Thread:61Storm/@comment-29709319-20190401001525/@comment-29709319-20190405015203

National Theme Day For April 5th: National Flash Drive Day, National Go For Broke Day, National Caramel Day, National Read a Road Map Day, National Raisin and Spice Bar Day, National Deep Dish Pizza Day, and 💓National Nebraska Day.💓

💻National Flash Drive Day commemorates the date inventors filed their patent for the first USB Flash Disk. Their invention revolutionized the way we store and manage digital data! As information flowed from our fingertips, the flash drive became the go-to storage device. Called by many names, the USB (universal serial bus) drive makes digital data more accessible than ever before. Today, we effortlessly store photos, transfer files and upload gigabytes. Not only that, but flash drives contribute to making the world a better place. Making a Difference: By stretching budgets and services, these super functional devices make virtual classrooms possible. They provide access to information to parts of the world many of us take for granted. In third world and oppressed countries, flash drives go where the information superhighway cannot. Despite being classics to a majority of the population, books considered contraband become windows to the world around them. Comparatively, movies and radio recordings provide the same information to people in underdeveloped countries. In homeless communities, flash drives keep people connected by giving them access photos and a resumé; these items may be a lifeline of hope. Tuck a few bytes into your pocket and celebrate National Flash Drive Day with a few new ways to appreciate the USB drive. In 2018, USB Memory Direct established National Flash Drive Day to bring awareness to the significant impact flash drives have made on our technological lives and to shine a spotlight on the broader good the technology can do.

🚦National Go For Broke Day! The phrase “Go for broke” has roots in Hawaiin Pidgin meaning “wager everything.” Research points to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army as the reason for this day. The 442nd RCT was a regimental size fighting unit composed mainly of American soldiers of Japanese descent who volunteered to fight in World War II. The 442nd RCT is considered to be the most decorated infantry regiment in the history of the United States Army. “Go for Broke” was the 442nd Regimental Combat Team motto. The date of April 5 is significant because on this day in 1945 the first Medal of Honor recipient from this regiment was killed in action near Seravazza, Italy. Private First Class Sadao Munemori sacrificed his life for the men in his unit when they were pinned down by enemy fire. The unit continued in battle near Serravezza, Carrara and Fosdinovo, Italy until April 14, 1945, and received the Presidential Unit Citation for outstanding accomplishments in combat. This was just one of eight Presidential Unit Citations the unit would be awarded during their service. Not only were they the most decorated unit for its size and length of service, but 21 of the Medals of Honor were also awarded. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team also earned 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, 1 Distinguished Service Medal, 560 Silver Stars, 22 Legion of Merit Medals, 15 Soldier’s Medals, 4,000 Bronze Stars and 9, 486 Purple Hearts. The 1951 movie Go for Broke depicts the story of the 442nd RTC for the big screen.

🍁National Caramel Day. Caramels are made by adding milk and fat to a sugary syrup that has been heated and continuously stirred until it reaches a light brown color. As early as the seventeenth century, American women were using caramelized sugar and water to make candies. It was a rather economical candy to produce. Around the year 1850, someone discovered that by adding milk and a fat product to the cooked sugar mixture that a soft, chewy candy would be produced. This candy very quickly became popular. Caramel is used to make a variety of desserts either as a featured ingredient, flavoring or topping. Depending on the consistency it can be used as a syrup or as the glue holding together nuts and popcorn. In a more pliant form, it makes great caramel apples. Cooked to a higher temperature the caramel can become brittle and is perfect for just that kind of candy making. The longer caramel cooks, it takes on a deeper color and a darker flavor until the sugar becomes bitter and is no longer palatable.

🗺Read a Road Map Day! The earliest road map, Britania Atlas, was drawn by cartographer John Ogilby in 1675. Fast forward a few centuries, and we now have satellites, GPS and voice commands. National Read a Road Map Day reminds us to take some time to sharpen those map reading skills.

🍁National Raisin and Spice Bar Day. Sometimes comfort foods come in the form of raisins and spice fresh from the oven. There are a variety of ways to make these bars. If you like nuts, add nuts. If you accidentally tip the vanilla a second too long, someone might think your bars are the best. So find your favorite recipe and fix them the way you like them.

🍕National Deep Dish Pizza Day! In ancient Greece, the Greeks covered their bread with oils, herbs and cheese which some people believe is the beginning of the pizza. In Byzantine Greek, the word was spelled “πίτα,” pita, meaning pie. A sheet of dough topped with cheese and honey, then flavored with bay leaves was developed by the Romans. The modern pizza had its beginning in Italy as the Neapolitan flatbread.The original pizza used only mozzarella cheese, mainly the highest quality buffalo mozzarella variant which was produced in the area surrounding Naples.It was estimated that the annual production of pizza cheese in the United States in 1997 was 2 billion pounds.The first United States pizza establishment opened in 1905 in New York’s Little Italy. Pizza has become one of America’s favorite meals.

