Travel

Only those who have walked into the silent woods together in the predawn hours and waited motionless for white-tailed deer amid the woods in a stand or blind as the different hues of daylight unfolded truly understand. Only those who have watched a canine companion intently work with a grassy field for upland game birds with family members and friends truly understand. Traditions. They are a major part of us and our values. They help to shape who we are. And, …

Editor’s Note: With summer not-so-far behind us, Jessica Franke Carr’s essay, “The Magician,” is a reminder of the bonds that can be forged anytime a family encounters nature together, regardless of how small the scale. By Jessica Franke Carr Henry always wears lime green Crocs, but he can get away with it because he’s only three years old. A grown man or woman would attract disapproving stares or outright censure if caught frolicking in such fluorescent hues. The shoes’ garishness …

Pickin’ Up Pawpaws in Nebraska Ever tried a paw paw? It is “delish!” The pawpaw or common pawpaw is an oblong-shaped fruit, yellow-green to brown in color, averaging the size of a standard supermarket potato. It produces the largest edible fruit indigenous to North America and is the hardiest member of the custard-apple family. And, guess what? In Nebraska, the highly aromatic, sweet-smelling fruits ripen right about now in late September or early October. Like bananas, they have a narrow …

I know the ‘grass is greener‘ syndrome can be very prevalent in outdoor pursuits and it can be easy to overlook what blessings we have around us.   Even in Nebraska, the mixed bag capital of the nation, we sometimes forget just how good we have it. I’m often reminded of just how much of the outdoor lifestyle makes up ‘the Good Life‘ when talking to hunters that live outside our borders.  Almost invariably, when they find out I live in …

About 56.7 million people — 19 percent of the population — have a disability, according to the the latest U.S. Census done in 2010. It revealed that nearly one in every five people in the United States, has a disability that significantly limits one or more major life activities such as walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, thinking, and so forth. Furthermore, the population of the United States is aging. By the year 2030, 110 million people will be older than 55. …

LINCOLN – Nebraskans enjoying the outdoors via the Great Park Pursuit (GPP) still have time to visit more parks and become eligible for prizes. The Great Park Pursuit encourages participants to visit up to 20 sites across Nebraska between May 1 and Sept. 16, 2016. Participants follow clues to a post, where they make an impression of it with a pencil to prove they were there. Prizes and entry into drawings are based on the number of impressions collected. The …

A camping trip is not complete without spending some time around a campfire in the evening. Swapping stories and roasting marshmallows to make s’mores is all part of it! There is no question that a campfire provides the backdrop for lots of outdoor fun and camaraderie. But, if folks are careless, those campfires can ignite a damaging wildfire or severely injury a person. So, what do you need to know about campfires? First, we have some ground to cover (no …

“They connect us. They run through us. Our bodies are roughly 60 percent water. Newborn babies are 78 percent. Is it any wonder we are drawn to rivers, is it any wonder we want to return to them again and again?” –  Amy Souers Kober.  Floating one of Nebraska’s various water trails in the summer is great for so many reasons! You can do it for the adventure of going somewhere you’ve never been. You can do it to make connections and …

“There is delight in the hardy life of the open.” – Theodore Roosevelt. My, my we are all are so reliant on the ‘grid’ of modern technology. With computers, the Internet, Smart phones, IPads and even the computerized sensors and chips that make our motor vehicles run, every move we make it seems cannot be done without entering the technological sphere. Oh, and let’s not forget about the convenience of electricity either.  All of this high-tech gadgetry is a positive thing in our daily lives, right? But wouldn’t it be nice to disconnect and take …

Beaches and Nebraska – two words you don’t tend to associate with one another. Think again, though: thanks to the Sandhills, we have several natural white-sand beaches to enjoy. Many more inviting beaches and lakes can be found throughout the state. If you’re ready to explore Nebraska’s beach scene, here are a few places you should make a beeline for. Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area (west-central NE) With its pristine white sand and cool, clear waters, Lake McConaughy would fit …