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Just off Interstate 80, Exit 426, Eugene T. Mahoney State Park is one of Nebraska’s most popular state parks. It’s not hard to see why. Spread over 690 acres --- more than a square mile --- it overlooks the Platte River and offers secluded cabins and camping, nature trails, horseback trail rides, fishing, miniature golf and a driving range. During winter, depending on the weather, Mahoney has cross-country skiing, ice skating, ice fishing and great hills for sledding.
The park’s best-known attractions include the Lodge (with 40 guest rooms), a 70-foot observation tower overlooking the Platte River Valley, a family aquatic center with pools and water slides, a marina, a theater, and an activity center with an indoor playground. A state park permit is required. (402)944-2523.
Near Mahoney State Park, the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari is a driving route four miles through a variety of North American wildlife. You’ll pass through herds of bison, elk and pronghorn antelope on the prairie, and cranes and other waterfowl in the wetlands. The road, incidentally, is well-graded --- you won’t need four-wheel drive on this safari. A handicapped-accessible boardwalk leads to Wolf Canyon and other hiking trails through prairie and woodlands. The Safari is open April through October. (402)944-9453 or (402)733-8401.
Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue has long been home to the U.S. Strategic Command (formerly the Strategic Air Command), the command center for U.S. nuclear forces. Today, the historic aircraft of SAC are displayed at the Strategic Air and Space Museum. The enormous facility houses a world-class collection of aircraft, missiles and spacecraft from World War II and the Cold War. It is near I-80 Exit 426, just past Mahoney State Park. It is open daily, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., and closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. (800) 358-5029.
To find Four Winds Vineyard, go nine miles north from town to County Roads G & 5, then a quarter mile north to 1033 County Road 5. Tour the vineyard and winery or visit the gift shop. Open Friday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. or by appointment (402) 944-9463.
Iron Horse Golf Course is built around an old rock quarry between Ashland and Mahoney State Park. When it opened in 2002, Golf Digest named it one of America’s best new courses. 900 Clubhouse Dr. (402) 944-9800.
Ashland Country Club is a semi-private country club with an 18-hole golf course designed and built by Dick Watson and Henry Hughes. It is located on U.S. Highway 6 just west of Ashland. (402)944-3388.
The Swanson Retreat Center is a part of the Carol Joy Holling Conference and Retreat Center. With 317 acres of rolling wooded hills, it is located on Ranch Road off Highway 66 between Interstate 80 and Ashland. The site has a spring-fed lake and miles of hiking trails. (402) 944-6022.
Bloom Where You’re Planted Farm at 911 108th St., rural Avoca, is located 27 miles east of Lincoln on U.S. Highway 34 or 25 miles south and five miles east of Omaha. The farm offers a big dose of fall fun with an emphasis on the agricultural side of autumn. Open Sept. 21-Oct. 31. (402)267-4101.
With more than 50,000 residents, Bellevue is Nebraska’s third largest city, and the proud home of Offutt Air Force Base and the U.S. Strategic Command. You wouldn’t expect to find one of the state’s best and most secluded forests in such a place, but Fontenelle Forest Nature Center is one of the Omaha metropolitan area’s biggest surprises. From the visitor center at 1111 N. Bellevue Blvd. (follow the signs from the Kennedy Freeway), you enter 1,400 acres of woods, wetlands and waterways, descending from steep bluffs to the valley floor and to the Missouri Rivers edge along 19 miles of well-marked trails. A one-mile boardwalk is handicapped accessible. The Katherine and Fred Buffett Forest Learning Center offers historical and children’s exhibit galleries. The forest is open daily, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., and is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. (402) 731-3140.
Bellevue also has a Nature and History Trail that runs for more than two miles through beautiful woods and along the edge of the Missouri River, as well being home to the Keystone/Bellevue Loop Trail.
The Bellevue Pumpkin Patch at 11001 S. 48th St. in Papillion, is a family destination offering strawberry picking in June, raspberries in September and pumpkins in September and October. (402) 292-1880.
Exhibits at the Sarpy County Historical Museum, 2402 Clay St., include the history of fur traders and missionaries and Fort Crook (now Offutt Air Force Base). (402) 292-1880.
The Bellevue Little Theatre has five productions per season, September to June. Each production is shown Friday through Sunday for three weekends. The theater is at 203 W. Mission Ave. in Bellevue (402)291-1554.
At the foot of Mission Avenue where it intersects Payne Drive, Haworth Park overlooks the Missouri River and offers camping, boat ramps, picnic areas, and riverfront hiking trails. (402) 293-3098.
Bellevue has four golf courses and a driving range: Fontenelle Hills Golf Course, 1102 Country Club Court, (402) 292-2500; Hidden Valley Driving Range, 2910 Gilmore Road, (402) 291-9456; Plattview Country Club, Plattview Road, (402) 291-5927; Tregaron Golf Course, 13909 Glen Gary Circle, (402) 292-9300 and Willow Lakes at Offutt Air Force Base (402) 292-1680.
The world’s fastest one-third mile dirt track, Eagle Raceway, has weekend races April through September. Go 11 miles south of I-80 Exit 420. Or from the town of Eagle, go two miles east on Highway 34. (402) 238-2595.
