This One Tank Trip seen in the Woodall’s 2010 North American Campground Directory.
If you’re looking to spend some quality time enjoying the great outdoors, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better place for that than Nebraska. The Cornhusker State is chock full of broad expanses of plains and rolling hills, which remain largely unspoiled since the times of Lewis and Clark. In fact, if you’re feeling like a trailblazer, you can retrace the steps of these master explorers along the Lewis and Clark route. But this isn’t meant to suggest that Nebraska is mired in the old days and the old ways; far from it. This is a state firmly secured in the present, as well as the past, which you’ll soon discover when you explore Nebraska’s busy metropolitan regions.
Before we head out into nature, let’s start this one tank trip off in Nebraska’s largest city, Omaha. This is where you’ll find the Strategic Air and Space Museum, with exhibits that give us a firsthand look at some of the military aircraft from WWII to the present that served us so well. You’ll see the Fortress series of bombers, various fighter craft, and the recently retired SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, which was capable of achieving such high altitudes that the pilots had to wear space suits. Among the permanent exhibits, you’ll see the Vietnam Memorial Wall and an inspiring memorial dedicated to Jimmy Doolittle’s Tokyo Raiders of World War II. This museum is a definite must-see for any aficionado of military or aviation history.
Leaving Omaha via the westbound I-80, you’ll cruise across a little less than 50 miles of highway before reaching your next stop, Nebraska’s capitol city of Lincoln. See our link below for recommended Omaha camping destinations in Lincoln. You’ll want to check out the Haymarket District, with its collection of painting and sculpture galleries, and eclectic shops where you’ll undoubtedly find that unique souvenir that you just can’t do without. The Sunken Gardens is a great place to spend a sunny afternoon, examining the beautiful flowers, the sparkling man-made lakes, and the cascading waterfalls. It’s an oasis of beauty in the heart of the city. For another kind of beauty, check out the architectural marvel that’s the State Capitol Building; built in 1922, it remains the tallest building in the city and is topped by a 20-foot statue of a farmer sowing wheat.
Continuing west on the I-80 from Lincoln, drive for just under 90 miles to the city of Grand Island, home to the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer. This enthralling living history museum provides a fascinating environment that reveals much about the daily life of the pioneers who helped shape our nation. This place must be seen to be properly experienced; mere words don’t do it justice. You’ll see buildings with authentic recreations of furnishings, tools, and artifacts that give a definite “you are there” feel. Visitors to this museum always walk away with a deeper understanding and appreciation for what their forebears endured so that we can enjoy the luxuries of the present. While in Grand Island, feel free to explore the scenic byways off the I-80, any of which will take you on a fabulous journey through unspoiled terrain and offer a number of places to pull over for some Nebraska camping for as long as you like.
The city of Kearney is our last one tank trip destination and lies 40 miles west of Grand Island via the I-80, and is the home of the famous Archway across the Great Platte River. The Archway honors the spirit of the pioneers of the Old West, many of whom gave their lives on a cross-country walking trek across untamed America. An interactive museum blends artifacts from that time period, as well as the latest computer and high-tech exhibits to tell the tale of these rugged souls. The museum immerses visitors in the experiences of a buffalo stampede, the building of the Lincoln Highway, and the progress of technology that leads us straight into the present day. This hugely informative exhibition brings with it a spirit of fun and adventure that brings visitors back to relive it over and over again. The same can be said of the Cornhusker State itself, which has such a feeling of Midwestern hospitality that one trip is just never enough.
See a list of Woodall’s Recommended Nebraska RV Campgrounds.
Planning a Nebraska camping trip? Don’t miss these other great routes on one tank of fuel:
2009 Nebraska One Tank Trip
2008 Nebraska One Tank Trip
For a complete list of one tank trip camping routes, go to Woodalls.com.
