great platte river archway

This monument was dedicated to the settlers traveling westward back in the day of covered wagons in 1843 to 1869. It honors the spirit of the half million men, women, children and horses that battled their way through treacherous terrain and made their way westward.

Along with the wagon spirit, there is also spirit of design and engineering in creating the Great Platte River Archway. The monument is pretty big. It is composed of a 1,500 ton structure that stretches across the 308 foot wide highway. Amazingly enough, the archway was erected without inhibiting traffic or creating gridlock, the modern day treachery for travelers.

wild west by buffalo bill

hey kool-aid

I've always wondered where Kool-Aid came from. Not the invention of the Kool-Aid powder. Everyone knows that Edwin Perkins derived the idea of Kool-Ade - the original, outlawed spelling in 1927, from Jell-O. But I wondered where the physical location of where Kool-Aid, the man, was born. This year, the agony of not knowing has finally ended. He was born in an expectedly, sterile environment in Hastings, Nebraska. While the building was a little lack-luster, the sugary, sweet bits of knowledge are safely set aside for eccentric party trivia. Now, if I could only figure out where Cap'n Crunch hailed from. So begins my quest to track down mom's worst enemy: sucrose-loving characters.

largest ball of stamps

Just outside Omaha, Nebraska, in Boys Town you can stop by the visitor's center to see the largest ball of stamps. The lacquered, sphere of canceled postage stamps measures 32 inches in diameter, weighs 600 pounds and contains 4,655,000 stamps.

At first I wasn't believer. Then I read the sign a second time. At the top of the sign I noticed a familiar script that read 'Ripley's Believe It or Not.' The little logo tilted the scale towards the ball of stamps and made me a believer. Afterall, if you can't trust in Ripley, then who can you trust.

pony express

Gothenburg, Nebraska has one of the original Pony Express stations that was built along the Oregon Trail. Back in the day, the Pony Express was considered the overpriced cafe latte of express mail. They boasted a speedy delivery from California to Missouri in a blazing 10 days. Their hoof beaten trail easily out ran the wagon-wheeled competition by 20 days.

Unfortunately, the demand for mail delivery speed did not last and the Pony Express only ran for 18 months. Fortunate for us, the US mail started up and we only pay 44 cents for a 1 oz letter, versus the pony express $5 for half oz. Thank goodness for the Post Office.