourthStreet near Memorial Park — a popularplace to watch the parade with its shadytrees — and travels down Fourth Street toJeffers, and then over the viaduct to 12thStreet.
However, that’s not the only parade tosee during Nebraskaland Days. The An-tique Car Parade is the first Saturday ofNebraskaland Days, as well as the tradi-tional Nebraskaland Days Kids Costumeparade, sponsored by the North PlatteChamber Hostesses, which was at West-field Shopping Center in 2012.
For more on Nebraskaland Days events,go to www.nebraskalanddays.com.
Eat homemadeFrench fries at MacsDrive-In
If you’re looking for thebest homemadeFrench friesaround, Mac’sDrive-In, in Mc-Cook, is yourplace.
Located justeast of thejunction of Highway 83 andHighway 6 at 809 W. B Streetin McCook, Mac’s Drive-Inhas been in operation sincethe late 1950s when it wasfounded by Rea and LarryMcCarty. Now, their familycarries on the tradition of
completely homemade foodserved fast.
From homemade Frenchfries and onion rings, tobreading their own mush-rooms and grinding theirown hamburger, everythingat Mac’s is made at the smalldrive-in about 75 milessouth of North Platte. Otherfavorites include their roast-ed chicken, steak sandwich-es and their double cheese-burgers.
Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. onweekends and 11 a.m. to 10p.m. on weekdays, they’veseen visitors from all overthe world. For more informa-tion, call Mac’s Drive-In at308-345-2420.
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Riders lead the 2012 Nebraskaland Days parade down Jeffers Street in NorthPlatte on June 16. The parade is a beloved annual tradition in western Nebraska.
Telegraph file photo
Enjoy a familymovie at Cody Park
A great way to enjoythe outdoors with yourfamily in North Platte isto attend a Movie in thePark event, new in 2012.
The North Platte Recre-ation Department haspurchased a 16-foot blow-up screen, complete witha sound system, with thehelp of the Lincoln Coun-ty Convention and Visi-tor’s Bureau and the Mid-Nebraska CommunityFoundation.
The department planson showing severalmovies throughout thesummer months. The se-
ries beganJune 8 with“ Ta n g l e d ”playing nearthe CodyPark Soft-ball Fields.In July, the
department screened“Secondhand Lions” nearthe Cody Park Pool. Thefinal installment thissummer will be Aug. 10,when they show “Despi-cable Me” near the BettyKeenan Memorial SplashPad in Memorial Park, at1000 E. Fourth St.
The department plansto continue the traditionnext year.
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101 THINGS TO DO SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012 5THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
See Miss Rodeo Nebraska get crownedThe Miss Rodeo Nebraska pageant is sched-
uled in conjunction with the Ne-braskaland Days celebrationevery June. It’s open to womenages 19 to 26 and is a qualifyingcontest for the Miss Rodeo Ameri-ca Pageant in Las Vegas, Nev.
The ladies spend a gruelingweek competing in the categoriesof horsemanship, personality, speech and ap-pearance for the chance to travel the nation pro-moting Nebraska, rodeo and the westernlifestyle.
Thousands of dollars in scholarship money, asaddle, belt buckles, a crown and beauty prod-ucts are given away as prizes. A winner iscrowned during a performance of the BuffaloBill Rodeo at the Wild West Arena, 2400 NorthBuffalo Bill Avenue.
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Attend Arts In ThePark in Cody Park
It’s been 40 years sincecrafters first began gath-ering at Cody Park, 1402N. Jeffers St., to sell theirwares. Sincethen, the an-nual Arts InThe Parkevent hasexpanded toi n c l u d ethree shows:one in the spring, one inthe fall and one beforeChristmas.
People sell everythingfrom homemade wreaths,
quilts and jellies to can-dles, jewelry and careful-ly crafted wooden furni-ture. A variety of mer-chandise from home-based businesses is alsoavailable, as are conces-sions such as ice cream,barbecued beef sand-wiches and kettle corn.
While their parentsshop, kids can ride therides, have their facespainted, bounce on FunJumpz or snag a balloonanimal. The entire eventis open to the public. It ismoved inside if weatheris inclement.
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Camp out at Lake MaloneyLocated about six miles
south of North Platte alongU.S. Highway 83, Lake M a lo n e y provides the perfectatmosphere for camping,fishing, boating, swimmingand jet skiing. A 132-acrecampground surrounds the1,000-acre lake, which is stocked withlargemouth bass, perch, walleye, catfishand crappie among other varieties.
The state recreation area consists of 56camping pads with electrical hook-upsand 200 non-pad sites without electricity.Showers, a dump station and multiplebeaches are available, as are boat ramps,fish cleaning stations, picnic tables, grillsand vault toilets. Camping sites are allo-cated on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Take a dip in the poolat the North PlatteRecreation Center
Whether you’re lookingfor a workout, splash time, awaterslide ride or relax-ation, the pool at the NorthPlatte Recreation Center,1300 S. McDonald Rd., is theplace to be. The pool’s 100-foot dome stretches four sto-ries above asix-lane 25-yard indoors w i m m i n gpool with a117-foot wa-terslide, ababy pool with a fountain, adiving area, a sauna and ahot tub.
Water and air tempera-tures in the mid eighties,two easy access ladders andan electric chair lift insureaccess and comfort to every-one. The pool is home to thehigh school and U.S.S. swimteams, aquacise classes,triathlon training semi-nars, swim lessons, kayakpolo and Special Olympics.
It’s open from 5:30 a.m. to8 p.m. Mondays throughFridays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. onSaturdays and 1-8 p.m. onSundays. Pool space, laplanes and slide availabilitymay be limited dependingon programming needs. Ad-mission is $3.25 for chil-dren, $5.25 for adults, $4.50for senior citizens and $14for families.
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Get splattered by paintballs in Hershey
Adventurous tourists and lo-cals alike flock to Hershey.That’s because about halfwaybetween the town and Inter-state 80 is a paintball field thatfeatures three courses: air,speedball and a wooded area.Splatterbox was created in 1999,and hosted its first tournamentin 2000.
The attraction prides itselfon being injury-free. It hosts par-ties for families,sports teams,clubs and schoolevents in addi-tion to offeringgames for indi-viduals. Splatterbox also offerstournaments every year, in-cluding the Arch Angel’sThrow Down and Rumble InThe River, during which peopleplay against teams with mili-tary training.
Admission fees cover a day’sworth of playing time. It costs$5 to play air soft games and $10for paintball. Equipment,which includes a gun, nineounces of carbon dioxide, amask and 500 rounds of paint-balls, can be rented for $20. Formost players, the supplies willlast two to three hours.
More information about re-serving a playing time is avail-able by contacting ShayneYounghans at 530-0553 or email-ing [email protected].
