Travel

We’re deep into our Nebraska summer and that means one thing regarding wild edibles — tasty, ripe plums! Have you checked your rural wild plum thickets yet? You should. The deep hues of purples, red and yellows are now apparent on the wild plum trees growing on my buddy’s farm in eastern Nebraska long the Elkhorn River. Look closely. You’ll know when the wild plums are ready for harvest because their flesh will be firm, but somewhat soft when pinched and they’ll almost drop from the thicket with the barest touch or …

On my WOWT 6 Outdoor Report this week, I’ll be featuring  and promoting the 2014 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) event coming up the first weekend in October at the Nebraska State 4-H Camp near Halsey. Space remains for this outdoor education program which is a hands-on, fun, camaraderie-filled one designed to give women the basic skills to become active participants in the outdoor lifestyle; including activities related to fishing, boating, hunting, hiking and camping to name a few. Check out these photos from past BOW …

A lot of people can tell you about the beauty of the Sandhills from the road, the forever green dunes rolling by at sixty five miles an hour. Or they can wax poetic from the seat of a canoe or tube—the slow meander of sandy bluffs and horizontal cedar trees. To many Nebraskans, the Sandhills are its scenic secret, an entire ecology different from anything else in the world.  But the very thing that makes them so beautiful also makes …

Our kids were all home this past week, and family time and Johnson Lake time go hand in hand with the Berggrens. Grandkids enjoy the water dragon, and our kids still enjoy going for a pull. Jeanne and I even took our turn! The gulls are just starting to arrive so surface activity should heat up this week. Persistence really paid off over the weekend as we opted to troll searching for white bass. Continuing to change speed and lure selection finally hit …

Trail Rides are a new addition to Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (SHP) and State Recreational Area (SRA) this year. The rides, provided by Dusty Trails LLC, take visitors through the SRA traveling along the scenic North Platte River. The hour-long rides are a great way to show visitors the beautiful area, some wildlife including deer, turkeys and many bird and plant species. Jason Tonsfeldt, Superintendent of Buffalo Bill Ranch SHP and SRA is pleased with the amount of …

From a moonlit ride along the riverside, to a deep canyon descent into forested bluffs, witnessing the beauty of Nebraska from the saddle is an exhilarating experience. With accommodations for both the two- and four-legged, the following locations offer a glimpse of the myriad of riding opportunities to be had throughout the state, which include diverse terrain, unique wildlife viewing opportunities and the wide horizon lines that make Nebraska worth riding. Remember, trail and camp availability is subject to change. …

“We need to find a tree that’s serious about this,” Jack Phillips said jokingly while collecting acorns last fall along a wooded trail outlining Pioneers Park in Lincoln. The bur oaks he walked beneath are tall and magnificent – and becoming increasingly rare. “The old bur oak is on the edge all the time,” Phillips said. “We should treat the species as if it were endangered, looking at the age of populations now.” The collected acorns, minus the ones nibbled …

If you have not heard, your Nebraska Game and Parks’ Omaha office has a new home! The office has moved to 8495 Frederick St., located about a quarter of a mile north of Interstate 80 at the 84th Street Exit in the Frederick Square Plaza. We are excited to be here in this new, bright, easily accessible space which is centrally located in the Omaha-metro area for you! The new office also sits not far off of one of Nebraska’s most popular recreati0nal trails …

Last two Buffalo Cookouts of the summer will be held July 19 and August 30 at Niobrara State Park. Cookout meals of buffalo burgers, beans, salads and ice cream will be served at 6 p.m., followed by a special program. Attendees must register and purchase meal tickets at the park office before noon on the day of the cookout; tickets for adults (13 and older) is $12 and children is $8. Program is free to attend. The cookout on July …

The quiet boating times of the early 1900s are almost impossible to imagine today, their last vestige being yellowed and dog-eared photo postcards from a time when men wore straw boater hats and women wore long white dresses, when boating was nearly as silent as the photographs of it. In those days there were two means of propelling most boats in Nebraska – an oar on the starboard side, an oar on the port side. The only sound was a …