More from the Midwest
11 reasons you must try Chaz on the Plaza in Kansas City
Forget what you think you know about hotel restaurants, because Chaz on the Plaza is different. While many hotels offer on-site dining that is just fine, Chaz on the Plaza in Kansas City's Raphael Hotel offers a true fine dining experience. With its upscale ambiance,...
9 ways The Raphael Hotel in Kansas City helps you relax and unwind
When you're ready to relax and unwind, the historic Raphael Hotel in Kansas City is the ideal place for a getaway. A sophisticated boutique hotel, it's just steps away from Kansas City's premier retail center, Country Club Plaza. Whether you're planning a couple's...
Nine great places to eat in Wichita as suggested by locals
We recently found several great places to eat in Wichita though we didn’t dine in at even one restaurant. Yes, it is possible, and we found a way to do it during the pandemic of 2020. In part because of my suppressed immune system and health issues, it had been nearly...
Outdoor activities in Wichita that will help you get in all your steps
Outdoor (and socially-distanced) activities in Wichita, Kan., were just what we were hoping to find when we ventured out to a new place for the first time in months. We've been working on losing weight and developing more healthy habits over the past few years. Now we...
Exploring Rochester, Minnesota, on our visit to the Mayo Clinic
We've been to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, more than a dozen times in the past five years. In fact, we started our blog, Postcard Jar, from there in 2014, just before Ann was diagnosed with a chronic disease called cardiac sarcoidosis. Typically, our trips...
Barbecue to Boba drinks: The best places to eat and drink in Kansas City, Kansas
A few weeks ago, we put on our stretchy pants and in a span of about 40 hours, sampled food and drinks from 20 different places to eat in Kansas City, Kansas. Yes, we ate a good amount barbecue - a local tradition and favorite. But we also tasted foods and beverages...
Why fans of “The Music Man” need to visit Mason City, Iowa
If you're a fan of "The Music Man" like I am, you are beside-yourself-excited at the thought of seeing Hugh Jackman bring Harold Hill back to life on Broadway in 2020. But before you head to the Big Apple to see the show, you should first visit Mason City, Iowa, where...
Eating our way through Kansas City, Kansas
We've been working hard at losing weight, but we'll be slowing down a bit this week. At least for 43 hours. We're headed out for a Foodie FAM called "A Taste of Kansas City, Kansas." Over the next couple of days, we'll be hosted by Visit Kansas City, Kansas, on a FAM...
Memorial Stadium tour in Lincoln – what to expect (and watch for)
On our Memorial Stadium tour in Lincoln, Neb., we noticed the Orange Bowl trophy from Jan. 2, 1998, is missing from the trophy case. Amazingly, no one from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is too worried. That's because it's right where it should be: in Husker head...
Surprise yourself with a vacation to legendary North Dakota
When we told people we were going on a 14-day road trip to “legendary” North Dakota, we got one of two responses: a blank stare, or a polite, "Why?" In all honesty, there was only one reason: We’d agreed to speak at a conference and that conference was in North...
20 Things to do in Kearney, Nebraska while you wait on the cranes
Sitting in the blind you're amazed at the noise coming from the river. The cranes get louder and more frenzied, reaching a crescendo you simply weren't expecting. Suddenly, tens of thousands of huge birds take to the air, wings flapping, the squeaking even louder now....
How to help Nebraska flood victims
As many of you already know, we are from Nebraska. Over the past week, our state has been devastated by historic floods and blizzards. At least 74 cities, including the one where we live, have issued emergency declarations. The photo below is on a bridge in our town...
10 things to do in Clear Lake, Iowa, in the off season
As we've traveled, we’ve discovered quite a few tips and tricks along the way. One of them is (if you have the flexibility) to travel to popular places in the off season. This fall, at the end of the busy tourist season, we had a chance to visit Clear Lake, Iowa, on a...
15 photo-worthy stops in Grinnell, Iowa
Grinnell, Iowa, is an active and artsy college town. It's also one of the most picturesque places we discovered on our weeklong road trip through the Hawkeye state. Whether you're returning for a class reunion, enjoying a weekend getaway, or simply passing through, be...