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Attend a localBrown Bag Luncheon
The Brown Bag Lun-cheon series at the NorthPlatte Public Library is aninformative and entertain-ing way to spend a lunchhour.
The programs are spon-sored by the Friends ofthe Library, a group dedi-cated to promoting the li-brary as a cultural, educa-tional and recreational as-
set to the community.It uses money collected
from memberships andfundraisers to providesome of the program-ming. It also partners withthe Nebraska HumanitiesCouncil to bring in someof the speakers. Timesand topics vary dependingon what events are occur-ring in the community si-multaneously.
Previous presentationshave focused on local war
heroes, fashions of the1930s, candy of the 1940s,tips for researching familyhistories andsuggestionsfor self-pub-lishing. Thep r o g r a m sare free andopen to thep u b l i c .Everyone is invited to takea lunch and eat while lis-tening. Tea, coffee and wa-ter are provided.
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Gather some friends to play around of cosmic bowling
Black lights, fog and loud music arecharacteristic of the sceneat the Cedar Bowl on Fri-day and Saturday nights.Located at 1100 S. Jeffers St.in North Platte, the CedarBowl offers entertain-ment for all ages, includ-
ing cosmic bowling. According to James Ruttan, lanes man-
ager, cosmic bowling is from 9 p.m. tomidnight on Fridays and 8 p.m. to mid-night on Saturdays. Cosmic bowlingcosts $4 per game for everyone. Normalopen bowling fees are $3.50 for kids 18and younger and $4 per game for adults.With both cosmic and open, every thirdgame is discounted. Shoe rentals are freefor kids and $1.75 for adults.
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Ride ATVs at HalseyAll-terrain
vehicle en-t h u s i a s t scan get upclose andp e r s o n a lwith natureat the Ne-braska National Forest. Lo-cated one mile west ofHalsey along Highway 2, theattraction consists of a pon-derosa pine wilderness inthe middle of the Sandhills.
Dan Nitzel is the co-founder of the Nebraska
Off Highway Vehicle As-sociation. He worked toget the funding for and layout 39 miles worth of ATVtrails in the forest. A maintrail takes visitors southto the Dismal River, whilea few others loop aroundthrough the hills.
“It’s a little bit like expe-riencing Colorado becauseof the smell of the ever-greens,” he said. “Thetrails are easy for experi-enced riders, but thosewho are inexperiencedshould be careful. They
need to be aware of on-coming traffic.”
Nitzel said people haveto take their own four-wheelers into the forest,because they aren’t rentedout. The vehicles are re-quired to have spark ar-restors on their exhaustpipes to help prevent fires.
He recommends wearinga helmet and supervisingchildren under the age of16. The trails are open to thepublic year round, unlessthey have to be closed be-cause of storms or fires.
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Take a tour atThe North PlatteTelegraph
The North Platte Tele-graph office, 621 N.Chestnut St., is a popu-lar destination forschool and businessfield trips. Joe Volcek,circulation director,usually leads the tours.
He walks participantsthroughout the building
while explaining theprocess of putting to-gether anewspa-per fromb e g i n -ning toend.
T h etour in-cludes a look at the gi-ant presses that printthe papers, the dock
where papers areshipped out, the pagedesign departmentwhere the type andgraphics are placed onpages and the advertis-ing department wheresales take place. Volcekkeeps the tour fun andinteresting for bothadults and children. Allleave with smiles ontheir faces.
101 THINGS TO DO6 SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012 THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
Get into the holiday spirit onthe Carousel of Homes Tour
Every year around the holidays,some of North Platte’s most beauti-ful homes are opened to the public.The North Platte Community Play-house Guild sponsors the Carouselof Homes Tour, and all proceeds gotoward renovations at the historicNeville Center.
Among other things, the moneyhas been used to construct handi-capped accessible bathrooms, in-stall air conditioning, signs and asound system and purchase tables
and chairs for the Patty BirgeRoom.
People meet at thePlayhouse, 301 EastFifth Street. There,they are given mapsto the various hous-es, which are deco-rated in a variety ofholiday splendor.Participants drive their own vehi-cles to the homes. Many of theproperties feature multiple Christ-mas trees, and themed rooms, suchas Santas, reindeer, snowmen orgingerbread men.
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Attend a rodeoCelebrate the birth
of rodeo with the Buf-falo Bill Rodeo duringNebraskaland Daysin North Platte. EachJune, the Profession-al Rodeo Cowboy’sAssociation descends on NorthPlatte for the longest-runningrodeo in the world.
Since 1882, the Buffalo Bill Rodeohas called North Platte home. To-day, the rodeo takes place at the
Wild West Arena on North BuffaloBill Avenue. More information isavailable online at www.nebraska-landdays.com.
The Nebraska State Rodeo Asso-ciation hosts its finals at the WildWest Arena every fall. According toChad Johnston, NSRA president,this year’s finals are scheduled forSept. 8-9.
The city is also home to a qualify-ing event for Nebraska High SchoolRodeo Association finals each Sep-tember. This year, it will be Sept. 16.
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Tank the Loup RiverNothing says “country” quite like
loading a bunch of friends into astock tank and coasting down theMiddle Loup River. Located a milenorth of Mullen in Hooker County,the river winds its way past the mostscenic part of the state — the Nebras-ka Sandhills.
Participants are treated to a vari-ety of sights, including native birds,deer and other wildlife. Water flow tothe spring-fed river is constant andabundant. The Middle Loup rarelyfreezes over, which means tankingtrips can be taken any time of year.
Mitch and Patty Glidden, owners ofGlidden Canoe Rentals, 507 South-west 1st St. in Mullen, coordinate thetanking. Because theseven-foot by nine-foottanks are practicallyunsinkable, they aresafe for all ages to ridein. They are capable ofaccommodating up toeight adults at a time.
Three different three-hour tripsare available to everyone from the be-ginners to the experienced tankers.Daily trips range in price from $36 to$60. Reservations can be made bycalling 308-546-2206.
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Survive a nightat the Neville
The North PlatteC o m m u -nity Play-h o u s e ,a.k.a. theN e v i l l eCenter, isg i v i n gt h r i l lseekers a chance tobrush elbows with theparanormal. Beginningthis fall, it will offer“haunted” tours to any-one who wants them.
Scott Carlson, play-house general manager,will lead the tours alongwith the Hastings-basedTri-City Research andInvestigation of theParanormal team. Thetwo organizations willsplit the proceeds andput them toward theiroperating expenses.
According to Carlson,groups of up to 10 peo-ple will be allowed tospend the night in thebuilding, which hasbeen the site of multiple
paranormal investiga-tions.
The playhouse is lo-cated at 301 East 5th St.
“We’ll lock ourselvesin and turn off thelights,” Carlson said ofthe tours. “We want peo-ple to decide for them-selves whether or notit’s haunted.” The costwill be $50 per person.Anyone interested in re-serving a spot on a tourcan do so by callingCarlson at 532-8559.
