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Are your groups looking for something new and different? Perhaps a unique destination they never have thought of exploring before? If so, check out Nebraska Tourism’s eight fun-filled group tour hub-and-spoke sample itineraries at visitnebraska.com/hub-and-spoke-tours. These itineraries were created with you and your clients in mind.
We know that many of you prefer to remain in one overnight location and then take day trips to surrounding group attractions and activities. So, drop your bags and start exploring. Three tours originating from Omaha, Lincoln and Norfolk take you throughout the rolling hills and gentle waterways of eastern Nebraska where you will explore the sights and sounds of Nebraska’s largest city, Omaha; our state’s capital, Lincoln; and Norfolk, the home of comedic celebrity Johnny Carson. You also will find hidden gems such as historic downtown Brownville, Nebraska City (home of Arbor Day), and stories of the outlaws who once roamed throughout the hills and valleys of Knox County along the Missouri and Niobrara rivers.
Speaking of sights and sounds, no trip to Nebraska is complete without a one-of-a-kind visit to view the majestic sandhill cranes during their spring migration when over one million cranes descend onto central Nebraska’s Platte River to rest and prepare for their migration northward. In addition to viewing the cranes up-close, our hub-and-spoke tours from Kearney and Grand Island are chock full of historic and cultural stops, such as The Archway in Kearney. This three-story interactive attraction highlights our nation’s westward migration (and is the nation’s only attraction spanning a federal interstate) while Grand Island’s Museum of the Prairie Pioneer retells the stories and hardships of pioneer life on the Great Plains. You also will not want to miss the Bigfoot Museum in nearby Hastings where visitors can decide for themselves if the legends are in fact true. You might be surprised.
If you are looking into venturing to western Nebraska, you will find a land full of authentic Old West cowboys, rich Native American history and a host of other colorful characters. In North Platte, visit Buffalo Bill’s historic home and chat with him and his wife before witnessing an authentic cowboy shoot-out or hearing the heartwarming story of the North Platte Canteen during WWII. Or if following in the footsteps of history surrounded by scenic buttes, bluffs and canyons is more your style, then you will enjoy going to the top of Scotts Bluff National Monument for an amazing view of the surrounding North Platte River valley. Many of our nation’s Overland Trails, including the Pony Express and Mormon and Oregon Trails cut a path through western Nebraska to a better life or religious freedom in the west. You can still hear their stories today.
Before you begin planning your next year’s calendar, check out Nebraska Tourism’s group tour website, www.visitnebraska.gov/group_travel for fun, new and exciting group opportunities across the Cornhusker State. Micheal Collins with Nebraska Tourism will be happy to assist you in planning an itinerary your clients will not soon forget, micheal.collins@nebraska.gov, 402-432-1384.