🇺🇸Nebraska's name is derived from transliteration of the archaic Otoe words Ñí Brásge, pronounced [ɲĩbɾasꜜkɛ] (contemporary Otoe Ñí Bráhge), or the Omaha Ní Btháska, pronounced [nĩbɫᶞasꜜka], meaning "flat water", after the Platte River that flows through the state. Nebraska was admitted as the 37th state of the United States in 1867. It is the only state in the United States whose legislature is unicameral and officially nonpartisan. Nebraska's area is just over 77,220 square miles (200,000 km2) with a population of almost 1.9 million people. Its state capital is Lincoln, and its largest city is Omaha, which is on the Missouri River. It's Nickname: Cornhusker State, Motto: Equality before the law, State song: "Beautiful Nebraska", Official Slogan of Nebraska: Welcome to NEBRASKAland Where the West Begins. Highest point is Panorama Point at 5,424 ft (1654 m). It's Lowest point is Missouri River at Kansas border at 840 ft (256 m). Living insignia; Bird: 🕊Western meadowlark, Fish: 🐟Channel catfish, Flower: 🌸Tall Goldenrod, Grass: 🌾Little bluestem, Insect: 🐝Western honey bee, Mammal: 🦌White-tailed deer, Tree: 🌳Eastern Cottonwood. Inanimate insignia; Beverage: 🥛Milk, Soft drink: Kool-aid, Dance: 💃Square dance, Fossil: 🐘Mammoth, Gemstone: Blue agate, Rock: Prairie agate. The historic tribes in the state of Nebraska included the Omaha, Missouria, Ponca, Pawnee, Otoe, and various branches of the Lakota. When European exploration, trade, and settlement began, both Spain and France sought to control the region. In the 1690s, Spain established trade connections with the native peoples. By 1703, France had developed a regular trade with the native peoples, and by 1719 had signed treaties with several of them. After war broke out between the two countries, Spain dispatched an armed expedition to Nebraska in 1720. The expedition was destroyed by a large force of Pawnees and Otoes, allies of France. By 1773, the British were trading with the native peoples. Spain dispatched two trading expeditions up the Missouri in 1794 and 1795; the second, expedition established the first European settlement in Nebraska near the mouth of the Platte. Later that year, they built a trading post, Fort Carlos IV (Fort Charles). In 1819, the United States established Fort Atkinson as the first U.S. Army post west of the Missouri River. The army abandoned the fort in 1827. In the 1860s, the U.S. government forced many of the Native American tribes to cede their lands and settle on reservations. This gave way to the Homestead Act and thousands of settlers migrated into Nebraska to claim free land. The first wave of settlers gave the territory a sufficient population to apply for statehood. Nebraska became the 37th state on March 1, 1867. During the 1870s to the 1880s, the settlers discovered the land was good for cattle grazing and prime farming land. The Arbor Day holiday was founded in Nebraska City by territorial governor J. Sterling Morton. The National Arbor Day Foundation is still headquartered in Nebraska City. Nebraska is split between two time zones, with the state's eastern half observing Central Time and the western half observing Mountain Time. In Nebraska the average annual precipitation decreases east to west from about 31.5 inches (800 mm) in the southeast corner of the state to about 13.8 inches (350 mm) in the Panhandle. Snowfall is fairly even throughout the state, with most of the state receiving between 25 to 35 inches (640 to 890 mm) of snow each year. Nebraska's highest-recorded temperature was 118°F (48°C) in Minden on July 24, 1936. The state's lowest-recorded temperature was -47°F (-44°C) in Camp Clarke on February 12, 1899. Nebraska is located in Tornado Alley. Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes happen primarily during the Spring and Summer, although they also can occur occasionally during the Autumn. The chinook winds from the Rocky Mountains provide a temporary moderating effect on temperatures in the state's western portion during the winter. Nebraska has a large agriculture sector, and is a major producer of beef, pork, corn (maize), soybeans, and sorghum. Other important economic sectors include freight transport (by rail and truck), manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, and insurance. Kool-Aid was created in 1927 by Edwin Perkins in the city of Hastings, which celebrates the event the second weekend of every August with Kool-Aid Days, and Kool-Aid is the official soft drink of Nebraska. The world's largest train yard, Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, is in North Platte. The Vise-Grip was invented by William Petersen in 1924. Lincoln's Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing is the only Kawasaki plant in the world to produce the Jet Ski, All-terrain vehicle (ATV), and Mule lines of product. The facility employs more than 1,200 people. The Spade Ranch, in the Sandhills, is one of Nebraska's oldest and largest beef cattle operations. 1️⃣Lake Minatare Lighthouse is a historic mock lighthouse located on Lake Minatare near the city of Scottsbluff in Nebraska. The 55-foot (17 m) tower was built entirely of native stone by the Veterans Conservation Corps between 1937 and 1939 during the height of the Great Depression, and is currently located within the North Platte National Wildlife Refuge. Designed as a combination shelter house and observation tower, it was "built to simulate a lighthouse." 2️⃣Linoma Beach lighthouse! The base of the lighthouse was a gas station, built in 1938. The 110-foot-tall tower was added the following year. There are ten floors inside, and the builders may have wanted the lighthouse to become a novelty motel, but that never happened. The lighthouse worked as a real lighthouse for years, with a spiral staircase to the top and a bright neon beacon, but it gradually fell into disrepair and was abandoned. Nearing collapse, the lighthouse (and its surrounding RV park) were bought in 2010, and its restoration began in the summer of 2013. 3️⃣Chadron State Park is a public recreation area located within Nebraska National Forest, nine miles (14 km) south of Chadron, Nebraska. The park's 973 acres (394 ha) include a portion of the Pine Ridge escarpment and Chadron Creek. The park is wooded with ponderosa pine throughout and cottonwood trees near the creek and lagoon. Chadron State Park was established in 1921, making it Nebraska's oldest state park. Activities include swimming in a regulation-sized pool, horseback riding, archery, disc golf, hiking, tennis, sand volleyball, and fishing. The park has rental paddleboats, hiking trails, campground, and cabins. The best hiking trail is the Norwesca Trail. It is a 5-mile loop that takes you beside a small creek, into a lush valley, and through a rocky canyon beneath Steamboat Butte. The trail finishes at the top of Pine Cone Butte, which offers scenic views of the surrounding landscape and rocky buttes rising from the grasslands. This hike is very easy and great for the whole family. 