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Bob SpadyOwner
Russell CoyneGeneral Manager
Todd PhelpsSales Manager
Bill MillesonSales Professional
Cal StrattonSales Professional
Chris HoughSales Professional
Jess PhillipsSales Professional
Dwight PullmanSales Professional
101 THINGS TO DO SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012 7THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
By HEATHER [email protected]
It’s hard to fully appreciatethe activities and attractionsaround North Platte withouta general understanding ofthe area’s background.
That’s where the LincolnCounty Historical Museum,2403 N. Buffalo Bill Ave.,comes into play. As one of thecommunity’s “jewels,” themuseum presents informa-tion in a way that’s both funand educational.
“We constantly have eventsgoing on,” said Jim Griffin,director. “There’s never adull moment.”
Through Aug. 25, the muse-um is launching a whirlwind
of activities based around aunique piece it will be host-ing. It was one of six sitesacross Nebraska chosen todisplay the Smithsonian In-stitution’s traveling exhibi-tion “Journey Stories.”
The displayincor poratesartifacts, im-ages, audio andpersonal ac-counts tod e m o n s t r at ethe influenceevolving mobility had on theU.S. and how transportationmade the nation grow.
In honor of the display, themuseum is planning to havea scavenger hunt aroundNorth Platte, show historical
documentaries, lead a paneldiscussion with local doctorsand feature presentations byseveral Nebraska Humani-ties Council speakers.
NHC speakers are frequentguests at the museum.They’ve covered every kindof topic imaginable, includ-ing the role of African-Amer-icans in the Civil War andhardships faced during theGreat Depression.
The museum has been thesite of Civil War reenact-ments, Halloween “haunt-ings” and anvil blowing. Thelatter is a sport that precededthe traditional custom of light-ing fireworks on the 4th ofJuly. The museum has turnedit into an annual event.
The Heritage Festival isalso presented on an annualbasis. Scheduled in conjunc-tion with NebraskalandDays, the official state cele-bration, it includes vendorbooths, an antique tractor pa-rade, wagon rides and black-smith, spinning wheel andsawmill demonstrations.
Local bands perform there,as does a featured entertainer.This year, the entertainer wasJoan Wells, world championtrick roper and National Cow-girl Hall of Fame inductee.
Even when events aren’tplanned, there’s plenty to seeat the museum. It has a villagemade up of various churches,depots, schoolhouses and oth-er old buildings from around
Lincoln County, and work-shops on everything from ropemaking to butter churning.
The museum has an exhib-it dedicated to the volunteereffort. It also enlists the helpof WWII soldiers who experi-enced the Canteen and thevolunteers who worked thereto tell the story to tourists.
“You’re not going to findthat kind of history any-where else,” Griffin said.
The museum is open Mon-days through Saturdays from9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundaysfrom 1-5 p.m. Admission is $5for adults, $10 for families, $4for senior citizens or peoplewith military identification,free for kids 12 and youngerand $3 for groups of 10 or more.
Do some hands-on learning at the historical museum
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101 THINGS TO DO8 SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012 THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
Get young againat the children’smuseum
Located at 314 N. Jef-fers St. the North PlatteArea Children’s Muse-um offers interactiveexhibits intended to fos-ter imaginations. Kidsare invited to dress upand sing, dance and acton a stage. They cangrow their own vegeta-bles and sell them at apretend farmer’s market.
At themuseum,kids canm a k ecrafts, saila pirateship anduse up en-ergy with the move-ment world exhibit. Themuseum also offers avariety of educationalcamps and hosts presen-tations about every-thing from bats and rap-tors to accepting peoplewith disabilities.
The museum is amember of the Associa-tion of Children’s Muse-ums. Its hours are 9:30a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdaysthrough Saturdays. Ad-mission is free for mu-seum members and $4for non-members.
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Watch trains at Bailey YardUnion Pacific’s Bailey Yard is the
largest railroad classification yard inthe world. Named after Edd Bailey,former UPRR president, the yard isover eight miles long and two mileswide. It has 17 receiving and 16 depar-ture tracks. Approximately 14,000
railroad cars passthrough every day.The cars are sortedand hooked to trainsheading to the eastand west coasts, as wellas north and south tothe Mexican and Canadian borders.
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Attend a carnivalBright lights, Ferris wheels and cotton candy
— the sights, sounds and smells of carnivalsare a common occurrence in North Platte.They are a popular part of Nebraskaland Days,the official state celebration, in June.
During the celebration, Moore’s GreaterShows sets up near the Wild West Arena’spaved parking lot, 2400 N. Buffalo Bill Ave. MGSarrives in the community with 75years worth of experience andboasts five generations of show-men and showwomen.
MGS rides go through rigor-ous daily inspections so theycan be guaranteed safe. Majorones include the Top Gun, Zip-per, Expo Wheel and Starship 3000. Childrentoo young for the fast models can take a spinon the carousel, a giant double slide or minimotorcycles.
Visitors can attempt to win a prize at thedartboard or fishpond, or they can relax on abench and enjoy the many tasty treats that areoffered. Everything from whipped cream cov-ered funnel cakes and caramel apples tosmoked turkey legs and Texas tater twistersare on the menu.
The Lincoln County Fairoften hosts its own car-nival in July at theLincoln CountyFairgrounds. Atvarious timesthroughout thesummer, ridesare also set upin the southparking lot ofthe Platte Riv-er Mall.
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Walk the labyrinthPeople searching for a peaceful
and relaxing activity to clear theirminds and rejuvenatetheir souls should lookno farther than the Al-pha Omega Labyrinth.
Located at the FirstUnited MethodistChurch, 1600 W. E St.,the labyrinth sits atthe southwest corner of the churchproperty, directly behind the sanc-tuary. The maze is used as a spiritu-
al tool for mediation. It’s believedthat walking it engages people inthe process of healing and transfor-mation.
Installed in 2005, it’s 81 feet in di-ameter and consists of a brick out-line with a crushed rock path. Thelabyrinth is a replica of a similarversion on the floor of the ChartresCathedral outside of Paris, France.
The attraction is open to the pub-lic 24-hours a day, seven days aweek and there’s no cost to accessit.
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Attend the Gardens andGables Tour
The North Platte Library Foun-dation board hosts the tour of thebeautiful gardens around NorthPlatte each summer as a fundrais-ing event. Every summer the li-brary board selects six to seven lo-cal gardens for the tour andarranges workshops on garden-re-lated subjects at every stop alongthe way. Strolling through a beauti-ful garden on a hot summer day is abit of paradise for gardeners and
fans of gardens, andthe annual event is apopular one. It is achance to peek behindthe fence at some ofthe loveliest yards intown and raise moneyto support the local li-brary.
