Sorry for the lack of posts the last two days…if any of you are still reading. I was at a training session in Lincoln for a partial job that I have obtained.

Yes, you read that correct. I have a partial job.

Take a moment to soak that in. I am at least partially gainfully employed. So I am no longer a jobless, wannabe writer hack. I am now a part-time working wannabe writer hack.

And I should mention that through this job I now have the power to remove your citizenship if I see fit. Okay, I might have made that up, but it would be really cool if I could do that.

Anyhoo, enough about that. Let us get to the topic of the day…….

As I have looked back on my life and seen the things that I have seen, done the things that I have done, offended the people that I have…I took a moment to think back on the best places to visit in the state of Nebraska.

Now, granted, this is from my own weird view of the world but I think that every person should partake in these arenas at least once in their lives.

As much as I have a predilection for making lists, this will be in a random order. Possibly saving the best for last. But who can tell? I’m unpredictable like that.

Places and Events
Waterfalls around Valentine…
Smith Falls. Fort Falls. Snake Falls. All of them unique and gorgeous in their own way. Maybe they are not those falls you see in South America or around New York but they are incredible. Plus, you could definitely film a few cheesy music videos with buxom women standing under them. In fact, I may write a song just so that I can do that.

Big Apple Fun Center in Kearney…
Outside of some of the more corporate places in the world, there aren’t a great number of places where you can bowl, play pool, play sand volleyball, drive go-karts, play miniature golf, hack on video games and drink alcohol for a cheap price. This place was one of the great hang-outs in the history of the state. Located in Kearney, you could do pretty much anything here. Except get naked and run amuck, which a few friends of mine found out the hard way. Which I could also be lying about. But it was also this place where I finished in the top 3 in the country on a trivia contest. That’s right. Using the name ‘Obiwan’ I dominated all but two people in the county. I rule.

Niobrara River and tubing or canoeing…
Let me count the positives. The chance to drink while floating leisurely down a river? Check. The chance to help add nitrogen to water sources by peeing where ever and whenever? Check. The chance to possibly see a bunch of city people cut loose and flash or streak? Check. What is there not to like? Take an intertube or canoe and just relax for a day while you drift aimlessly down a body of water. If you have never done this, book your flight to the Valentine Airport tonight for next summer and get ready for a weekend of fun and games. Of course, unless you have your own plane, you will probably need to drive to Valentine to float down the river.

Eager Beaver Days in Beaver City…
Just because the name is so fun.

Memorial Stadium on a home football Saturday…
There is no place in the state like this place during the football season. Or even just walking by the stadium. There is an aura about the place and even though I think there are far too many fans that treat their tickets like a chance for a social outing rather than a chance to scream and cheer and make Memorial Stadium a truly foreboding place to play for opponents, there is still something about watching a game there. From the tunnel walk to the school song to the Sea of Red, there is a reason that Memorial Stadium and Tom Osborne Field are a place everybody needs to experience at least once.

The Volleyball Coliseum…
It is old. It is cramped. It is distinctly lacking in seating. But if you’ve seen a game here, there might not be a louder place on the planet. Plus, you get the chance to see one of the best collegiate volleyball teams in the country play…in skin tight spandex. Which is also nice.

The World’s Largest Porch Swing…Or Is It…
Just because I could add it. Once you see this thing you will wonder why in the world somebody actually thought this was a cool idea. But still, it is a fairly clever idea to get your town on the map.

Carhenge
In the category of ‘What The Hell Were They Thinking?,’ this had to rank right at the top. Let me just break it down for those of you who don’t know what this is. In the panhandle of Nebraska, some guy took a bunch of old cars, painted them gray and then used them to reconstruct the famous monument in England. It is a staggering achievement of either mechanical ingenuity or sheer boredom. But it is a sight to see.

Omaha Burke during State Track…
With every class competing over two days, the incredible number of races, field events and athletes that one gets to see is amazing. The colors of the entire state and people from all corners of the area gather to watch kids bust their butts in one of the more demanding athletic contests. Whether you have an athlete or a friend or relative competing is of no consequence because every year you get the chance to maybe see somebody break a record or do something that makes you just say ‘wow.’ If you gave the me the choice between the state championships of football, basketball and track and told me that I could only attend one of them, I would choose state track every time. It is that cool.

Comstock Rock
Back when this thing was still a viable rock concert, this was a place to be. Herds of cool bands (many of them from the days I was in high school), vendors selling all sorts of food and other crap, and thousands of sweaty people (many of which have been doing nothing but eating and drinking in lawn chairs for three to four days) made this a riot of an event. It makes me a little sad that this event has pretty much gone the way of the dodo. But maybe once again, like the phoenix, it will rise.

Czech Days
I had no idea how big this thing was until I saw it for myself. The entire town of Wilber is besieged by literally thousands of people, all of them looking to either embrace their heritage or just get loaded for a couple of days. You can see parades, dances, sporting contests or just sit in a friend’s yard and play games. And every moment of it is worth it.

Henry Doorly Zoo
This is my favorite place in Nebraska to visit. From the very moment I walk in this place, I go all higgledy-piggledy with geekness. From the Rain Forest building to the Desert Biome and the Kingdom of the Night to the giant Aviary, there are tons of sites to see. You can ride the train around the entire complex. You can feed Chinese Carp. You can visit the petting zoo and grope random animals. But for me, this place comes down to one exhibit…The Aquarium. Penguins and Octopi and Sharks…oh, my. The experience of watching sharks swim over your head in the aquarium is both an exhilarating and terrifying moment. And I can’t get enough of it. In fact, I think that I may go there right now.

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There you go. A few cool places or things to see in Nebraska. And I’m spent.

This is Pete…

Over and out.