But, if you ever run out of ideas or just crave something different, don’t count Nebraska out. I went there on a weekend 4th block- met up with some old friends in Ord, NE. I had only ever been driven thru the state once before (on the way to Chicago). It was my first time staying in Nebraska and I hadn’t seen these friends for 5 years, nor had I ever heard of Ord.
Ord
bucks the Nebraska stereotype of flat, boring land.
A small town with a great old movie theater and some fun antique shops, Ord’s population is around four thousand, but the people are nice enough to have made headlines in The New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal. They are as liberal as small-town folks come, tremendously progressive for Midwesterners. Since I’m from New York- the biggest, loudest and most eventful city in the nation- I’ve always been appreciative but often disinterested by small-town American living. However, as far as little towns go, Ord is quite livable. I could see myself spending a month or two there.
A small town with a great old movie theater and some fun antique shops, Ord’s population is around four thousand, but the people are nice enough to have made headlines in The New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal. They are as liberal as small-town folks come, tremendously progressive for Midwesterners. Since I’m from New York- the biggest, loudest and most eventful city in the nation- I’ve always been appreciative but often disinterested by small-town American living. However, as far as little towns go, Ord is quite livable. I could see myself spending a month or two there.
The
biggest surprise was how many bodies of water there are. Driving thru the state
on the highway, I would have never guessed this. But exploring it is a
different story. Like upstate New York, the most beautiful parts of Nebraska
are far off the interstate.
Ord is central to four lakes and four rivers. Locals pride the great fishing conditions around Davis Creek and the Calamus and Sherman Reservoirs- all within 25 miles of the center of town. We went water skiing on Davis Creek and canoeing on the Calamus Reservoir. I recommend both activities, and if you can’t get hold of a canoe I would advise swimming or tubing- depending on the season and what you can rent. It was a bit cold for water-skiing, but fun nonetheless. We also flew over the state’s beautiful sand hills during a magnificent sunset (one of those moments where you can’t believe nobody has a camera). I realize not everyone who goes to Nebraska will have a friend with a boat and a plane- but just hiking around is worth the experience. As Ord’s website boasts “our area rivers have some of the best hidden waters trails in the United States”. While we did almost no hiking, the scenery would be worth walking around on any day.
Ord is central to four lakes and four rivers. Locals pride the great fishing conditions around Davis Creek and the Calamus and Sherman Reservoirs- all within 25 miles of the center of town. We went water skiing on Davis Creek and canoeing on the Calamus Reservoir. I recommend both activities, and if you can’t get hold of a canoe I would advise swimming or tubing- depending on the season and what you can rent. It was a bit cold for water-skiing, but fun nonetheless. We also flew over the state’s beautiful sand hills during a magnificent sunset (one of those moments where you can’t believe nobody has a camera). I realize not everyone who goes to Nebraska will have a friend with a boat and a plane- but just hiking around is worth the experience. As Ord’s website boasts “our area rivers have some of the best hidden waters trails in the United States”. While we did almost no hiking, the scenery would be worth walking around on any day.
So,
if you’re ever in the mood for Nebraska’s delicious honey or, if you just want
to stare at old-fashioned windmills, flocks of geese and all-black
hummingbirds, check it out! The water-filled state is also home to the big city
of Omaha and the historic city of Grand Island- although I can’t vouch for
them. If you’re with the right group of people, there’s fun to be had in Ord!
If I can’t convince you to make the 6-hour trip, or
you can’t convince your friends to come with you- at least stop by on your way
thru Nebraska next time your road tripping northeast. And even if your not, its
worth going a little out of the way for an experience you’ll remember.
It’s kind of wild how a state that owns about a sixth
of our border seems to have non-existent representation at Colorado College.
This has to be part of the reason nobody is going crazy to visit the state.
Maybe I just don’t know the right people but I would bet money anyone reading
this can count all the people they know from Nebraska on one hand, if not one
finger.
If I still can’t convince you simply because if you
don’t want to drive for 6 hours, cut your time in half and just check out the
Scotts Bluff National Monument. You’ll still be able to say “I had fun in
Nebraska”, which, so far as I’ve noticed, tends to shock people from every
corner of America. “I can’t imagine having fun there. But if you did, I’m sure
I would too!” said my great friend, fellow sophomore Noah Gallo-Brown.
Trust him and trust me: Nebraska is worth your
time.
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