Typically taking place in July, in-formation about the 2013 Gardensand Gables Tour will be availableon the foundation’s website,www.npplfoundation.org.
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Drive Cottonwood CanyonIn 1863, troops from the Seventh
Regiment Iowa Calvary beganbuilding what was then known asCantonment KcKeanalong the banks of theNorth Platte River atthe mouth of Cotton-wood Canyon. Usingcedar logs cut from thecanyon, the fort wasan outpost built to protect travelersalong the Oregon and CaliforniaTrails and to protect workers fromhostile Native Americans duringthe construction of the railroad.Renamed Fort McPherson in 1866in honor of Major General James
B. McPherson, the site became anational cemetery in 1873.
Today, the hills and valleys ofCottonwood Canyon are still cov-ered with cedar trees. After a visitto Fort McPherson National Ceme-tery, located four miles south ofMaxwell, take advantage of one ofthe prettiest drives in the area byheading south into CottonwoodCanyon.
Once the main route between theFort and Indianola to the south,driving Cottonwood Canyon takesyou through southern LincolnCounty and into Frontier County.The road ends at U.S. Highway 23,about one-half mile east of Curtis.
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OGALLALA1-877-308-22481-308-284-2354
PAXTON1-308-239-4211
McCOOK1-877-308-22501-308-345-7807
SUTHERLAND1-308-386-4707
NORTH PLATTE1-877-308-22491-308-534-4151
COZAD1-308-784-2421
101 THINGS TO DO10 SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012 THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
Visit Kingsley DamLocated on the east
side of Lake Mc-Conaughy in centralK e i t hC o u n t y ,nine milesnorth ofO g a l l a l a ,K i n g s l e yDam wasone of thelargest public worksprojects in Nebraskaduring the 1930s. At thetime it was one of thelargest hydraulicallyfilled earthen dams inthe world. U.S. Highway61 runs across the top ofthe dam for 3.5 miles,which was named forGeorge P. Kingsley, a
Minden banker whoworked with C. W. Mc-Conaughy to promotethe project. Construc-tion began in 1936 andwas completed fiveyears later at a cost of$43.5 million.
Water from Lake Mc-Conaughy is the fuel forthe Kingsley Hydro-plant. The Outlet Towerand Morning Gloryspillway are used to re-lease water from thelake. The dam is 3.5miles long, 162 feet high(the height of a 10 storybuilding) and 1,100 feetwide at its base. Whenall the gates are open, itcan release 420,000 gal-lons of water per minute.
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Golden Spike Tower and Visitor CenterSee North Platte’s railroad her-
itage from a bird’s eye perspective atthe Golden Spike Tower and VisitorCenter, 1249 Homestead Road, NorthPlatte. The 8-story attraction risesabove Union Pacific Railroad’s Bai-ley Yard, the world’s largest railswitching yard. Filled with perma-
nent and rotating exhibits that show the history ofthe UPRR in North Platte, the Golden Spike alsofeatures and enclosed viewing area on the top floorwith a 360-degree view, and an open-air platformon the 7th floor. The Golden Spike is also home tothe Corn Maze, open from Sept. 16 through Octo-ber 30 this year. Also featured is a courtyard thatflies all 23 flag representing all the states the UPRRserves. A memorial brick pavilion showcases em-bossed bricks with the names of employees of theUPRR, the community and families of UPRR em-ployees. The Golden Spike is open from May 1through Sept. 30, Monday through Saturday from 9a.m. until 7 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.From Oct. 1 thorough April 1, regular hours are 10a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 1–5 p.m.
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Attend the Miss Nebraska Pageant
North Platte has beenthe home of the Miss Ne-braska ScholarshipPageant for nearly 30years. Each June, localstate contest winnersgather in North Platte fora week of activities, threenights of competition andglamour. Current MissNebraska Mariah Cookwill compete in the MissAmerica Pageant in Janu-ary 2012.
Recent Ne-braska pag-eant winnershave donewell at the na-tional contest.Miss Nebras-ka 2009 Brittany Jeffersplaced in the top seven atMiss America, at the timethe highest Nebraska finish.
In 2011, Miss Nebraska2010 Teresa Scanlan wonthe national title. At 17,Scanlan was the youngestwinner since Miss Ameri-ca instituted age limits inthe 1930s.
Miss Nebraska 2011Kayla Batt was voted MissCongeniality at the 2012national contest and was anon-finalist talent winner.
North Platte is alsohome to the Miss Nebras-ka Outstanding TeenCompetition, which takesplace alongside of theMiss Nebraska contest.Lianna Prill is the currentreigning Miss NebraskaOutstanding Teen.
For information ondates and tickets, go towww.missnebraska.org.
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Play golfGolfers can choose
from among the fourgolf courses in NorthPlatte for day ofbirdies and bogies.
Check out River’sEdge Golf Course, lo-cated on the north sideof townat 1008W e s t18th St.t h ec o u r s efeaturesa puttinggreen, driving range,rental carts and clubsand Margie’s Bar and
Grill. Call 532-7750 forprices and informa-tion.
Iron Eagle Golf isthe municipal golfcourse, owned andoperated by the cityof North Platte. Itfeatures a drivingrange, putting green,cart and club rentalsas well as lessonsfrom qualified pro-fessional staff. Call535-6730 or go to www.ci.north-platte.ne.us.
Indian MeadowsGolf Course isowned and operatedby Richard Skinner,
PGA professional.The nine-hole coursefinishes with back-to-back par 5’s, theonly course in thestate to do so. Call(308) 532-6955 or go tow w w. g o l d i n d i a n -meadows.com formore information.
Lake Maloney GolfCourse is a semi-pri-vate 18-hole coursethat features greatviews of Lake Mal-oney and a hilly ter-rain six miles southof North Platte onU.S. Highway 83. Call532-9998 for tee times.
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See artifacts at Stonesand Bones Gallery
Located in downtown Hershey,the Stones and Bones Galleryand Emporium is a unique storethat features western andwildlife art and a premier pri-vate showing of Stone-age arti-
facts from ruralwestern Nebraska.Located at 105 EastSecond Street, call(308) 368-7400. Visittheir website aw w w. s t o n e s a n d -
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bonesofnebrask.com.
Watch Sandhill CranesThe annual migration of
North America’s Sandhill cranepopulation on the on the centralPlatte River inMarch attracts bird-ers from around theworld. While not aswell known, thestagings of smallerpopulations ofcranes in the NorthPlatte area provideexcellent opportunities to watchthe antics of the cranes. An esti-mated 160,000 cranes use the rivervalley between North Platte andSutherland.
The viewing blind at BuffaloBill Historical Park is a renovat-ed horse trailer with Plexiglaswindows and seats and is free ofcharge. It’s available on a first-come, first-served basis. Theblind rests in a native grassmeadow the cranes use for roost-ing. Another viewing option is todrive along North River Drive.The cranes typically arrive inlast February and remain untilApril. Depending on the weath-er, the cranes will begin leavingtheir overnight roost on andalong the river channel beforesunrise and move into feedingareas such as hay meadows, pas-tures and harvested cornfields.