Bess Streeter Aldrich (1881-1954) is one of Nebraska’s best-loved authors for her portrayals of pioneer life. The Bess Streeter Aldrich House and Museum at 204 East F St. contains original furnishings and a video history of Aldrich. (402) 994-3855.
Located one mile north, one mile east and one-half mile north of Elmwood, Grandpa’s Woods Golf Course is a nine-hole executive golf course. (402)994-2100.
Just off I-80 Exit 420 is the WWII Library and Museum, which features American, German and Japanese memorabilia and a library. It is open daily, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., with extended hours during summer. (402) 944-4238 or (402) 944-8118.
Nebraska Raceway Park is a NASCAR-sanctioned semi-banked half-mile oval dirt track with Sunday races April 18 through September 19, plus special events. Located at I-80 Exit 420. (402) 944-2233.
Seven miles south of I-80 Exit 432 at 21004 W. Highway 31, Schramm Park State Recreation Area offers spectacular views of the Platte River valley. A three-mile nature trail winds though the park’s rugged woods. The park is home to Aksarben Aquarium, a 12,000-square-foot facility with a dozen display tanks of fish, reptiles and amphibians found in Nebraska. Other attractions include a fish management museum, picnic area and a nearby geologic display. The park is open daily, year-round. Park: (402)234-6855; Aquarium: (402)332-3901.
Look for the 110-foot lighthouse along Highway 6, three miles west of I-80 Exit 432. It overlooks Linoma Beach Resort, which takes its name from being roughly halfway between Lincoln and Omaha. The 40-acre lake has a public beach. Nearby is a beach snack shack and a campground. The beach is open daily, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. and is located at 17106 S. 225th St. (402) 332-4500.
Tiny Town Village, a great place for the little people to play, is located at the Nebraska Crossing Outlet Mall, 33785 S. Hwy. 31, at I-80 exit 432.
Autumn is the time to visit Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, one mile south of Highway 370 on 180th St. The annual fall festival includes pumpkin picking, hayrack and train rides and other family activities. Vala’s is open Sept. 24 - Oct. 31, 9 a.m.- 9 p.m. daily. (402) 332-4200.
The Holy Family Shrine near Gretna is both a work of art and a house of prayer. The soaring glass chapel overlooks I-80 and welcomes people of all faiths. To get there, take I-80 Exit 432, then go south on Highway 31, then west to 23132Pflug Road. (402) 332-4565.
The Tiburon Golf Club is a 27-hole complex west of Gretna, near Omaha in Sarpy County. It is at 10302 S. 168th St., a mile from I-80 Exit 439. (402) 895-2688.
LaVista Falls Golf Course is at 8305 Park View Blvd. (402) 339-9147.
Cabela’s, the Nebraska-based outdoor store, opened its largest Nebraska store in LaVista in 2006. Look for it near the Harrison Street exit on I-80, specifically at 12703 Westport Pkwy. (402) 861-4800. The La Vista Conference Center, 12520 Westport Parkway, offers more than 45,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, state-of-the-art sound system technology, high-speed wireless internet access and much more. (402)331-7401.
With 418 acres, Platte River State Park is a wooded getaway about equally distant from Omaha and Lincoln --- go 15 miles south of I-80 on Highway 50, then two miles west on Highway 66. Activities include hiking and biking trails, lake paddleboats available for rent, guided horseback trail rides, archery, an arts and crafts center, and a supervised swimming pool. An 85-foot tower offers a spectacular view of the Platte valley. Cabins and tipis are available. The park is open daily, year-round. A state park permit is required. (402) 234-2217.
Nearby, Quarry Oaks Championship Golf Course has been named one of the nation’s 100 best public courses by Golf Digest (which also named Quarry Oaks the top public course in Nebraska). To get there, take I-80 Exit 426 and follow highway 66 southeast for 1.8 miles; then go one-half mile north. (888) 944-6001.
Louisville Lakes State Recreation Area is a sandpit lake area with excellent camping facility. Five sandpit lakes surrounded by tall cottonwoods, offer fishing, non-motorized boating, swimming and picnicking. The area also has Platte River access. (402) 234-6855.
Don’t forget to stop downtown in Louisville where you can shop at unique stores, get homemade fudge and an old-fashioned soda, shop for antiques and enjoy the art of the Louisville Art Gallery, located at 230 Main St.
After 29 seasons in a modified barn, the Lofte Community Theatre has moved to their new facility. Performances are held June through October, Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, 2 p.m. (402)234-2553.
The Murdock Historical Museum, located on the corner of Third and Nebraska displays the proud history of Murdock. Hours are Sundays 1:30-5 p.m. (402)867-3331.
Lake Ridge Golf Course is located one mile east of the U.S. Highway 75 and Highway 1 junction. The nine-hole course has a restaurant and club house. (402)235-4653.
Slattery Vintage Estates, at 8925 Adams St. in rural Nehawka offers a tasting room featuring Nebraska wines. Stroll the vineyards and enjoy the rural setting with pond and waterfall. (402)267-5267.
