If you’ve been thinking about visiting North Platte, Nebraska, this is the weekend. Seriously, just get in the car and go! Yes, it’s that time of year to put on your cowboy boots, find your hat, and mosey on down to the Wild West Arena where you can wrangle up all kinds of fun at NEBRASKAland Days!
The folks at the convention and visitors bureau there are oh, so nice and we were delighted they sent us a postcard!
Two years ago, Steve and I stopped in North Platte for a couple days while on a road trip through the great state of Nebraska. We arrived by early evening and had a great, home cooked steak dinner at the Canteen Grille before settling in across the street at the North Platte Hampton Inn (one of the very best Hamptons we’ve stayed at — and we’ve stayed at a lot of them).
The next day we ventured over the Cody Park [read more about that here] and spent several hours learning about the workings of the railroad and it’s history in North Platte at Bailey Yards and the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor’s Center. The rail yard was amazing and we sat watching rail cars go over the “hump” and especially enjoyed hearing the stories of those who were part of the North Platte Canteen during World War II.
The best part of our trip was seeing everything there is to do at NEBRAKSAland Days. We visited exhibits, saw Rodeo Queens, and Steve even tried his hand at the quick draw (chaps and all). That night, we wandered over to the Wild West Arena for a great country music concert. This year, Dierks Bentley will close out the week with a concert on June 25, 2016.
Before the concert there, we couldn’t resist stopping for a big plate of fresh cut and fried potatoes. Seemed like the perfect dinner fare for a couple cowboy wannabes.
We didn’t have enough time to try everything that NEBRAKSAland Days has to offer. But will we return again someday. If you’re interested in checking out NEBRASKAland Days this year June 15-25, visit the website at www.nebraskalanddays.com. And get your tastebuds ready — fried potatoes are waiting!