Nebraska

Nebraska features prominently in the history of the American West. Hundreds of thousands of pioneers crossed the state in the 1800s, on their way to the western territoriees. The Oregon Trail ran straight across the state, serving as a highway for wagon trains carrying whole families to Utah, California and the Northwest. Later in the nineteenth century, the great transcontinental railroad began its westward construction at Omaha, in the eastern part of the state.

Today, Nebraska is overwhelmingly a farming state, with many more cows than people. Some folks find it a bit too empty. In the early 1980s, when the musician Bruce Springsteen wanted explore the desolation of middle America, he made a record called "Nebraska". The residents of Nebraska weren't necessarily happy that Springsteen chose their state to examine severe isolation, depopulated cities, dangerous highways and the pain of wasted lives. But they may have been happy that someone noticed that there is more to the state than just cattle.

Lincoln and Omaha are the two urban exceptions to the general rule of cows, grassy plains and earthen bluffs. Lincoln, the state capital, is home to the University of Nebraska and its nearly 30,000 students. Omaha is the largest city and the state's cultural center, home to a thriving arts scene.

West of the cities lie miles of open land filled with wild grasses and shallow lakes. Grass plains run to the horizon, forming an ocean of grain ideal for raising cattle. Further west, massive bluffs rise out of the plains, the first hint of the Rocky Mountains. Scotts Bluff National Monument is an excellent place to experience this odd geography and explore the pioneer heritage of America.