4️⃣Indian Cave State Park is a public recreation and historic preservation area bordering the Missouri River in Nebraska that preserves a cave with prehistoric petroglyphs and the partially reconstructed village of St. Deroin established in 1853 and part of the former Nemaha Half-Breed Reservation. The state park lies ten miles (16 km) south of Brownville and eight miles (13 km) east of Shubert. The park's 3,052 acres (1,235 ha) straddle the county line between Nemaha and Richardson counties in the southeast corner of the state. Some of the carvings within Indian Cave are believed to be several thousand years old, but their exact period and cultural affiliations are undetermined. The park offers horseback riding, hiking trails, camping and picnic facilities, fishing areas and winter skiing. Hardwood Trail in Indian Cave State Park is listed as one of the top 10 hiking trails. Hardwood Trail hiking trail is a long hike with a bit of a workout. Located in the southeast corner of the state, on the border of Missouri, the Hardwood Trail is about 7 miles each direction and includes some excellent ups and downs to get your heart pumping. This is a great hike to take in the fall as the trees change color. The trail ends at Indian Cave, so be sure to take a little extra time to climb the stairs to the entrance of the cave and check out some of the ancient petroglyphs carved into the stone walls. 5️⃣Platte River State Park is a public recreation area situated on the southern bluffs of the Platte River two miles (3.2 km) west of Louisville, Nebraska. The state park has a relatively steep, rolling topography compared to the surrounding region. The park consists of 519 acres (210 ha), much of it forested. On August 13, 1982, the park was created from three formerly separate areas: Harriet Harding Campfire Girls Camp, Camp Esther K. Newman, and a woodland tract of 104 acres (42 ha). Vintage cabins from the earlier campgrounds are still in use. Two observation towers provide views of the Platte River Valley; the taller rises 85 feet (26 m) above its base. The park has a swimming pool, tennis courts and 10 miles (16 km) of hiking trails. Guided trail rides are offered in summer. Jenny Newman Lake provides fishing opportunities for those under 16 years of age and their adult supervisors. Paddleboats are offered for rent. The park has a visitor center, an arts and crafts center, picnicking areas, and ballfield. A shooting range for rifles, trap, and archery was constructed in 2011. The park offers tent camping, tepees, and cabins. Stone Creek Falls can be found in this park. 6️⃣The Archway is a museum of and monument to Nebraska's and the Platte River valley's role in westward expansion. The Archway is directly over Interstate 80 three miles (5 km) east of Kearney, Nebraska. The Archway spans more than 300 feet over Interstate 80 east of Kearney, Nebraska and weighs nearly 1,500 tons. The Archway takes visitors along the trails, rails, highways and superhighways in a self-guided audio tour that includes stories of the travelers along the way. The show starts in the 1840s with the Mormon Trail, Oregon Trail and California Trail that converged at the nearby Fort Kearny before heading west. As visitors progress through the exhibit, the displays of different time periods feature a buffalo stampede, the Mormon Handcart Expedition, gold seekers, the Pony Express, the telegraph, the transcontinental railroad, the Lincoln Highway, a drive-in movie and a 1950s cafe. 7️⃣Scotts Bluff National Monument is located in Gering, Nebraska.This National Park Service site protects over 3,000 acres of historic overland trail remnants, mixed-grass prairie, rugged badlands, towering bluffs and riparian area along the North Platte River. Scott's Bluffs rises more than 800 feet out of the Great Plains. The bluff served as an important landmark for pioneers on the Oregon Trail, California Trail, Mormon Trail and Pony Express Trail. It was the second-most referred to landmark on the Oregon, California and Mormon trails in pioneer journals and diaries. Visitors to Scotts Bluff National Monument can walk in the footsteps of pioneers on remnants of the Oregon Trail, drive to the top of the bluff via the Summit Road, which is the oldest concrete road in the state and stand in awe at the sight of the bluffs raising from the prairie. Summit Trails include: 🍃The North Overlook Trail is a 0.5-mile (0.80 km) paved trail that leaves from the summit parking lot and overlooks the North Platte River Valley. Visitors can reach the highest point on the bluff at 4,659 feet (1,420 m) above sea level. 🍃The South Overlook Trail is a 0.4-mile (0.64 km) paved trail that leaves from the summit parking lot towards the south. From the overlook, visitors can see the Visitor Center and Mitchell Pass. 🍃Saddle Rock Trail is 3 miles, round trip, the hike isn’t very long but takes you along the base of the bluff before passing through a tunnel on your way to the summit. 🍃The Oregon Trail Pathway is a short trail ascending 85 feet (26 m) in 0.5 miles (0.80 km). The trail begins at the display of a Murphy and Conestoga wagons and ends in Mitchell Pass. 🍃The Bike Path is the only trail available to users other than hikers. It runs from the Visitor Center to the eastern boundary of the park. It drops 50 feet (15 m) in 1.2 miles (1.9 km). National Monument: 🍂The Department of Interior designated Scotts Bluff and several nearby bluffs as a National Monument on December 12, 1919; they were placed for management under the National Park Service, created just three years prior. 🍂The Oregon Trail Museum and Visitor Center was built at the base of the bluff which serves as a start for hiking tours of the bluffs. Exhibits focus on the westward expansion and pioneers, the drawings and paintings of William Henry Jackson, and the geology and paleontology of the region. 🍂In the 1930s, a roadway leading to the top of Scotts Bluff was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, organized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration. The road goes through three tunnels on its way to the top and provides easy access to the summit. 