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I think traversing the Sandhills region was our consensus favorite part of our Nebraska trip. It’s a subtlety beautiful area, and one we’ve heard about for years but hadn’t yet experienced. I expect some tanking through the Sandhills to be on a future itinerary.

A few final shots:

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AI clones of my book on Amazon

It looks like there are still nearly a dozen obvious AI clones of my kayaking guidebook on Amazon.

Each of them features:

  • an improbable title (often with multiple colons),
  • an author name with a middle initial (many with a misplaced period), - a photo that’s very clearly not the Salt River
  • they’re all much longer than you would expect for a normal guidebook (122-124 pages), except that it mimics the length of my own (I included a lot of additional information and history that few guidebooks would incorporate)
  • they’re all listed at $11.95 or $12.95 paperbacks (mine is a $4.69 ebook).

I give the book away for free on my website if you join the email list for the Alliance of Salt River Paddlers, so it’s pretty obvious how they got the copy to run thru an LLM.

I didn’t write it to make money, and it’s not clear that anyone has actually bought one of the clones. But I still find it annoying. And I wonder how many other small author ebooks are cloned this way.

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Here comes the haboob!!

I rode my bike here, so guess I’ll be staying for another round or two 🍻

edit: and…it’s officially blocked out the sun.

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Our central Nebraska weekend trip was a clear success. We had more fun than anticipated and saw a huge chunk of the state—collecting 44 counties in total (in green). We’re even considering a return trip soon.

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Quintessential rural Nebraska

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Too many photos of Carhenge

Behold Carhenge, a highlight of the trip!

Several cars are partially buried and arranged in a circle, resembling a modern car-themed Stonehenge.

Several upright cars are arranged in a circle, resembling a stone monument, with some cars painted in bright colors and graffiti.

A collection of gray cars arranged vertically to resemble a stone circle, with one car decorated in colorful designs and neon outlines of various shapes nearby.

Several cars are vertically planted in the ground and painted with colorful graffiti designs against a cloudy sky backdrop.

A car, balanced on top of painted concrete slabs, features artwork including a colorful character, set against a cloudy sky.

Several cars are partially buried nose-first in the ground, covered in colorful, artistic graffiti.

A colorful installation features cars stacked and partially buried, resembling the iconic Stonehenge structure.

Several cars are vertically embedded into the ground, resembling a prehistoric monument, with one car positioned on top of the others.

A close-up of a colorful, graffiti-covered object is in the foreground with cars stacked vertically in the background, resembling a modern art installation.

Cars are standing on end and stacked in a row like a vertical sculpture under a cloudy sky.

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Curve before curve

A long, winding road stretches through a hilly, rural landscape with scattered trees under a partly cloudy sky.
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This shopping center mural was basically the first thing that we stopped at after getting our rental car in Grand Island, and yeah—we saw lots of sunflowers, some cows, three good sunsets—but not a sailboat (umm…it’s Nebraska)

A vibrant mural features sunflowers, a cow, and a sailboat against a colorful sunset sky.
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A fav stop was the (recently burned) Nebraska National Forest. The origin story of this place is wild—basically, a local professor convinced Teddy Roosevelt to designate this treeless tract as a “forest reserve,” so he could then hand-plant one. Until recently it was the largest man-made forest.

A wooden sign in a grassy area marks the entrance to Nebraska National Forest and Grassland, with trees and a paved road in the background.A vast, grassy landscape is dotted with sparse, charred trees under a cloudy sky.Rolling hills covered with tall grasses and sparse, leafless trees under a cloudy sky.A grassy landscape features sparse, leafless trees under a cloudy sky.A wide river flows between tree-lined banks under a cloudy sky.A river flows under a distant bridge, framed by vertical wooden bars and surrounded by lush greenery.The poster describes the efforts of Dr. Charles E. Bessey in creating the Bessey Ranger District and highlights the conservation impact in Nebraska's Sandhills.A museum display board titled Never Give Up features information about Charles E. Scott and his contributions to the Nebraska National Forest.