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Visit Jeffrey Lake at BradyJeffrey Lake, located south of Brady, is
the second largest lake on theCentral Nebraska PublicPower and Irrigation Districtsupply canal. With 595 sur-face acres of water, it pro-vides 11 miles of shorelineand is home to more than 120cabins and homes.
To learn more about JeffreyLake, go to www.jeffrey-lake.com.
Go to Rail FestNot just for train fans anymore, the
annual Rail Fest Cele-bration is a celebrationof the unique relation-ship North Platte haswith the Union PacificRailroad. Each Septem-ber for three days, railfans come from allaround the globe to tourBailey Yard, the UPRR’s switchingyard, the largest in the world where150 trains and 10,000 railcars are
processed every day. Highlights of Rail Fest include live
music, good food, events for familiesand lots and lots of train stuff. Toursof the Golden Spike Tower and Vis-itor Center and Buffalo Bill’sScouts Rest Ranch and the LincolnCounty Historical Museum arepart of the celebration, as well as afree picnic for UPRR employeesand their families.
The 2012 Rail Fest, Sept. 14-16, willcelebrate the 150th anniversary ofthe UPRR.
101 THINGS TO DO SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012 11THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
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Listen to music at the CountryBluegrass Festival
The 2012 CountryBluegrass show at theLincoln County Fair-ground will kick off atnoon on Thursday, April25. The event will fea-ture The Sleepy ManBanjo Boys and back bypopular demand, TheSpinney Brothers.
Established in 2000,the Country Bluegrass
Festival has grown,drawing visitors fromall across the country tohear someof thefinest toe-t a p p i n ’tunes per-formed bysome ofthe coun-try’s topbluegrass performers.The three-day eventdraws audiences back
year after year for themusic and Midwesternhospitality. All concertsare indoors, and camp-ing and showers areavailable. A completeschedule and ticket in-formation is availableon the website, country-bluegrassshow.home-stead.com. For more in-formation, call Donnaat (308) 530-0452 or emailwwblue g [email protected].
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Leave your footprints atLake McConaughy
“Big Mac” is thestate’s largest reservoirwith 100 miles of shore-line. Famous to Ne-braskans and residentsof surrounding statesfor its white sand beach-
es, “Big Mac” is also known for excel-lent fishing and boating and is a fa-vorite for campers, sailboaters, wind-surfers and many other outdoor seek-ers of fun.
When it’s full, Lake McConaughy is22 miles long, four miles wide and 142feet deep at Kingsley Dam. For infor-mation on services at the lake, go towww.lakemcconaughy.com.
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Go to Open MicNight at A-Z Books
The microphone isavailable to everyoneduring Open Mic Nightat A-Z Books in NorthPlatte, 507 North JeffersStreet.
Musings, music, poet-ry, prose, comedy andsing-alongs, it’s all wel-
come on the second Fri-day and the last Satur-day of every month. Cof-fee and tea is providedand guests usuallybring snacks to share.Donations are welcome.Each performer is allot-ted 3-5 minutes at themicrophone at leasttwice during the
evening. Friday per-formancesbegin at 7p.m., andSaturday’sat 7:30 p.m.
To findout more,c o n t a c tS h a r o nOwen at A-Z, 534-0140.
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Horse races on MainStreet in Wellfleet
Each year one of the high-lights of the Wellfleet Fall Fes-tival is the horse races downthe center of town.
The festival, held on the sec-ond weekend in September has
been an annual tradition in thesmall community 25 milessouth of North Platte for morethan 50 years.
This year’s festival is Sept. 8.Go to www.wellfleetfallfesti-val.com for a complete scheduleof events.
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Attend a NorthPlatte CommunityCollege class
Whether you are look-ing for continuing educa-tion credits,professionald e v e l o p -ment orsimply tiredof beingfrustratedby your dig-ital camera,Mid-Plains CommunityCollege Center for Enter-prise has something foryou. A wide range ofclasses are available onsite or online for busi-nesses, local agenciesand community groups.A class schedule and reg-istration information isavailable online at www.centerforenterprise.com.
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Celebrate Academic All-StarsOutstanding high school seniors are
honored each spring as aca-demic all starts. Sponsored bythe North Platte Telegraph,the North Platte Chamberand Development Corpora-tion and North Platte Com-munity College, the all starsare recognized for their aca-demic achievements and ex-tra-curricular activities.
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1719 Rodeo Road • (308) 534-7309North Platte, NE 69103 • Fax (308) 534-3050
We Love North Platte!
101 THINGS TO DO12 SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012 THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
QUICK PICKS: Things to do, 49 through 83 49. Roller skate in GrantSix Aces Roller Rink on U.S.
Highway 61 in Grant, openFriday and Saturday nights,6:30-9 p.m. MST, skate rentaland skating for $6. Call (308)352-2160 for information.
50. Business After Hours BAH events traditionally
take place on the first andthird Friday of each month.Call (308) 532-4966 for more info.
51. Curtis Easter PageantThe annual Easter Pageant
in Curtis takes place everyPalm Sunday at 3 p.m. in thegymnasium at Medicine Val-ley High School.
52. Drive by the winninghouses in the Yuletide Yardcompetition
Winning entries in the con-test will be featured duringthe North Platte RecreationalCenter Tour of Lights in De-cember. Admission to thetour is a paper product.
53. Attend a local highschool event
To find out the schedule ofschool activities from sportsto concerts, go towww.nppps.org andnpcs.esu16.org.
54. Go for a bike rideNorth Platte is home to
nearly 20 miles of bike trails,including nearly 12 miles oftrails off city streets. Enjoy!
55. Watch the planes atNorth Platte Airport
For flight information, go towww.northplatteairport.com or call (308) 532-1558.
56. Visit the Mansion onthe Hill in Ogallala
Open Tuesday through
Thursday from 9-noon and 1-4p.m. and from 1-4 p.m. on Sun-day, admission is $2 for adultsand $1 for children 5-12.
57. Go fly a kiteCallaway is the home to the
annual Kite Flight, Sept. 1-2in Foster Smith’s field, fourmiles southeast of Callaway.Cost is $2 per person.
58. Unreel EventsThe outdoor event arena
features live music, comedi-ans, and other events in afamily-friendly environment.For more on upcoming eventscontact Louis at 530-7857.
59. Walk in Relay for Life This year, the walk will
take place overnight from 6p.m. to 6 a.m. on Aug. 4-5 atAdams Middle School. Fundsraised from the walk will ben-efit the American Cancer So-ciety. Contact Kirsten Parkerat 308-535-6372 or at 308-539-3546.