8️⃣The Sheldon Museum of Art is an art museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. Its collection focuses on 19th- and 20th-century art. Collections: The Sheldon houses both the Sheldon Art Association collection (founded in 1888 as the Haydon Art Club), and the University of Nebraska collection, initiated in 1929. Together they comprise more than 12,000 works of art in all media. This comprehensive collection of American art includes prominent holdings of 19th-century landscape and still life, American Impressionism, early Modernism, Geometric abstraction, Abstract Expressionism, Pop art, Lyrical Abstraction, Color Field painting, Minimalism and Contemporary Art. Sculpture garden: In the sculpture garden, more than 30 monumental sculptures are exhibited year-round. Among them are works by Gaston Lachaise, Jacques Lipchitz, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, David Smith, Lyman Kipp, William G. Tucker, Bryan Hunt, Mark di Suvero, Michael Heizer, and Richard Serra. When the sculpture garden's first installations occurred, they were sometimes controversial. A woman once called a secretary and complained “I think Norman Geske should be fired, and what's more, he should be asked to leave the state because of all the junk he's introduced into the sunken garden south of the gallery. In 1998, Man in the Open Air, a 1915 bronze sculpture by Elie Nadelman, was stolen from the sculpture garden. Police speculated that it had been taken in the course of post-game revelry following the university football team's victory in the Orange Bowl. About a week later, it was recovered on the university's East Campus. The gallery's director hypothesized that the thief or thieves had been unaware of the work's value, estimated at over $500,000, and, after learning this, had placed it where it would be discovered by security guards during their rounds. Following $15,000 in restoration and repair, the sculpture was put on display inside the building. (Hmmm...that "junk" seems to be worth quite a bit.) Exhibitions: The Sheldon's exhibition program comprises approximately 20 exhibitions per year and focuses on American art in all media. The curatorial staff organizes exhibitions drawn from the permanent collection, many of which circulate nationally. The program also includes exhibitions organized by peer institutions throughout the United States. Educational programs such as symposia, lectures, children's workshops and tours are organized in conjunction with each exhibition. 9️⃣The George and Sarah Joslyn Home (known locally as Joslyn Castle), is a mansion located in Omaha, Nebraska. Built in the Scottish Baronial style in 1903, the Castle was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It was designated as an Omaha landmark in 1979. George Joslyn made his fortune in the ready-print news business and owned the Western Newspaper Union. The Joslyns contributed to many Omaha-area organizations, including Sarah Joslyn's donation which made Omaha's Joslyn Art Museum possibly. Joslyn Castle was designed by John McDonald. Shortly after George Joslyn bought a farm outside of Omaha in 1893, he began landscaping it. Landscape architect Jens Jensen designed the grounds, as well as the rock work and pools for the conservatory inside the house. The 35-room mansion has four stories, as well as a carriage house tower, built before the Castle in 1901, and 5 acres (20,000 m2) of formal gardens and landscaping, including greenhouses, which were completed in 1899. Sarah Joslyn collected rare botanicals from around the world, especially orchids. The Castle includes a reception hall, music room, ballroom, a library and gold drawing room. The house totals 19,360 square feet (1,799 m2). The Castle and the carriage house were built of Kansas silverdale limestone. There is a wrought iron door on the Castle that weighs over a ton. On March 23, 1913, a tornado demolished much of the central and north parts of Omaha. While the home was slightly damaged, inside some furniture, artwork, etchings, and statuary were ruined. A distraught George Joslyn stated that it would take fifteen years to restore the estate grounds to their previous state. The greenhouses were partially destroyed. The Joslyns decided not to rebuild them, so they donated the frame to Hanscom Park, where it was used as a greenhouse for fifty years. In the conservatory, many of Sarah Joslyn's orchids and other tropical plants were killed by the cold and snow which followed the tornado. The storm also destroyed a small lake and bridge to the west of the Castle. Today the bridge remains, and an outline of the small lake is visible. The home was repaired and that fall, the Castle hosted a gala event for the wedding of their daughter, Violet. In 1989 the Castle became the property of the State of Nebraska. In 1996, the Joslyn Castle became home of the Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities. The Institute was charged by the State of Nebraska with managing and preserving the estate. In December 2010, Joslyn Castle was sold by the State of Nebraska to the Joslyn Castle Trust, a private concern created for the purpose of maintaining the historic property. Today, the Castle is the namesake of the surrounding Joslyn Castle neighborhood, and is a site in the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. The Castle and its grounds are open to the public for tours, events, and private rental. 🔟Museum of the Fur Trade is located only three miles east of Chadron, Nebraska, the Museum of the Fur Trade stands on the site of James Bordeaux’s trading post, which was established for the American Fur Company in 1837. The post was operated until 1876, when it was shut down after U.S. soldiers confiscated ammunition being sold to the Indians. The museum opened adjacent to the site in 1949, the only museum for a hundred miles. The old trading post site was excavated in 1955, the buildings reconstructed a year later. The trading post, a sod and wood hut buried in the ground, near a teepee and Indian garden, is too tiny to house the artifacts in the museum's collection. The museum is in a long, one-story building. The Museum of the Fur Trade was founded by Charles E. Hanson, Jr., who grew up reading everything he could about the West. Charles Hanson selflessly devoted his time, money, energy and family to this project for 48 years, serving variously as museum director, board secretary and president, and publication editor. Hanson authored over 500 articles and four books during his life. This museum is the legacy of his fertile mind and powerful vision. There are over 6,000 primary pieces that have been gathered one piece at a time, the museum is home to the most comprehensive collection of historical artifacts covering the fur trade period in the world. All items in their collection are original pieces and include the oldest known point blanket from 1775, firearms that were owned by Kit Carson and Tecumseh, and crop seeds that were obtained directly from American Indians over 125 years ago. The collection includes all the trappings of the fur trade lifestyle including weapons, clothing, the goods and materials traded in establishments like this across the continent. There are William Clark fabric samples, Greer Garson's bells, the earliest "point blanket." Kit Carson's shotgun is a highlight, but nearly lost in a rack of other guns and weapons. The displays are a sometimes confusing mix for those of us who like our history unconfused, there are Indian ceremonial garments fashioned from British buttons and cloth from Europe. A few unusual exhibits stand out, such as the Buffalo Tongue, a northern plains delicacy back in pioneer days. Also of note: a parka made from seal intestines. But there are things to learn here. The first white man to cross the North American continent, Alexander Mackenzie, was a Canadian fur trader. 