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Jen would not let me spend $10 to laugh at the displays at the creationist dinosaur museum in Broken Bow. I still feel a bit cheated.

A building decorated with a large dinosaur figure over the entrance is accompanied by parked cars and a dinosaur sculpture visible in the background.A metal dinosaur sculpture stands beside a sign for The Boneyard Creation Museum near a road with various signs and trailers in the background.

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We toured the Genoa Indian Industrial School, which was modeled after the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School that we recently visited in central Pennsylvania. We appreciated the private tour we got from the well-informed high school girl who staffed the site that day; the kids are alright.

A historic brick building with the text U.S. Indian School displayed on its facade is set against a partly cloudy sky.A historical marker in Nebraska provides information about the Genoa U.S. Indian Industrial School, highlighting its history and purpose.A brick archway with a sign reading U.S. Indian School stands amidst a grassy area with trees in the background.

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We visited a petrified wood art museum in Ogallala, Nebraska. It’s crazy that these framed art pieces and music boxes are made completely from petrified wood! The museum also had a bunch of cool rocks and arrowhead displays.

Several small, intricately carved wooden structures are displayed on shelves, each labeled with different names.Framed botanical art pieces depicting various plant and flower arrangements are displayed on a textured wall.Two framed artworks depicting birds, with the left showing an owl on a dark background and the right displaying an eagle on a light background.A storefront display showcases various samples of petrified wood with an eagle illustration and the sign Petrified Wood & Art Gallery visible.Wooden dioramas of rustic buildings are mounted on a wall, framed by natural wood slices.A spacious museum or gallery features various sculptures, artwork displays, and visitors viewing the exhibits.A mosaic of a person made from arrowheads and artifacts is displayed in a frame above a descriptive plaque.A humorous wall decoration features a whimsical mask resembling an animal with wild hair, accompanied by a sign that reads, I don't repeat gossip...so listen carefully.A detailed wooden carving features a horse and rider beneath trees, framed by a natural wood shape, with gem displays in the background.

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Trapped inside. (Exeter, NE)

A deserted, vintage-style gas station with a weathered facade stands in a grassy area under a cloudy sky.
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There’s a bar & live music venue in Ogallala, Nebraska called Driftwood, and they have this cool large guitar made from driftwood over their door. We didn’t have time to stop in, sadly, but I bet it’s a fun place.

A rustic, large wooden sculpture of a guitar is mounted on a weathered wall above a window.
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Business really picked up after they tweaked the name from Dickie Diddles.

A convenience store named "Dickie Doodles" and laundromat is situated in a parking lot with several cars parked in front.
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Fred’s Flying Circus

A collection of vintage car sculptures is displayed on poles and a mural with a pink car and a person is painted on a brick wall.A humorous outdoor display features a flying vintage car with cartoon eyes and a police car labeled Super Cop, as a mannequin labeled Loser points a hairdryer radar gun at them.Three whimsical car sculptures, each with unique cartoonish features and characters, are mounted on tall poles against a cloudy sky.Several vintage and whimsical cars are mounted on poles above a pink car near a mural along a roadside display.

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Scott, Lookout! Tower…is missing its platform. This fire lookout tower burned recently. 🏷️25.08A

A brown sign reads Scott Lookout Tower Elevation 2945 in front of a grassy hill with charred trees.A tall metal fire watchtower stands among sparse trees on a grassy hill under a cloudy sky.

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On trail(s). 🏷️25.08A

Two directional signs indicate the distances to historical trail destinations, including Independence, Sacramento, and Oregon City, with labels for the California and Oregon Trails.
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Have you really truly been to Nebraska if you haven’t toured a sod house? This one was at the Sand Hills Journey Scenic Byway Visitor Center near Broken Bow. They also had a barbed wire collection, which must be mandated by state law for Nebraska museums. 🏷️25.08A

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My Nebraska County map is looking pretty good after day 2! I surpassed the 50% completion mark, which was my primary questing goal for the trip. We’ll grab a few more tomorrow on our way to the Grand Island airport to fly home. 🏷️25.08A