Pivo Brewery and Blepta Studios: Hand crafted beer and beer crafted art
When we sat down at Pivo Brewery, in tiny Calmar, Iowa, I was excited to taste a few craft beers at this new tap room. Then, owner Craig Neuzil came over to my table with eight (!) beers in sampling glasses. I was sure I'd told him it would just be me doing the...
Pinter’s Gardens & Pumpkins near Decorah, Iowa
I remember as a kid the excitement I felt at the start of fall. I loved jumping in huge piles of freshly raked leaves and taking in every moment of outside play I could before the snow of winter blew in. Every year I hunted for the ideal pumpkin to carve. I liked one...
10 things we love about Kinkaider Brewing Company in Broken Bow, Nebraska
Central Nebraska’s Kinkaider Brewing Company is quickly becoming one of the most popular destination craft breweries in the Midwest. Located at the edge of the rolling Sandhills in Broken Bow, Nebraska, Kinkaider was founded by four small-town Nebraskans, three of...
This Clear Lake, Iowa deli ranks #1 despite only being open 17 1/2 (ish) hours a week
Trip Advisor’s #1-ranked restaurant in Clear Lake, Iowa, is only open 17 and a half(ish) hours a week. Might not seem like the best business model, but the sisters who own and manage Starboard Market have made it work quite well in this quaint Midwest town – for 19...
A very filling agritourism progressive meal from the Plains Safaris conference
I went on my first agritourism progressive meal today. Let me just say, I'm now a big fan. Ann and I are attending the Plains Safaris: A conference on tourism and conservation in the Great Plains in Kearney, Nebraska, this week. When I saw that one of the...
Fellow travel bloggers publish book about one of our favorite cities — Omaha
This week, we are helping fellow travel bloggers and friends, Tim and Lisa Trudell of The Walking Tourists celebrate the launch of their new book, 100 Things To Do In Omaha Before You Die. The book is a compilation of 100 vignettes covering a wide variety of things to...
Join us in Kearney, Nebraska, for the Plains Safaris conference April 18-20
We are excited to announce that we've been asked to speak at what is sure to be an incredible ecotourism symposium in April called Plains Safaris. That's right Plains Safaris. If you've followed our blog for any time at all, you know that we live in a small, rural...
5 things to do in Omaha when it’s freezing
We planned an overnight trip to Omaha recently on what turned out to be one of those bone-chilling cold days we have here in the Midwest. The forecast called for snow showers, 30-mile-an-hour winds, and temperatures dropping to below zero that night. Instead of...
A gift from Nebraska Tourism and the most popular post from our home state
Yesterday we received a nice surprise in the mail from the Nebraska Tourism Commission Staff. As a thank-you for our help spreading the word about Nebraska's tourism industry, they sent us two beautiful calendars and each page included ... wait for it ... a postcard!...
Yes, Nebraska has a safari and I’m so glad we finally took the time to stop there
No matter where you live, there are likely tourist attractions nearby that you've driven past for years. You have good intentions of visiting, but never actually take the time to stop. At least once a month for more than 16 years, I've driven past a large, green sign...
Talking with Johnny and other things we did in Norfolk and Neligh, Nebraska
We'd been on the road for several days, now, and while Valentine marked the turn toward home on our Nebraska adventure with my folks, we were far from done with our trip. We set out from Valentine, our sights set on the Ashfall Fossil Beds, and made it east of town a...
TripAdvisor’s most hilarious manager responses from Robert J. at Peppermill
With more than 500 million candid traveler reviews, TripAdvisor has quickly become a go-to online resource for many travelers, including us. We often roll into a new city with cell-phones in hand, searching for a top-10ish restaurant to stop for dinner. We typically...
What’s not to love about Valentine?
Valentine, Nebraska is an easy place to love. And not just because of its name, either. When we took our trip around Nebraska this summer with my folks, we knew that one of our stops had to be Valentine. There is just so much to see and do in and around this city of...