1️⃣1️⃣Pioneer Village is a museum in Minden, Nebraska and was founded in 1953 by Harold Warp, a Chicago manufacturer from Minden. The Pioneer Village complex comprises 28 buildings on 20 acres housing over 50,000 irreplaceable items of historical value, restored to operating order, arranged in groups and also in the chronological order of their development. There are 12 historic buildings around the circular "green". There's a Frontier Fort, a real Pony Express Station, an Iron Horse, and a home made of sod. There's a general store and a toy store, chock full of all the goods from yesteryear. An original art collection including 25 Currier and Ives prints, 23 Jackson paintings, and the largest single collection of Rogers statues. You can see a steam carousel, 17 historic flying machines and 100 antique tractors. The world's oldest Buick, a 1902 Cadillac and a 1903 Ford, both designed by Henry Ford, plus 350 other antique cars, all displayed in their order of development. There is also an Original Elm Creek Stockade, Historic Country Church, One Room School House, and Blacksmith Shop. 1️⃣2️⃣The International Quilt Study Center & Museum is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and home of the largest known public collection of quilts in the world. The International Quilt Study Center & Museum was founded in 1997 when native Nebraskans Ardis and Robert James donated their collection of nearly 950 quilts to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Through private funds from the University of Nebraska Foundation and a lead gift from the James family, the center opened in its new location in 2008. The glass and brick “green” building, houses the quilts, a state-of-the-art research and storage space, educational displays, and custom-crafted galleries where selections from the collections and special exhibitions are shown to the public on a rotating basis. The quilts range from early examples of American and European quilts to contemporary studio quilts and international quilts. The collection now numbers more than 4000 quilts from twenty four countries, dating from the early 18th century to the present. Faculty and curatorial staff, visiting scholars and graduate student researchers pursue the study of the world's quilt heritage at the center, and an ongoing acquisitions program seeks to document the full scope of global quilting traditions. 1️⃣3️⃣The Joslyn Art Museum is the principal fine arts museum in the state of Nebraska, United States of America. Located in Omaha, it was opened in 1931 at the initiative of Sarah H. Joslyn in memory of her husband, businessman George A. Joslyn. It is the only museum in the state with a comprehensive permanent collection, and although it includes works from Paolo Veronese, El Greco, Titian, among others, its greatest strengths are the outstanding art collections of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries of American and European artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir and William-Adolphe Bouguereau. Opening on November 29, 1931, as a gift to the people of Omaha from Sarah H. Joslyn in memory of her husband it occupies a large and impressive Art Deco building constructed of Georgia Pink marble, with 38 different marbles from all over the world in the interior. The Joslyn Sculpture Garden opened in 2009. The Garden features work from local and national artists as well as a reflecting pool and waterfall. The permanent collections of the Joslyn Art Museum are: Ancient, including an exceptional collection of Greek pottery. 🍃European: 16th- and 17th-century works include paintings by Veronese, Titian, Claude Lorrain, Rembrandt and El Greco. However the strongest collections are from the 19th century, including romantic works by Delacroix and Gustave Doré, realist works by Corot and Gustave Courbet, and an impressionist works by Degas, Monet, Pissarro, and Renoir. 🍃American: the collection includes early American portraiture by James Peale and Mather Brown; many works by painters of the Hudson River School, realist works by Winslow Homer and Thomas Eakins, and works by the American impressionists Childe Hassam and William Merritt Chase. 🍃Western American: including important collections of work by the Swiss artist Karl Bodmer based on his 1832-34 journey to the Missouri River frontier, and by Alfred Jacob Miller, also illustrating the West of the 1830s. 🍃Native American: including both traditional works and work done under the influence of, or in reaction against, European conventions and training. 🍃Twentieth Century: a wide range of 20th-century painting and sculpture is represented, including paintings by Henri Matisse, Stuart Davis, Theodore Roszak, John Sloan and Robert Henri, and sculpture by Deborah Butterfield, Robert Haozous, Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt and Martin Puryear. The collection stresses significant American artistic movements, including regionalism and Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art. Although the best known names appear in the European and American collections, it is probably the Western American and Native American collections that have the greatest importance as collections, allowing a rare opportunity to study these genres and periods of art as well as giving an important insight into the history of the western United States. In addition to its permanent collections, the museum mounts regular special exhibitions. It also serves as an important regional educational and artistic resource, and its building includes an auditorium where regular concerts are held. 1️⃣4️⃣Legacy of the Plains Museum is a destination for people interested in the stories of human and agricultural history in the North Platte Valley and High Plains. Our exhibits focus on the archeology of Native American and Westward Expansions, the lives of pioneering settlers, the establishment of irrigation, the development of rural communities, the diversity of culture on the High Plains, and the innovative technologies and cultural practices of raising animals and crops in the semi-arid environment. 2930 Old Oregon Trail, east of Scotts Bluff National Monument - Located on the Oregon Trail, this museum features pioneer and early community history, antique farm equipment, an 80-acre working farm and other structures. 