Exploring N.E. Nebraska Part 2

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Missouri River
Missouri River, Nebraska
Stacy Kreycik Miller & Tom Wilmer
Stacy Kreycik Miller & Tom Wilmer

Exploring Northeast Nebraska—a realm of never ending surprises

Niobrara State Park is located on a bluff top overlooking the confluence of the mighty Missouri and Niobrara rivers. What makes the setting distinctive is that it’s one of the rarely found, last remaining free-flowing segments of the Missouri. The mile wide section is much as Lewis & Clark would have witnessed back in 1804…and they camped right here. Join National Park Ranger, John Rokosz as he shares his passion for the region. Family farming has been a tough row to hoe for most Nebraskans for a very long time.

For those who cannot evolve and change with the times, farming and ranching quickly becomes an unprofitable exercise. But the Kreycik family has come up with creative ways to keep their operation viable. Under the watchful eye of Mom, Chris Kreycik, her daughter, stacy and her husband along with Stacy’s brother and sister in law, Allison, run every aspect of daily life on the farm, from feeding and doctoring the herds to fencing, repairing, driving tractors and much more. Join Stacy Kreycik Miller at Kreycik Elk and Buffalo Ranch in Niobrara Nebraska. Ponca State Park like Niobrara is set on the flanks of the wild & scenic portion of the Missouri River, Ponca is a one stop destination for families and especially extended family retreats. Main attractions at Ponca include, hiking, biking, golf, archery and of course, kayaking and canoeing on the Missouri. Join Jeff Fields, Nebraska Game and Parks Superintendent at Ponca State Park and Tyler Wulf, Assistant Superintendent. Dean Knutson is the Museum Curator at the De Soto Wildlife and National Refuge located in Missouri Valley, Iowa. In addition to an extensive wildlife interpretive center, a highlight of the facility is the showcase of pristine condition freight artifacts from the riverboat Bertrand that sunk on the Missouri back in 1865. The wreckage was recovered in the 1960s with 90 percent of its freight in showroom new condition due to the being entombed for more than a century in riverbed mud. And then it’s a visit with Nancy Gillis in Bancroft, Nebraska at the John Neihardt State Historical Site. Neihardt’s incredible lifetime achievements are chronicled and  showcased and his legacy remains ensured by being honored as Nebraska’s Poetic Laureate in perpetuity.

Listen to the show on the Lowell Thomas Award winning travel show, Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer: Check out this episode!

www.visitnebraska.com