How we drove 18 holes at Quarry Oaks Golf Club and didn’t lose a single ball
Yesterday, we drove carts through an entire 18-hole golf course and didn't have to stop once to look for a lost ball. Only because we didn't hit any. Not this time, anyway. This time, we didn't have to tee off once. My sister, Laura, works for a memory care residence...
Don’t judge Nebraska until you’ve gotten off of I-80 and seen the Sandhills
There is nothing quite like getting off the interstate to help you get to know a place better, and nowhere is that more true than Nebraska. Our state has a reputation for being flat and boring because the interstate used by hundreds of thousands of people each year...
Bull whips, the Wild West, and genuine hospitality – North Platte, Neb., has it all
Finally, I got to show my parents that 14-year-old me was right. On the second day of our trip across Nebraska this summer, we woke up at our hotel, mere steps from the place I'd wanted to go when I crossed the state with mom and dad 30 years earlier: Fort Cody...
Trains humping and other fun things we saw on our trip through central Nebraska
Day 1 of our Nebraska trip with Steve's parents began with a stop at The Village Pie Maker in Eustis, Nebraska. After learning the secret to making the best pie ever, we headed north to Cozad where we crossed the 100th Meridian. Having been on Interstate 80 a thousand...
The secret to The Village Pie Maker pies
Note: Since the publication of this post, Village Pie Maker was sold to a new owner, and the pies are now made at a facility near Omaha, Nebraska. We've tried the pies since the sale, and they are just as good now as they were then. I am the first to admit, I am not a...
A perfect fall day with family
Today was one of those cool, cloudy days when it starts to really feel like fall in Nebraska. The trees are starting to change colors and the corn fields are almost ready for harvest this time of year. Now that Steve has a more flexible schedule, we thought it might...
Eclipse 2017: An earth-shadowing experience from our home in Crete, Nebraska
When science writer Trudy Bell said to never let anyone convince me that 99% of the sun covered was the same as totality, I didn't know what to think. She then went on to say, "It's 1% of the sun's surface, but it's 100% of the experience." The moment the moon fully...
70+ things to do in Crete, Nebraska
As you have probably noticed, Steve and I are very excited for next week’s total solar eclipse! We are really fortunate that Crete, Nebraska, (where we live) is in the path of totality and because of that, we’re expecting lots of visitors to begin arriving here in the...
On the road again
When I decided to leave my full-time job as a middle school principal this spring, one of the things Ann and I wanted to do in this interim stage was spend more time with our families. For years, our jobs have dictated when we could travel and how much time we could...
Finally home for the Fourth of July
After having spent the Fourth of July out of the country three of the past four years, we're excited to be home this year to celebrate our country's Independence Day. In 2013, we were in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2015 we celebrated in Barcelona, Spain. And last...
Our weekend getaway to Chicago
Sometimes you just gotta go. I know, I know. You'd like to travel more but feel like you never have the time. But trust me, you can pack a lot into a long weekend. Sure, the garage might need cleaning. But let's be honest. It can wait. Would you rather look back on...
Our first cover story!
How cool is this? My college alma mater, the University of Nebraska - Kearney, just featured one of my photographs and our travel blog on the cover of its alumni magazine, UNK Today! It was so nice to see the story posted online today and we are looking forward to...
Why we love Valentine, Nebraska
It seems like a fitting time of year to write about a place we love to visit -- Valentine, Nebraska. Meghan and I drove to Valentine for the first time on one of our annual Nebraska road trips when she was in middle school. We went to see Smith Falls, Nebraska's...
Sharing our Postcards from Nebraska
One of the primary goals of our blog is simply to inspire people to travel more. So, when we got a call from a nearby community college asking if we'd be interested in teaching a course on Nebraska travel, we jumped at the opportunity. And so, last night, we found...
A sip of nostalgia in Hastings, Nebraska
Lots of interesting things were invented in our home state of Nebraska. Yes, we're the creators of vise grip locking pliers, frozen TV dinners, collapsable voting booths, and center pivot irrigation. Perhaps our biggest claim to fame, however, is the fruit-flavored,...