1️⃣5️⃣Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is 19,131 acres located 4 miles east of Valentine along the Niobrara River in Nebraska. Fort Niobrara NWR was established by Executive Order in 1912 as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds bison and elk herds representative of those that once roamed the Great Plains. Approximately 350 head of buffalo, 70 head of elk, a prairie dog town, and deer can be found on the Refuge. The rolling sandhills and breaks along the Niobrara River canyon are home to a great variety of wildlife. In the winter, bald and golden eagles can be seen along the river along with wild turkeys among the birch, burr oak, and Ponderosa pine. The plants currently present on the Refuge, including sandhills prairie, mixed prairie, Rocky Mountain coniferous forest, eastern deciduous forest, and northern boreal forest, supports a rich diversity of wildlife largely unchanged from pre-settlement times. The Refuge offers many activities for visitors. Bison, elk, deer, and prairie dogs can be seen along the wildlife drive at all times of the year. Interpretive displays at the visitor center explore the history and ecology of the area. Hiking trails lead to Fort Falls and, for the more adventurous, into the Niobrara River Wilderness Area. Canoeing or tubing through the Refuge down the Niobrara River is a popular activity. 1️⃣6️⃣Fort Falls is situated in the beautiful Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, which is located in Valentine. Fort Falls offers a tranquil experience that is great for all levels of hikers. You will follow a path with a bridge and stairs that lead you down into the River Valley; this is where you will experience Fort Falls and all the natural beauty surrounding the cascades. Depending on the season, the trail can be icy and slippery, so take care. There are benches placed throughout the trail for those who need to sit down and relax along the way. The hike is less than one mile long and has 69 steps, to bottom of the falls. Drop: 45 Feet. 1️⃣7️⃣Stair Step Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Nebraska. It is located along the Niobrara River and is a part of the Nature Conservancy. Floating or kayaking down the river is the best way to reach Stair Step Falls, and will grant you the best views. If you are floating down the river, make sure to use caution and pack a waterproof camera. Since Stair Step Falls is private property, you will have to treat this place with respect and be careful when entering the area. 1️⃣8️⃣Berry Falls flows into the Niobrara River, which is approximately 20 minutes to the east of Valentine. The length of Berry Falls is less than 0.1 of a mile. The water from the falls flows from the Berry Bridge Creek, where the waterfall drops at 10 feet. 1️⃣9️⃣Tyler Falls is less than 10 minutes away from Valentine. It has an elevation gain of 2,418. Many people visit Tyler Falls if they enjoy fishing. More often than not, people leave the falls with a good catch. Before you go fishing, check the state regulations to make sure the stream is open to the public. 2️⃣0️⃣Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and education. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is nationally renowned for its leadership in animal conservation and research. It features the largest cat complex in North America; "Kingdoms of the Night" is the world's largest nocturnal exhibit and indoor swamp; the Lied Jungle is one of the world's largest indoor rainforests, and the "Desert Dome" is one of the world's largest indoor deserts, as well as the largest glazed geodesic dome in the world. The Zoo and Aquarium has two rides that circumnavigate the zoo (tram and train), a carousel and the Skyfari, an aerial tram which takes visitors from the Butterfly and Insect Pavilion to the new lion viewing exhibit. The Lied Jungle is one of the largest indoor rainforest exhibits in the world; it occupies an 80-foot (24 m) tall building that spans 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) and is located just inside the main entrance. This exhibit allows visitors to look out from behind a 50-foot (15 m)-tall waterfall. Visitors can walk along a trail on the floor of the jungle, as well as on a walkway around and above the animals. Along both trails, about 90 species can be found, including: Blue monkey, Common squirrel monkey, Pygmy hippopotamus, Scarlet macaw, Baird's tapir, Indian crested porcupine, Gibbon, Otter, Cichlid, Philippine crocodile, and many more. Many different types of plant life also thrive throughout the jungle. The exhibit is broken up into sections by continent, including Asia, Africa, and South America. The Walter and Suzanne Scott Kingdoms of the Seas Aquarium! It features displays of aquatic habitats from polar regions, temperate oceans, the flooded Amazon rainforest, and coral reefs. The 450,000 US gal (1,700,000 l; 370,000 imp gal) shark tank features a 70 ft (21 m) shark tunnel at the bottom of the 17 ft (5.2 m)-deep tank. This tank features sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, and coral reef fish. Other tanks include a jellyfish, and open-ocean schooling fish. A new addition is a portable touch tank which allows visitors to feel a shark's scales and the rubbery skin of a stingray. During warmer months, little penguins can be found outside near the entrance of the aquarium. The only freshwater display is of the Amazon rainforest that includes fish, invertebrates, turtles, and mammals. The Garden of the Senses is filled with plants, fountains, birds, a giant sundial, and more. Over 250 different species of herbs, perennials, and trees, as well as roses and other flowers, butterfly-friendly plants, and trellises. The birds include macaws, South American parrots, and Australian cockatoos. The Desert Dome is one of the world's largest indoor deserts at around 42,000 ft2 (0.96 acres; 3,900 m2). The Desert Dome has geologic features from deserts around the world: Namib Desert of southern Africa, Red Center of Australia, and the Sonoran Desert of the southwest United States. Animals include: Cape thick-knee, Central bearded dragon, Collared peccary, Greater roadrunner, Desert cottontail, Swift fox, Cape thick-knee, Venomous snakes, Wallaby, Meerkat, Coatimundi, Hummingbirds, Ocelot, Bat-eared fox, and Klipspringer. The Desert Dome's geodesic dome is also the world's largest 'glazed' geodesic dome. The dome is 137 ft (42 m) above the main level and 230 ft (70 m) in diameter. The 1,760 acrylic windows with four shades (some clear) were placed to allow maximum shade in the summer and maximum light in the winter to reduce energy costs. (There's almost twice as much more things to see and do at the Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. This is definitely the Zoo and Aquarium to see.) Land area: Over 130 acres (53 ha). No. of species 962. Major Exhabit: Lied Jungle, Desert Dome, Kingdoms of the Night, Scott Aquarium, Cat Complex, Hubbard Gorilla Valley, Hubbard Orangutan Forest, African Grasslands. 