By Gabby Christensen
Corn fields, football and wide open spaces are just a few of the things most associate with the great state of Nebraska.
But, as Albion natives Cassie Olson and Sheila Sup have realized, there’s so much more “The Good Life” state has to offer.
Recently, Olson and Sup embarked on an eight-day trek through the Cornhusker State with plans to stop at 70 different locations as part of the Nebraska Passport Program.
The Nebraska Passport Program was started by the Nebraska Tourism Commission to help travelers discover Nebraska’s hidden gems, including: museums, parks, restaurants, wineries, retail stores and more.
This wasn’t the duo’s first time participating in the program. In fact, they stopped at all 80 stops last year.
This year, there were 11 different categories, including animals, arts, back in time, and wine and beer.
The best friends actually found out about the Nebraska Passport while participating in the Wine Passport a couple of years ago.
The Nebraska Passport begins May 1 and runs through Sept. 30.
The stops are different each year and participants are not required to make all the stops.
At each location, travelers receive “stamps” in their physical passport, or an electronic stamp in their Passport app.
The more stamps collected, the better chance one has of receiving prizes from the program.
In the past, some prizes have included t-shirts, jackets, mugs, chocolates and lottery tickets.
“We didn’t just rush to get all the stamps, though,” Olson said. “That’s not the point of this. We really stopped and enjoyed every place.”
This year, the pair decided to ‘vlog’ their entire experience on social media by posting short vidoes.
“We literally took people along with us so that was a really fun aspect,” Olson said.
Read the complete story in the Aug. 8 Albion News & Petersburg Press, Print and E-Editions.