60. Lincoln County Fair Early events for this year’s
fair include Ranch Rodeo atGreat Western Bank Arenaon Friday, July 20, and the An-nual Shootout Race on Satur-day, July 21. The fair officiallybegins on Wednesday, July 25.For more information contactthe Lincoln County Fair-ground at 308-534-8191.
61. Sutherland Rodeo To learn about how you can
get involved in next year’srodeo call Jim Haugland at386-4392.
63. Swim/camp at Sutherland Lake
The 3,017 Sutherland StateRecreation Area includes thelake and 37 acres of wilder-
ness with three public accessareas. Camping is $7 pernight, and motorists require aparking sticker.
64. Adopt a pet Located at 1402 N. Sycamore
St. For pictures of current ani-mals up for adoption, go toFacebook and type in NP ani-mal shelter. For more informa-tion call 535-6780.
65. Visit the North PlattePublic Library
Summer hours: Mondayand Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.;Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday,and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.For more info, contact the li-brary at 308-535-8036.
66. Try wine tasting atFeather River
Feather River Vineyard isopen daily from 2-6 p.m., Fri-day from 2-8 p.m. If you wouldlike to plan an event, contactJanie Sogioka at 660-1828. Dri-ve east on State Farm Roadand follow the signs.
67. Watch theater, lecturesand more at the Neville
Tickets for events can bepurchased online atwww.northplattecommunity-playhouse.org, by calling 308-532-8559, or stopping by thebox office Monday throughFriday from noon to 5 p.m.
68. Visit a farmers marketJuly through October:
Tuesday, 4:30-6:30; Saturday,7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.,Parkade Plaza; 4:30-6:30 p.m.North Platte Mall. More infois available online at north-plattefarmersmarket.com.
69. Camp MaranathaJust south of Maxwell.
Find more info on their web-site maranathacamp.org, orby calling them at 582-4513.
70. Enjoy the five Commu-nity Unity Art Sculptures
The five locations of thetowers around town are Cen-tennial Park, Cody Park,Memorial Park, Iron HorsePark and next to the LincolnCounty Courthouse.
71. See Santa in CodyPark’s North Pole
Cody Park’s Winter Won-derland in December in-cludes movies, hayrides andfree rides on the carouseland glider rides. The conces-sion stand will also be open.
72. The dog parkWaggin’ Tails Dog Park is
located in Centennial Park.Happy Hound Retreat is lo-cated just north of theDowhower Softball Complex.
73. Visit Dancing LeafFor lodging or camping at
the site it is suggest youmake a reservation at leasttwo days in advance. There’sa minimum cost of $100, atent space or RV parking willcost you $12. A night in a cab-in costs between $50 and $75.
74. Twentieth CenturyVeterans Memorial
The park is open to visitorsyear-round during daylighthours. For more informationabout the memorial, pleasecontact 532-6579 or 636-2461.
75. Fort McPherson Na-tional Cemetery
Fort McPherson NationalCemetery lodge was built in1876 at its current location,on the west side of Nebraska
Highway 56A Spur, two milessouth of the Interstate 80 in-terchange, exit 190.
76. See bald eaglesIn Western Nebraska there
are two locations to view thebirds. The J-2 Eagle ViewingFacility is located a few milessouth of Lexington, and theKingsley Dam Viewing Area.
77. Last functioning millin Nebraska
Champion, on the French-man River on Nebraska 106west of Imperial, is the site ofthe oldest functioning water-powered mill in Nebraska.
78. Watch or play soccerAYSO soccer games for
children are held in Centen-nial Park.
79. Eat at the Pink PoodleLocated at 111 W. Second St.
Breakfast, lunch and dinnerserved from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.Mondays through Saturdays.
80. Be a Master Gardener To learn more contact
David Lott at (308) 696-6781 orat [email protected].
81. Military vehicles museumOpen Saturdays from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundaysfrom 1-5 p.m. 308-324-6329, 606Heartland Rd.
82. Canteen Bar and GrillLocated inside the Quality
Inn/Suites at 2102 S. JeffersStreet, Canteen Bar and Grillis open from 11 a.m. to 10p.m. Monday through Friday,from 5-10 p.m. Saturday, 5-9p.m. on Sunday.
83. Platte River FitnessSeries
Find details online at platteriverfitness.com.
101 THINGS TO DO SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012 13THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
Take in the Open Road ChallengeIn 2012, the Sandhills Open Road Challenge will be
celebrating its 12th year in existence.Just one of three races of its kind in the country,
the SORC’s main event is a 55-mile rally-style openroad race through the NebraskaSandhills from Arnold to Dunning onAug. 11, 2012.
Organizers have also added severalevents, including the Loup 2 LoupOpen Road Race, a 12-mile jaunt fromHalsey to Perdum, on Aug. 9, which isnew this year. A fan favorite is the One-MileShootout, just north of Cozad on Aug. 10. Followingthe shootout is a car show and parade in downtownArnold.
The SORC encourages the general public to attendany of the races. For more information, go to theSORC website, at www.sorcrace.com.
84THINGS TO DO
Rent a Fun JumpzLooking for some family fun for
birthdays or special events? Rent a gi-ant Fun Jumpz inflatable for yourevent.From the Castle and SpongebobJumphouse to Bungee Basketball andJumphouse Boxing,Fun Jumpz, a compa-ny based in NorthPlatte, provides familyentertainment for allevents.
Fun Jumpz also hasthree water slides that you can get, aswell. For more information, contactFun Jumpz at 308-532-1575 or 308-539-JUMP, or visit their website art fun-jumpz.net.
85THINGS TO DO
Watch the Optimists’ fireworks show atthe Lincoln County Fairgrounds
The North Platte Optimists Club sponsors FlatRock’s official fireworks show. Everyyear at dusk, residents gather at theLincoln County fairgrounds to watchthe brilliant display light up the sky.They fill the bleachers and parkinglots and line U.S. Highway 30 in theirvehicles when they run out of room everywhere else.
The show is free and open to the public, but dona-tions are accepted. It costs a lot of money to put on thedisplay, and the Optimists conduct fundraisersthroughout the year in preparation. Those includeselling Christmas trees and hosting various raffles.
Between eight and 10 people keep the firing line go-ing. As a result, there are few delays, and the fire-works explode in rapid succession.
86THINGS TO DO
Attend the KidsDiscover event
Kids Discover is achild’s paradise. Everyyear in October, theNorth Platte Telegraph,with the help of manycommunity sponsors,hosts Kids Discover, afree event where kids canhave fun and learn at thesame time.
For one Saturday everyyear, they can get theirpictures taken with a fa-mous cartoon character,like Dora the Explorer in2011, or meet HerbieHusker, the Kool-Aid manor Spike from the GoldenSpike Tower. They canget their faces painted orplay paintball.