2️⃣1️⃣Turkey Feather Falls is in Smith Falls State Park, Valentine, Nebraska and is an 8 foot drop. 2️⃣2️⃣Stone Creek Falls is located in the Plate River State Park. The waterfall is a result of fracture and collapse of the limestone layer underlying the creek. The hike is an easy one. The falls is small but worth a peek. You can walk across the falls if you so desire. 2️⃣3️⃣Listed as one of the top 10 hiking trails is Trooper Trail in Soldier Creek Wilderness. Two main trails run through the Soldier Creek Wilderness in the Nebraska National Forest, near Fort Robinsons State Park, and both are a little longer and more difficult than many of the other hikes on this list. The Trooper Trail is the longest and is an 11-mile loop that runs through the park and has some good elevation change, as you climb steep ridges and buttes and descend into small canyons. Most of the trail is level and follows small streams in shallow valleys. The other trail, Boots and Saddles Loop, is a bit shorter, at 7.5 miles, but is also a great way to spend a morning or afternoon on a hike. In addition to being nice, long trails, spotting wildlife is a highlight in this area. Elk, deer, coyotes, bobcats, wild turkeys, and even bald eagles can be found. Keep in mind that both of these trails are popular with horseback riders, so you might have to share the trail when the weather is nice. 2️⃣4️⃣Fort Robinson is a former U.S. Army fort and now a major feature of Fort Robinson State Park, a 22,000-acre (8,900 ha) public recreation and historic preservation area located 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Crawford, Nebraska. The fort was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and is part of the Fort Robinson and Red Cloud Agency historic district. Fort Robinson was a base of US military forces and played a major role in the Sioux Wars from 1876 to 1890. The Battle of Warbonnet Creek took place nearby in July 1876. The war chief Crazy Horse surrendered here with his band on May 6, 1877. On September 5 that year, he was fatally wounded while resisting imprisonment. A historic plaque marks the site of his death. In 1885, the 9th Cavalry Regiment, nicknamed the Buffalo Soldiers by Native Americans, was stationed at Fort Robinson. During the next several years, the fort was enlarged, and military training was a major activity. In 1919 at the end of World War I, Fort Robinson became the world's largest quartermaster remount depot. It was used as a breeding and training center for horses and mules for the military. In World War II, the fort was the site of a K-9 corps training center. Later it was used to hold a German prisoner-of-war camp. The U.S. Army decided to abandon Fort Robinson in 1947; in the following year, it transferred the property to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), for its Beef Cattle Research Station. After some buildings were demolished in the mid-1950s, efforts were made to preserve the fort as a historic site. In 1955, History Nebraska, formally the Nebraska State Historical Society, began to acquire property on the fort; in 1956, they opened a museum on the site. The USDA closed its operation in 1971, and transferred the property to the state of Nebraska. The Fort Robinson State Park was established in 1956 following the purchase of a parcel of land by the Nebraska Game, Forestation and Parks Commission in 1955. The park was expanded after much of the site was deeded over from the Federal government in 1964. It reached its full size with Nebraska's purchase of the adjoining James Arthur Ranch in 1972. The fort's historic buildings and sites include the 1904 blacksmith shop, the 1908 veterinary hospital, the 1887 officers' quarters, the 1875 guardhouse and adjutant's office, and the post cemetery. There is also a library with materials about Fort Robinson and military and western history available for research. A quartermaster's stores building is now used as a playhouse. The Fort Robinson Museum is located in the 1905 post headquarters building. Exhibits focus on the fort's history, including its role guarding the Red Cloud Agency from 1874 to 1877, up through the housing of World War II German POWs from 1943 to 1946. The Trailside Museum of Natural History, operated by the University of Nebraska State Museum, is located in the historic Army Theatre building. One of the top 10 hiking trails is in Fort Robinson State Park. White River Trail starts in the small town of Crawford, the trail is about 4-miles long and is a converted railroad line, meaning the path is very flat and easy. While the hike isn’t strenuous it takes you deep in Fort Robinson State Park, where verdant grasslands are interspersed with rocky buttes. The highest in the area is Pine Butte, which is in view for much of the hike. The trail ends near the visitor center and museum, which gives you a little history of the region and Fort Robinson. The fort has been in use since the late 1800’s and is where the famed Sioux leader Crazy Horse was killed in 1877. Fort Robinson State Park offers 60 miles of hiking trails and 20 miles of mountain biking trails. Fort Robinson is a horse rider’s paradise, offering 20 miles of trails, as well as many miles of fire service roads to ride, with more riding opportunities available nearby at the Nebraska National Forest. Additionally, Fort Robinson provides great accommodations for both horse and rider. White River Trail in Fort Robinson State Park is a top 10 hiking trail. Starting in the small town of Crawford, the White River Trail is about 4-miles long and is a converted railroad line, meaning the path is very flat and easy. While the hike isn’t strenuous it takes you deep in Fort Robinson State Park, where verdant grasslands are interspersed with rocky buttes. The highest in the area is Pine Butte, which is in view for much of the hike. The trail ends near the visitor center and museum, which gives you a little history of the region and Fort Robinson. 