Leaving I-80 for a better view
In case you didn't know, I'm usually a get-there-as-quickly-as-we-can kinda guy. So when Ann told me that she and Meghan preferred to avoid the interstate on trips around Nebraska, I felt a little queasy. The thought of trailing long lines of cars and putting along...
Crete’s Great Pumpkin Festival
Our hometown of Crete, Neb., hosted its 2nd Annual Great Pumpkin Festival this weekend and we had so much fun hosting the photo booth and meeting so many new people. This year's festival was even bigger and better than last year's inaugural event [read more about that...
A quirky place called Carhenge
When we were in Great Britain last month, our first stop was at iconic Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, where a ring of standing stones is set. Its history and purpose have boggled the minds of archaeologists and visitors for hundreds of...
Fort Cody Trading Post: More than meets the eye
The first time I visited North Platte, Nebraska, I was 14. My family drove there via I-80 to attend the wedding of a close family friend. After almost 30 years, I don't remember too much from that visit, but I do remember being intrigued by the western stockade I saw...
A postcard from North Platte, NE
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...
Nebraska’s Nicest Nine
A couple years ago, Steve and I took off on a 6-day journey to find out for ourselves if our home state lives up to its then new slogan, "Nebraska Nice." We wrote about some of the nicest things we saw -- calling them our 2014 "Nebraska's Nicest Nine." The list was...
Rediscovering Historic Stillwater, MN
For me, Stillwater is one of those places that will always take me back to my childhood and ignite fond memories. Every day I spent there as a child was filled with fun and relaxation. We'd fish off the back deck of my grandparent's houseboat, slowly boat over to a...
A great pit stop for Midwest travelers
A couple of weeks ago we were invited to visit the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed as guests of the museum. Even though it's located in Lincoln, Nebraska, only 30 miles from our home, we'd never heard of it. After just a little more than an hour there, we...
Ray’s Shabby Cottage Furniture
About this time each year, we make the hour and 45-minute drive from our home in Southeast Nebraska to Steve's hometown of Shenandoah, Iowa, to have our taxes done. We typically meet with our CPA in the morning and then check out downtown Shen, stopping for a vanilla...
Our first trip to see the Sandhill Crane migration on the Platte River in Nebraska
As we began to quietly leave the wooden blind from which we'd watched Sandhill Cranes descend onto sandbars in the Platte River at dusk, there was only one thing on my mind. I simply could not get over the fact that I'd spent most of my life living in Nebraska and had...
Wahoo, Nebraska — A Pleasant Surprise
For the last few years, we’ve enjoyed purchasing half a beef from one of Steve’s colleagues who is also a local farmer. This year, they had the beef processed at the meat locker in Wahoo, Nebraska, so we thought we’d make the 55-mile drive from our home in Crete to...
Music for the soul
After my appointments today at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Steve and I spent two hours sitting in the lobby of Mayo’s Gonda Building where we listened to Jane Belau play the grand piano for passersby. We’d seen her play before and enjoyed the music, but today was...
We got trouble. Right here in River City.
I'm talkin bout trouble with a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool. Do you know that song? The one about the kids in the knickerbockers, shirt-tail young ones, peekin' in the pool-hall window after school? The first time I heard Steve recite...
Nebraska’s Nicest Nine Recap
Earlier this summer, Steve and I took off on a 6-day journey to find out for ourselves if our home state lives up to its new slogan, "Nebraska Nice." We wrote about some of the nicest things we saw -- calling them our 2014 "Nebraska's Nicest Nine." The list was...
Love me some koh-lah-chee
Cherry is my personal favorite. And it has been since I was a little girl and was first introduced to kolace, usually at the home of my great-grandmother, Olive (Moravek) Rashleigh. She was Czechoslovakian and whenever we got together for family gatherings at her...
A place to come Home2
A fews weeks ago, Steve and I were invited to participate in a reception and hard hat tour of the new Home2 Suites in west Omaha. The Hilton property owners and operators welcomed us (and other area bloggers) to a fantastic wine and cheese reception at the Hilton...
Wilber festival is worth Czeching out.
