By Mitch Hunt
•
July 19, 2021
Hello from the rejuvenated green hills of the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway. This past weekend saw a gentle rain of over 1.5 inches near Thedford, and elsewhere on the Byway, which was much needed moisture. Hope the moisture continues. Bulls are out to pasture, and cows and their calves are grazing on fresh grass. God is good! The Nebraska Passport Program is in full travel mode. As of June 28 – the number of Passport booklets requested – 43,680. The participants completing all 70 stops is 46. From the Passport app, total stamps collected were 31,758. Then add to the Tourism Passport, one can get stamps on the Nebraska Beef Passport with 40 restaurants serving great Nebraska beef and the Nebraska Wineries and Grape Growers Association has a Passport program as well. The biggest compliment one can have is plagiarizing, and that has certainly occurred with the Nebraska Tourism Passport, now in its 11th year. The SJNSB has eight of those 70 stops on or within our promotion corridor – which would make a great week-end excursion for the family. SJNSB Passport stops – Grand Island- Tommy Gunz Bistro and Stuhr Museum; Broken Bow – Chapins Furniture. (Not on the passport, but worth seeing on the east edge of Broken Bow is our SJNSB Visitor Center). Turn south at Merna, travel 21 miles to Arnold and enjoy Grazers Bar and Grill or stay on our Byway and at Anselmo – just north is Victoria Springs Recreation Area, Halsey -The Nebraska National Forest, Bessey Ranger District. Hyannis has the Hyannis Hotel, which is also on the National Register of Historic Places. At the western end of the SJNSB, Alliance has Shelmadine Print Shop. There are plenty of special events this summer happening on our Byway. Fireworks will be enjoyed on July 3 and 4. Sandhill Days will be celebrated July 3 at Halsey, with one of the biggest and best firework displays for a village of less than 100 you will ever see. July 9 at Grazers is the iconic CW band, Confederate Railroad. (Purchase of tickets required). Then the next day, July 10, the public is invited to Victoria Springs near Anselmo which will have their centennial celebration. Add in all the county fairs, rodeos, and water fun on the Middle Loup River, one cannot be bored on our byway. Bring your telescope, because after the festivities of the day, one can see the magnificent starlight in one of the best places without light pollution in the world! (Just leave the cities and villages, pull off on a county road, or far on the side of the road – safety first - and enjoy our night sky!) On a political note, support for the National Scenic Byway program will hopefully be accomplished in Congress before the year is out. The House has passed the INVEST in America act, where $64 million will be allocated over four years - $16 million each year. The Senate is working on their bi-partisan bill which hopefully will allocate NSBP funding as well. Contact your Congressman or Senator to encourage their support. Tourism is economic development! Locals cannot keep the restaurants, lodging venues or fuel stations supported on their own. We need the visitors here in rural Nebraska! The complete collection of all 184 byways in the America’s Byway collection is now out for viewing at the following link - https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/scenic_byways/designations/fhwadesignationsbooklet.pdf And last – we contracted with Mitch Hunt, Huntrex LLC, to revamp our website. It is a slow process, but we know it will be better than ever to help us showcase our national designation. Stay tuned! Enjoy you travel time this summer –start in your own backyard – aka the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway!! Remember – To get to anywhere, one must go through somewhere – let us be part of that scenario! B C N U on the SJNSB! Photo credit above: SJNSB Primary Photo featured in America's Byway booklet. Photo by T. Phillips along the Middle Loup River between Thedford and Seneca.