2️⃣5️⃣Daemonelix and Fossil Hills Trails is in Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. The Agate Fossil Beds are a great destination for anyone interested in geology and paleontology. While the park is small and there are only two trails that run through it, put them together for an interesting and informative half-day trek. The Daemonelix trail leads you on a one-mile hike through the habitat of the ancient dry land beaver, with interactive signs along the way giving you information about the strange, corkscrew-like burrows the animals used to dig. The Fossil Hills Trail is a little longer at just over 2.5 miles and brings you around University and Carnegie Hills, where paleontologists first found fossilized skeletons of ancient rhinos, early horses, and pig-like creatures called dinohyus. You can get close to the old fossil quarries and learn more about the ancient animals that lived in the Great Plains millions of years ago. If you want to see some more modern animals, deer, gophers, and porcupines hang around in the surrounding hills and grasslands. For a little extra adventure, take the mile-long side trail to the “bone cabin,” the old homestead of Harold J. Cook, one of the lead scientists looking for fossils more than a century ago. 2️⃣6️⃣Toadstool Geologic Park is located in the Oglala National Grassland in far northwestern Nebraska. It is operated by the United States Forest Service. It contains a badlands landscape and a reconstructed sod house. The park is named after its unusual rock formations, many of which resemble toadstool. Toadstool Geologic Park is said to be the "badlands of Nebraska" or the "desert of the Pine Ridge." Toadstool Park is north of Crawford, Nebraska. There is a 1-mile loop trail within the park. There are many fossils along the trail; removing fossils is not allowed. Many fossils of large prehistoric animals such as entelodonts and hyaenodons have been found here. Camping is available and there are two toilets. Bison Trail is one of the 10 best hiking trails. It is an easy 3-mile, one-way hike that starts in rolling grasslands before descending into the geologic park, where you will be surrounded by rock formation and fossils. This trail is a great place to view some of the local birds along with deer and pronghorn, but the biggest draw is the ancient history found all around you while on the trail. The area was home to saber-tooth cats, rhinos, 3-toed horses, and even camels. Fossils can be seen throughout the park and be sure to stop by the research center to learn about the ancient animals and current excavations in the park. Remember that it is illegal to pick up and take home any fossils you find along the trail, so a camera is the best way to memorialize this fun and interesting hike. 2️⃣7️⃣Chimney Rock is a prominent geological rock formation in western Nebraska. Rising nearly 300 feet (91 m) above the surrounding North Platte River valley, the peak of Chimney Rock is 4,228 feet (1,289 m) above sea level. The formation served as a landmark along the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Mormon Trail during the mid-19th century. The trails ran along the north side of the rock, which remains a visible landmark for modern travelers along U.S. Route 26 and Nebraska Highway 92. The first recorded mention of "Chimney Rock" was in 1827 by Joshua Pilcher. Pilcher had journeyed up the Platte River valley to the Salt Lake rendezvous of the Rocky Mountain fur trappers. The pillar consists primarily of Brule clay interlayered with volcanic ash and Arikaree sandstone. The harder sandstone layers near the top have protected the pillar since it broke away from the retreating cliff line to the south. Chimney Rock rises approximately 286 feet (87 m) above its surroundings. Chimney Rock was designated a National Historic Site on August 9, 1956. Chimney Rock and Independence Rock further west in Wyoming are two of the prominent features along the Oregon Trail. On March 1, 2006, the Nebraska State Quarter was released. The quarter features a covered wagon headed west past Chimney Rock, commemorating Nebraska's role in westward migration. 2️⃣8️⃣Courthouse and Jail Rocks are two rock formations located near Bridgeport in the Nebraska Panhandle. The Oregon-California Trail, the Mormon Trail, the Pony Express Trail and the Sidney-Deadwood Trail all ran near the rocks. The pair of rock formations served as a landmark along the trails for many pioneers traveling west in the 19th century. Hundreds of westward-bound emigrants mentioned Courthouse Rock (originally also McFarlan's Castle) in their travel logs and journals. The name "Courthouse" was first used in 1837. In 1845, one traveler described the rock as "resembling the ruins of an old castle rises abruptly from the plain. Courthouse and Jail Rocks, which rise 400 feet (121 m) above the North Platte Valley, are composed of Brule clay, Gering sandstone and volcanic ash. The rock formations are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and in the Nebraska Natural Areas Register. 2️⃣9️⃣Snake River Falls tumbles over a 54 foot wide ledge and flows 12 miles to the Niobrara River. When the Snake River is full, it is the largest waterfall in Nebraska by volume. The waterfall is located 23 miles southwest of Valentine. Because access to the falls is on private property, it is not well marked. You can view the falls from trails on both sides of the Snake Falls Sportsman’s Club building. The trail to the left affords the best view. Admission is $1.00, and there is a pay box in front of the Sportsman’s Club building. This is a little waterfall, and well worth traveling to a rather remote location to see it. 3️⃣0️⃣Smith Falls is next to the Niobrara River in northern Nebraska. Smith Falls is the highest waterfall in the entire state. A natural spring feeds the 70-foot tall waterfall which, in turn, feeds into the Niobrara River. The hike is quite short and crosses open fields before entering a small canyon. A short boardwalk takes you the rest of the way to the base of the Falls. Hiking to the falls is limited to established trails to prevent erosion and protect rare plants. Smith Falls was named after Frederic Smith; he was the first person who filed the smallholding patent on the property surrounding the falls. Smith Falls is a popular place to enjoy during the summer months when many people come to kayak, tube, boat, and camp for a few days. Lower Smith Falls are the lower section of the famous Smith Falls. With Smith Falls being the highest waterfall in the state, you can venture to the top of the falls or enjoy the lower part of Smith Falls. Lower Smith Falls can be accessed by the trailhead for Smith Falls and is located 15 miles east of Valentine and only three miles from Sparks. The Falls feed into a small canyon on the southern side of the Niobrara River. You can access the falls year-round, but the flow is the heaviest during the spring.

Well if one of us can't read a road map we may be in trouble navigating Nebraska, guess we better bring a lot of spice bars along. I had to learn how to read a map years ago, whenever I wanted to know where someplace was, because Mom wouldn't just tell you, she would help you, but not do it for you. So I do know how.

I'm glad your feeling better my twin, missed you!

Hope you all like the surprises: two lighthouses, a castle and waterfalls in what some consider a dessert state.

Warm hugs!🐶🐶💕🌧