The National WeatherService sets up a booth toteach kids about stormsafety, Fun Jumpz has in-flatables for them tojump on and the Nebras-ka National Guard pro-vides a tour of militaryvehicles.
The purpose of KidsDiscover is to give fami-lies something to do thatis both entertaining andeducational. The festivaltakes place at the NorthPlatte Community Col-lege south campus, 601 W.State Farm Road, on thesouth side of Interstate 80.
89THINGS TO DO
Admire a local artist at the Art and Gift GalleryThe Art and Gift Gallery, 516 N. D e w e y Street, has been a part of
North Platte’s Downtown district since 1987. The gallery offers five rooms of original artwork
by area artists, including paintings, drawings, wood-carvings, jewelry, pottery, photography and pine nee-dle baskets.
Two rooms feature pieces created by gallery mem-bers, and a third hosts monthly competitive artshows, which are open to the public. The last two rooms are “showand tell” or “treasure box” galleries showcasing artwork by bothmembers and nonmembers. The gallery is open Tuesdays throughSaturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment.
88THINGS TO DO
Re-live history with theannual Cemetery Tours
Each year at the North PlatteCemetery, along Rodeo Road, lo-cal actors with the North PlattePublic LibraryFoundation helprelive the pastwith first-hand ac-counts of histori-cal figures fromaround NorthPlatte. In 2012, around Rail Festin September, the library founda-tion will present “Railroaders,Ranchers and Thieves,” focusingon the early days of North Platte.
This year also saw the addition ofa Nebraskaland Days tour.
The first cemetery tour was in2006, sponsored by the CreativeArts Council in 2006, and focusedon numerous murder mysteriesin the history of North Platte.The library picked up sponsor-ship of the event in 2007 and hasGhosts of the Union Pacific Rail-road, If these Walls Could Talk,Little Chicago and Civil War-themed events in the years since.For more information on thecemetery tours, contact theNorth Platte Public Library at308-535-8036.
87THINGS TO DO
Attend a small-town festival
Duringthe earlyautumn,from Au-g u s tthroughSeptem-ber and October, travelaround Lincoln Countyto the small-town festi-vals. Nearly every Sat-
urday during those twomonths, one of thesmall communitiesaround North Platte ishost to a fall festival.
From Wellfleet, toMaxwell, to Sutherland,to Brady, to Hershey, thecommunities of LincolnCounty celebrate theirheritage with games,parades, cookouts, car-nivals and camaraderie.
90THINGS TO DO
See old woods, fossils, bones and moreat Petrified Wood Gallery
Ancient woods and fossils fromaround the world are just some ofthe attractions that can be found atthe Petrified Wood Gallery in Ogal-lala. Located at 418 E. First Street,across from the historic FrontStreet, the gallery also showcases avariety of arrowheads and Native American arti-facts.
Many of the items were collected within a 25-mile radius of Ogallala. Brothers Harvey andHoward Kenfield opened the original PetrifiedWood Gallery. The two began collecting Indian ar-tifacts in 1953. They eventually branched into col-lecting petrified wood and learned how to cut andpolish rocks.
In 2000, they donated their collection to the West-ern Nebraska Community Foundation, with therestriction that it stay in Ogallala. An additionwas built onto the Front Street attraction to housethe gallery. In 2011, it moved to its current location,where it has added artwork by visiting artists andloaned exhibits from other collectors. The galleryis open Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to4 p.m. Admission is a free-will donation.
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WWW.NPTELEGRAPH.COM
An actressportrays the
notorious NorthPlatte villian
Annie Cook inNorth Platte
Cemetery dur-ing an annual
cemetery tour.
Telegraph file photo
101 THINGS TO DO14 SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012 THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
By DIANE [email protected]
William F. Cody stands outamong the many colorful figuresof the Old West. Born in Iowa in1846, Cody was a Pony Expressrider at age 14,fought in the Civ-il War and in 1867began huntingbuffalo to feedc o n s t r u c t i o ncrews buildingthe railroad. Cody claimed tohave killed more than 4,200 buf-falo in 18 months, earning himthe nickname Buffalo Bill. As awell-known scout, Cody oftentook rich Easterners and evenRussian royalty on hunting trips.Writer Ned Buntline heard ofCody’s adventures and wrote“Buffalo Bill, King of the BorderMen,” that became a play. Codyended up starring in the play, andin 1883, began the Wild West Show.
The Wild West Show was atraveling extravaganza thattoured in the United States andEurope for three decades and attimes, featured sharpshooter An-nie Oakley and Sitting Bull.
North Platte’s ties to the for-mer Pony Express Rider, scoutand buffalo hunter remain strongtoday. The city became his head-quarters during the days of theWild West Show. He bought 4,000acres of land near North Platte,offering access to the railroad.
The working ranch Codynamed Scouts Rest Ranch becameBuffalo Bill State Historic Park in1966. For the cost of a park permit(available on site) visitor maytour the elegant Victorian homeCody built in 1886 and the largebarn where Cody kept many ofthe Wild West Show stock.
Located just northwest ofNorth Platte at 2921 Scouts RestRanch Road, the 25 acre park isnext to the Buffalo Bill StateRecreation Area that offers beau-tiful camping locations along theNorth Platte River. There are 50amp electrical campsites andsites for tent camping.
Cody’s home, built during theheyday of the Wild West Show, isfilled with Old West era furnish-ings and memorabilia. Out at theranch, visitors can watch amovie of film clips taken whenthe show was touring.
Scouts Rest Ranch is openevery day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.from May 23 through Sept. 2.Sept. 8 through Oct. 23, it is openMonday through Friday from 10a.m. to 4. p.m.
Either for fun or profit, Codyenjoyed entertaining. Each yearin that spirit, “Christmas at theCody’s” is celebrated with old-fashioned fun. Nightly hayrackrides, roasting chestnuts andgreetings from Buffalo Bill him-self (impersonator Bruce Rich-man) create a fun, holiday atmos-phere that harkens back to thedays of the Old West.
This year, Christmas at theCody’s will be Dec. 20-23.
For information about Christ-mas at the Cody’s, Buffalo BillState Historic Park and otherBuffalo Bill-related attractionsin the area, visit the North Plat-te/Lincoln County Conventionand Visitors Bureau website atwww.visitnorthplatte.com.
Pay a visit to Buffalo Bill’s house
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Scout’s Rest Ranch and Buffalo Bill State Recreation Area are located at2921 Scouts Rest Ranch Road in North Platte.
Telegraph file photo
Pump it up at thecompetition forstrong men
The annual Strong-man Shootout Classic isa test of more thanphysical strength — it’sabout mental en-durance as well. Sched-uled in conjunctionwith NebraskaLandDays in June, it’s the
largest strongman eventin Nebraska and theGreat Plains region.
