Nebraska

We’re in Nebraska! But I’ll let Scotty the RV give the introduction 🙂

Daddy!! This is soooo boring…. it’s pretty flat!! No mountains!!

Daddy said: Don’t you worry Scotty.. we’ll soon be in Colorado and it is when

you wish you were in Nebraska!! 🙂

Just kidding…. Nebraska was a pleasant visit full of surprises and very nice people. Funny thing is that even the locals would ask us why people come all the way from Spain to visit Nebraska LOL.

After reading this chapter you’ll understand why Nebraska happens to be a state fully aligned with one of our goals… planting one tree per state that we visit. And I promise you, this is a very inspiring story. More of this later.

And yes, I understand the frustration of Scotty; coming from the Black Hills in South Dakota and Grand Teton range of mountains in Wyoming, where the coach proved to be so powerful climbing up and down those hills, then Nebraska was just a relaxed drive; plane terrains as far as you can see.

Alright, so what happened was that while we were planting the tree in South Dakota, a gentleman came to meet us and as he learns that our next destination was Nebraska, he said we should go visit Nebraska City, and specifically Arbor Farm! But, it was a long drive so a stop in Paxton was in the Log Book (half way between our location in South Dakota and our next campground in Nebraska).

So, time to find a good restaurant and we found one that is famous and one of the best in the state! Ole’s steakhouse. You go into that place and it is like the 1950s. It seemed that Ole, who has since died, was a big game hunter. He started the bar just after prohibition (or possibly during it!) in the 1930s. He hunted extensively in Africa and South America in the 40s, 50s, and 60s as well as deep sea fishing, and the bar was his base of operations. He had amassed an incredible collection of stuffed game animals including a full size polar bear, lion and elephants heads, and any other politically incorrect oddity. In addition, he has hundreds of photos of celebrities who had visited the lounge. For us who love animals, it may not be the best place to eat but the food was great!!

We met a couple of good friends at the RV park (very nice by the way) in Nebraska City. Lori and Mike were heading to Minnesota with their 3 dogs. We shared a few stories and it was fun!!

Then we were prepared for what the day would show us at the Arbor Day Farm..

So, this is the story: Julius Sterling Morton from New York married the love of his life (Caroline Joy French) from Maine. The very same day they married, they took a train to Nebraska, a state that he thought it could bring fortune!.

They built a log cabin and Caroline, who used to live in the middle of nature and trees, was very influential in the design of the gardens and grounds of this new large territory. That house was later improved and enlarged by not only this couple but by their children.

So, back to the trees, in the 1,800 Nebraska was pretty much a tree-less state, just plain lands but no trees.

His active interest in tree planting gained recognition as early as 1,872 when, as president of the State Board of Agriculture, he introduced a resolution calling for a tree-planting day to be known as Arbor Day. The idea was so popular that over one million trees were planted throughout the state on that first Arbor Day!!

The day’s activities include a visit to the mansion in which you can clearly see its original design and how additions were made over the years until the completion to become a true mansion with large dining room, living room, office, etc. It comes even with a line of bowling well preserved in the basement.

Additional buildings include the carriage house that displays various carriages (intact!!) used by the family.

We met Laura Steinman, Arbor Lodge Coordinator and Lucille Sharp who gave us a great lecture of the facts that led Mr Morton’s actions be recognized at global level.

Then we spent some time at the Tree Adventure office and shop and were welcomed by manager Dustin Furhman and his very helpful and kind team who greeted us and gave us instructions on where to go and see the grounds of this large estate.

The 2.5 mile walk through the forest takes you to Lied Lodge, a hotel that belongs to the Arbor Day Foundation. The lobby is a stunning wooden structure that highlights once again the beauty of trees in construction.

A bit of history of the Arbor Day Foundation

Tree number 13

Speaking about trees, tree number 13 was planted on the 13 of June, 2,023!!