Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and tended by humans, beginning in 1903 at the suggestion of Dr. Charles E. Bessey, a
University of Nebraska botanist.
Although trees do occur naturally along rivers and lakes, they often require a helping
hand to survive in this sometimes harsh landscape. To observe the practices of the forest's
caretakers, stop by the Bessey Arboretum, where several million trees began their lives be-
fore being transplanted to the forest and other parts of the country.
The national forest offers a variety of activites: camping, as well as swimming, canoe-
ing, and fishing in the Middle Loup River. If you keep an eye out for the preserve's many
animals, and birds, you might spot a golden eagle, or several of the many songbirds. A
word of caution, though: Like many parts of Nebraska, this is rattlesnake country.
Star Route
SANDHILLS JOURNEY SCENIC BYWAY
The great expanse of the Sand Hills could never be seen on just one drive. To explore
more of this remote and distinctively beautiful region, continue west on Rte. 2 out
of Thedford. The road rises and falls with the terrain and, as a reminder that civiliz-
ation does indeed exist, windmills and quiet towns—Seneca, Mullen, Hyannis—dot
the area. Ranches here are measured not in acres but in square miles, and toward the
drive's western end, the wide-open skies are reflected in numerous lakes and ponds.
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