Power lifters arejudged on time, distanceand repetitions in lightheavyweight, heavy-weight and super heavy-weight divisions. Thecontest includes a 366-pound tire flip and afarmer’s walk, in which
two contestants raceagainst each otherw h i l ecarryingup to 400p o u n d sof rail-road rail80 feet.There’s also a powermedley, which is threeexercises in one.
It consists of a keg stack,loaded trailer push andmanhole cover carryingcontest. The event hap-pens at the Wild WestArena in North Platte,2400 North Buffalo BillAvenue. Admission is $6for adults, $4 for stu-dents and free for kids12 and younger. Foodand beer are available.
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Discover a hidden treasure at anantiques store
Discover a treasure of thepast at one of the many antiquestores around the area.
Antique hunters fromaround the area can find hid-den treasures at a number ofantique shops in North Platte, including RedRoof Antiques, the Hay Loft, Grandma’s Mem-ories Antiques and Steele’s Antique Depot.
By definition, an antique has to be 100 yearsold, but treasures can be found everywhere forthose who look. The Nebraska Antique DealersAssociation suggests you buy whatever you en-joy collecting most.
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Listen to the North Platte Municipal Band in a city park
Experience a 100-plus yearold tradition by coming to aconcert of the North Platte Mu-nicipal Band.
Filled with local, talentedmusicians, the North PlatteMunicipal Band plays on most
Friday nights during the summer months atvarious parks throughout North Platte.
The band plays throughout the communityat Cody Park, Lincoln County Historical Muse-um, Memorial Park and Centennial Park eachJune and July.
For more information, contact David Thelen,band director, at 308-532-4764 or 308-520-0147.
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See hundreds of Corvettes in ImperialDig in to a little automotive
history, and view historiccorvettes, at the CarnutzCruize-In Car Show during theChase County Fair in Imperialeach August.
During the third week of Au-gust each year, Chase County celebrates itsheritage with its annual fair, which includesthe Carnutz Cruise-In Car Show from noon to 4p.m. just west of the Fairgrounds at 7th andWellington in Imperial. In partnership withHarchelroad Motors, the dealer sponsor for theGreat Plains Corvette Club and the CornHusker Corvette Club, hundreds of Corvetteowners come to Imperial every year, makingthe Chase County Fair a destination forCorvette enthusiasts everywhere.
For more on the Chase County Fair, and itsevents, go to www.chasecountyfair.com.
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WANT MORE THINGS TO DO? CHECK OUT THE WHAT’S GOING ON
CALENDAR, ON PAGE A3 EACH DAY
IN THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH!
101 THINGS TO DO SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012 15THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
Listen to Peter, Job andChuck at DaBuzz Coffee Shop
Looking for some good ’60s and’70s music in a relaxed, live setting?Check out Job, Pe-ter and Chuck atDa Buzz.
The North Plattetrio, who has beenperforming togeth-er for five years,plays music regularly at Da Buzz, a
North Platte coffeehouse at 1208 WestA Street, next to North Platte HighSchool.
You can also catch the trio at vari-ous events around town, includingRail Fest and Heritage Days.
Da Buzz is open from 6:30 a.m. to 5p.m., Monday through Friday, and7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Butwatch the Telegraph for specialevening performances at Da Buzz byJob, Peter and Chuck.
101THINGS TO DO
Join a local gymNorth Platte offers a
plethora of aerobic ac-tivities for everyone.
Whether it’s 24-hourfitness that you’re inneed of, personal train-ing, or maybe aerobicsand socializing, NorthPlatte has it.
Nebraska Athletics at
1701 E. 4th Street, BasicFitness at 220 W. Leota,Fire House Gym at 908E. Seventh and A DaeSpa at 1218 N. Ash offer
a number of workoutprograms. Cain Athlet-ics, at 1204 W. A St., andStick 2 Fitness, at 3205S. Oak, offer personaltraining courses andprograms. Jazzercise, at1220 W. A St., fast-pacedaerobics and Curves forWomen is located at 521N. Dewey.
100THINGS TO DO
View some passing trains at Sutherland’sRailroad Park
Located along the Old Lin-coln Highway in Sutherlandsits Railroad Park.
The Park, which runs in be-tween High-way 30 andthe Union Pa-cific Railroadtracks givestrain enthusi-asts the per-fect spot to view trains alongthe railroad, as they carryfreight along one of thebusiest tracks in the world.The park celebrates LincolnCounty’s rich railroading tra-dition.
Located 25 miles west ofNorth Platte via either High-way 30 or I-80, the park offerslarge shade trees, picnic ar-eas with barbecue grates, aplayground, a shelter andhorseshoe pits for entertain-ment. Also, a pedestrian over-pass spans the railroadtracks, offering a unique per-spective of the Union Pacifictracks.
99THINGS TO DO
Experience an old-fashioned Fourth ofJuly in North Platte
An old tradition is regain-ing popularity in LincolnCounty. Every year the histor-ical museum, 2403 North Buf-falo Bill Avenue, hosts ananvil blowing.
It’s a sport enjoyed in theearly days ofAmerica’s set-tlement — longbefore fire-works. BillFanter, the mu-seum’s black-smith, launches 80 and 30-pound anvils into the air,some shooting as high as 20-feet. He begins by placing ananvil upside down on theground and filling the hole inthe bottom with black powderand a fuse.
Another anvil is placed ontop, and the fuse is lit, thrust-ing the top anvil skyward. Nosparks result, but a cloud ofblack powder and a resound-ing boom are left behind asthe iron sails through the air.
The performance is free andopen to the public. Donationsare accepted to help offset thecost of black powder. Peopleare encouraged to take lawnchairs, earplugs and refresh-ments. No alcohol is allowed.
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Run the Corn Maze atthe Golden Spike
An autumn tradition inNorth Platte is running theCorn Maze at the GoldenSpike.
In 2011, the flashlight night,and haunted Fridays were sopopular thatthe Spike ise x t e n d i n gtheir hourson Saturdays,as well. Thespike, at 1249N. Homestead Road west ofNorth Platte, hosts 5.3 milesof corn maze fun in a 10-acrecorn field beginning on Sept.14 in 2012, and extended forthe next seven weekendsthrough Halloween.
During the weeks sur-rounding Halloween, thecorn maze is “haunted” bythe North Platte Jaycees as afundraiser.
Flashlight nights begin at 5p.m., and the haunted cornmaze runs the last two week-ends.
The maze is open 4:30-11p.m. on Fridays, 1-11 p.m. onSaturdays and 1-5 p.m. on Sundays. Dur-ing Rail Fest Weekend in 2012, Sept. 14-16, there will be handcar races adjacentto the corn maze, and organizers areplanning more and more events eachyear to coincide with the corn maze.
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During the weeks surrounding Halloween, the cornmaze at the Golden Spike is “haunted” by the NorthPlatte Jaycees as a fundraiser.
Telegraph file photo