Cool off at the Papio Bay Aquatic Center at 815 E. Halleck St. The five-acre site has a zero-depth pool, two waterslides, diving boards, concessions and a bathhouse. It is open daily Memorial Day through Labor Day. (402) 597-2055 or (402) 597-2041. Papio Fun Park is a six-acre family entertainment center featuring miniature golf, go-karts, batting cages, water wars, arcade, concessions and other activities. It is two blocks east of Washington Street on E. Lincoln Street. (402) 592-5671. Papillion’s new Sumtur Amphitheater is located at Hwy. 370 and 108th Street. (402) 597-2041.
Walnut Creek Lake and Recreation Area offers outdoor recreation of a more rustic variety. The 450-acre park has a 105-acre reservoir with fishing, RV camping, picnicking and trails for hiking and biking. From I-80 Exit 439, turn east onto Hwy. 370 to 96th Street, go one mile south and one-half mile east on Schramm Road. It is open daily, 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. (402-592-8877. The Halleck Nature Trail runs through the heart of Papillion and parallel to Papio Creek.
Shadow Lake Towne Center, a new mall in Papillion, is set on 105 acres with 51 stores and restaurants. It is located at Hwy. 370 and 72nd Street. (402) 537-0046.
Papillion has three golf courses: Eagle Hills Golf Course, 501 Eagle Hills Drive, (402)592-7788; Papio Greens Golf Course, 11050 S. 66th St., (402) 331-4621; Tara Hills Golf Course, 1410 Western Hills Drive, (402) 592-7550.
When Plattsmouth was founded in 1854, the Missouri River’s close proximity to the east end of Main Street brought extensive trade and travel opportunities. Expensive, stately homes were built in the downtown area. Many of these beautiful, historic homes are still inhabited today and are listed on the National Historic Register. Several offer bed and breakfast opportunities including Parmele House and Bankers House B&B. The finest in Victorian-style hospitality can also be experienced while participating in a tea or luncheon at the 1890’s Victorian Queen Anne home called The Heights.
The Cass County Historical Museum, on Plattsmouth’s historic Main Street, takes you on a historical journey dating back to when the town was settled. The museum includes permanent displays of pioneer artifacts, railroad history and agricultural memorabilia. Walking tours are offered daily that tell the history of 45 buildings in the downtown district. Plattsmouth Public Library, founded as a Carnegie Corporation Library in 1916, rivals larger libraries with its impressive book circulation, video and computer technology and hands-on reading programs for the whole family.
Besides the draw of the historic downtown area, Lewis & Clark history can be found where the Platte River joins the Missouri at Schilling Wildlife Refuge, east of the downtown area. Recreational programs for all ages can be found at Memorial Park, Garfield Park, Indian Springs Pond and Twin Rivers Aquatic Center. Located in the southeast downtown area, Rhylander Park, situated on 28 acres of land, offers more than 52 species of trees, a bounty of flowering beds, gazebo, pavilion, youth league fields and a cedar rail station in honor of the town’s railroad heritage. Three golf courses, Bay Hills, Plattsmouth Golf Club, and Lake Ridge provide top notch challenges for golfing enthusiasts.
The calendar is filled with annual festivals that bring the visitor a variety of exceptional entertainment. Band concerts, fun runs, historic heritage events, and other seasonal activities are well attended. Held continuously for 80 years, the Kass Kounty King Korn Karnival draws thousands of people each September to our community. Also high on the list of events that draw big crowds: “Rollin” On the River,” one of the biggest fireworks displays anywhere; “Cruisin’ Main” where car enthusiasts who come from four counties to the Show ‘n Shine Car Show; and especially, the popular horse-drawn carriage rides and live reindeer at “Hometown Holidays.” A mixture of antique stores and niche shops await the shopper. Whether you want complete dinners, fast food, or a delectable gourmet treat, our community offers some of the best in dining cuisine experience.
Located on a high hill overlooking the Platte River Valley, Soaring Wings Vineyard has a gift shop and deck area, and offers wine tasting with a souvenir glass. 17111 S. 138th St. (402) 253-2479.
Sculptor Carl Weiss has opened Weiss Studios and Gardens at 13603 Pflug Road. Two acres of gardens with sculptures, statues and fountains showcase the work of Weiss and other artists. (402) 680-0642. Shop for one-of-a-kind gifts and artwork at Springfield Artworks at 183 Main St. Take a class and make your own fiber art creations. See local and Midwest artisians working in fiber and glass and visit the gallery and tour the studio.
Enjoy nostalgia and ice cream at the Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain at 205 Main St., inside Springfield Drug. (402) 253-2000.
Hiking can be enjoyed on the Mopac Trail that runs from Schramm Road to Springfield and south to the Platte River, then continues west to Lincoln. There is also the 144th Street Trail, which is a paved trail that follows the grade of the streets, stretching up and down hills to connect Standing Bear Lake in Omaha to Springfield, including the Chalco Hills Recreation Area in Sarpy County.
The Heritage House Museum Complex on Main Street includes four buildings with pioneer and archaeological displays, including an 1866 house and a century-old building with a soda fountain. It is open June through November, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., or by appointment. (402) 267-4925.
