During most of the year I can recommend Kearney as a stop along the way. There is some local history worth diving into for a day or two. The Great Platte River Archway commemorates American westward expansion and contains a museum that helps interpret that migration.

Just south of the city, Fort Kearney Historical Park is managed by the state. The fort and it’s exhibits continue to expand on regional importance to the wagon routes that traversed the plains.

From February through early April, however, Kearney and the Platte River Valley host one of the most spectacular migrations in the world. Hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Cranes descend upon the valley to scavenge the surrounding fields and flock to the river each evening to rest. This event might be for the stout of heart, because early spring in the plains can be quite chilly, but it is a remarkable event.