Polka music, kolaches, and lots and lots of pivo (beer), make the small town of Wilber, Nebraska, the place to be the first weekend in August. Each year, the Czech Capital of the United States hosts thousands of Czechoslovakians (and beer drinkers) for the Wilber...
Nebraska’s Nicest #1 – Innkeeper Jeanne Goetzinger
I met Jeanne Goetzinger several years ago, when my daughter, Meghan, and I were exploring northwest Nebraska. We saw a lot of interesting things on that trip, but none was more memorable than the straight-talking, curly-haired woman who greeted us in the parking lot...
Nebraska’s Nicest #2 – Toadstool Geologic Park
Ann insisted we go to Toadstool Geologic Park on our Nebraska trip because it was such an incredible and unique place. As we rounded the bend into Crawford, Ann reminded me that we had a 19-mile ride on a bumpy road to get to Toadstool. I decided then and there that...
Nebraska’s Nicest #3 – Neon Bar and Grill
The Neon Bar and Grill, located in the Motel Raine in Valentine, Nebraska, makes #3 on our list. Normally, we would not have expected to put a restaurant on our list, especially one located in a motel, but this trip around Nebraska made us learn to open our minds and...
Nebraska’s Nicest #4 – Circle C in Cody
After driving past more than a dozen dying small towns in rural Nebraska, we knew there was something out of the ordinary when we approached Cody, population 155. It's sign read, "Cody welcomes you. A town too tough to die." Many of the towns we had passed on our...
Nebraska’s Nicest #5 – Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park
Ashfall Fossil Beds is located somewhere along Robert Frost's "Road Not Taken" outside of Royal, Nebraska (population 63). The truth is the road to this place should be taken. By everybody. Ashfall, discovered under a cattle pasture, is unlike anything you've ever...
Nebraska’s Nicest #6 – A Kiss on the Butte
Can I tell you something personal? I kissed my wife on the butte. It's okay, though, because there was no one around to see us, and the scenery was so beautiful, I just had to kiss her. On the butte. And she liked it. I know that joke is a little juvenile, but I...
Nebraska’s Nicest #7 – Chimney Rock/Scottsbluff Monument
Any trip through western Nebraska should include a stop at Chimney Rock National Historic Site and the Scottsbluff National Monument in the Scottsbluff/Gering area. I say this, because these are beautiful places with cool history. These monuments are located along...
Nebraska’s Nicest #8 – Wildflowers & Prairie Grasses
Our list of Nebraska's Nicest would not be complete without a mention of the wildflowers and prairie grasses of Nebraska. Throughout our more than 1,200-mile journey across the state, we saw extraordinary displays of colorful flowers growing on the roadsides, near the...
Nebraska’s Nicest #9 – Cody Park
I have to admit, I was pleasantly shocked when I saw Cody Park--I did not expect to find such an amazing park in the middle of North Platte, Nebraska. In my defense, our visit to Cody Park came early in our Nebraska trip, so I had not yet become accustomed to being...
Nebraska’s Nicest Nine 2014
I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled with Nebraska's new tourism slogan, "Nebraska Nice" when it was introduced a few weeks ago. I felt it lacked a certain something and didn't capture all it could. "Nice?" Really? I felt the tourism board could have said "Nebraska...
Getting over the hump
We visited the Golden Spike Tower and Bailey Rail Yard in North Platte, NE, this morning. The Tower features some interesting videos about the rail yard, including a great documentary on the North Platte Canteen. We took the elevator to the 7th floor observation deck...
The Good Life
After spending a lot of time at home the past few months, dealing with the diagnosis of a chronic illness, we decided it would do us both good to get away for a few days … so we're on the road again. Because I am still not feeling especially well, we decided to stay...
SPAM, SPAM, SPAM!
On our way back home from Mayo Clinic, Ann and I stopped in Austin, MN at the SPAM museum. There we learned that SPAM stands for "spiced ham" and there have been billions of cans sold. Believe it or not, the SPAM museum is actually worth a stop. The museum is fun for...
Inspiring the next step on your journey