Kearney Nebraska

We set off for all points west just after 11am and we were soon across the border in Kansas in the town of Hiawatha.

We visited the Davis memorial.

John Davis, a local farmer spent most of his fortune on a tomb for his wife Sarah after she died in 1930.

The locals were angry as they thought the money would be better spent on a new hospital.

The statues were imported from Italy at great expense and showed John and Sarah at various stages in their lives. We signed the visitors book and moved on.

The road went on and on..... We travelled on this straight road for over 100 miles... It is the Pony Express Highway. We passed the geographical centre of the USA.

We past many farms...

.....and lovely barns.

Until finally we arrived in Nebraska.

We were staying at the New Victorian in Kearney.

A nice hotel with fridge and microwave but no lift. Ask for a ground floor room if you stay here!

We dined at Whisky Creek, this is pumpernickel bread and we were encouraged to throw the peanut shells on the floor!

Next morning we set off to explore Kearney. This bridge is the Great River Road Archway, built to commemorate the pioneers who passed through here on their journey west. The road runs next to the River Platte which guided the travellers on their way. The Oregon, Californian and Mormon trails pass by here as well as the route of the Pony Express.

Inside we were greeted warmly by 'Crazy Meek' otherwise known as Stephen Hallam Meek, a mountain man who lost his wagon somewhere on the salt flats.

We spied a quilt in the gift shop.

Then we travelled up into the museum in the bridge.

It was a really interesting set of exhibits telling the story of those who had struggled to journey west.

The pioneers who walked most of the way....

The forty-niners...

The Mormons....

The journey was tough. Wagons held their prize possessions, some of which had to be abandoned en route as the going got tough.

Many pioneers do not make it and the trails are littered with graves.

The Pony express helped to further open up the West.

We saw many pony express stations on the road through Kansas and Nebraska.

The arrival of the motor car made travel to the West more accessible, the Lincoln Highway now follows much of the Oregon Trail.

We really are in the middle of nowhere!

The museum told the story really well and it is well worth a visit if you are ever in Kearney!

Here is the River Platte, that's our jeep behind the tree!

We are now moving on to Scottsbluff and we have some quilt shops to visit along the way so we had better get going!

It's a beautiful sunny warm day.

 

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