Valden Tours, Inc. VISIONS OF NEBRASKA Autumn in Northeastern Nebraska An OLLI tour in celebration of Nebraska s Sesquicentennial October 18-20, 2017 The Autumn colors of Northeastern Nebraska are among the best. Join your OLLI friends in this third and final in-depth tour celebrating our 150th birthday party. Our destinations are diverse, focusing on some of the colorful history, cultural diversity, and rolling landscapes that uniquely describe Northeast Nebraska: the Neihardt Center. Ponca State Park. the Hochunk Village. Bluebird Nursery. Silver Hills Winery. Ashfall. Steamship Bertrand. Dakota Bend Wildlife Refuge.Genoa Indian
The rolling landscape of Northeast Nebraska, contrasted with the fertile river bottom crop lands, add up to a spectacular Autumn experience. Join your OLLI friends as we explore the region in this third and final travel salute to Nebraska s 150th birthday party. THE ITINERARY Wednesday, October 18: After boarding our motorcoach in Lincoln we will travel about an hour to DeSoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is located in the migratory bird corridor of the Missouri River floodplain and provides essential habitat for resident, migratory, and endangered species. We will briefly tour the refuge, and if we are fortunate, we may be able to observe some of the migrating birds heading south through this important flyway. Close to the refuge is the Steamship Bertrand Museum, which commemorates the sinking of the ship in April, 1865. Half of its cargo was recovered in 1965. We will visit the museum and observe some of its cargo, which includes the largest collection of intact Civil War artifacts in the United States. Our early lunch today is at the Silver Hills Winery, located north of Tekamah. This family-owned winery is gaining a reputation as one of the best in Nebraska. Lunch is included in the price of this tour, but any wine tasting will be on your own. This afternoon we will travel to Bancroft to visit the John G. Neihardt State Historical Site. The Neihardt Foundation operates the museum as a tribute to Nebraska s Poet Laureate. There will be time to explore the museum, the Sacred Hoop Garden, and his study. Later this afternoon we will travel to Winnebago and tour the developing Ho-Chunk Village. Ho-Chunk, Inc. is working hard to generate revenue and jobs to support the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Their success in economic development has provided Tribal members the opportunity to improve their entire way of life. Ho-Chunk, Inc. is building a brand new community on the Winnebago Reservation, Ho-Chunk Village. The Village is a 40-acre mixed use development featuring commercial and residential development. For the first time in the history of the Tribe, Tribal members are now able to realize home ownership. Work is continuing each year to expand the Village and continue building new homes and multi-family housing. This evening we will be staying at the Hampton Inn in Sioux City. Our included evening dinner will be at Kahill s Restaurant which is located in South Sioux City s Marina Inn and overlooks the Missouri River.
Thursday, October 19: Following the included breakfast at our motel we will head to Ponca State Park for a narrated driving tour of the park. Located in the picturesque Missouri River bluffs near Ponca, the park is the eastern gateway to the 59-mile section of the Missouri National Recreational River, one of two unchannelized stretches of the river bordering Nebraska. It is one of the state s most visited state parks. We will then travel west and north to Lewis and Clark Lake and Gavin s Point Dam. Construction of the dam began in 1957 and is the most southern dam in the Missouri River dam system. We will tour the visitor s center and focus on water conservation issues facing Nebraska. Our included luncheon today is at C J s at the Lake near Crofton. This afternoon we will travel further west to the Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park. Nearly 12 million years ago volcanic ash engulfed this ancient watering hole entombing innumerable animals. National Geographic has called it the Pompeii of prehistoric animals. Because of its scientific importance, the 360-acre historical park between Orchard and Royal was acquired in 1987 and is a joint project of the Game and Parks Commission and the University of Nebraska State Museum. The site s director will lead us on a tour of the facility. Our overnight lodging will be at the Hampton Inn in Norfolk. Our included dinner will be at Michael s Cantina in Norfolk. Friday, October 20: Following the included breakfast at our motel we will visit the Elkhorn Valley Museum in Norfolk. This is an excellent local museum which focuses on the history of the community and the surrounding northeast Nebraska area. One of the exhibits you will want to see is their tribute to Norfolk native Johnny Carson. Later this morning we will travel south to Clarkson and a tour of the Bluebird Nursery. This local business was formed in the early 1970 s and has grown into a major wholesale and retail nursery that serves customers throughout the world. Although it is at the end of the season, we will tour their facility and learn more about their substantial growth. Our included luncheon this noon will be at Dusters Restaurant in Columbus. This afternoon we will visit the Columbus Power Plant operated by the Nebraska Public Power District. We will tour the plant which is an excellent example of the art deco style of architecture. Water resources will again be our subject for discussion. We will then travel to Genoa for a tour of the Genoa Indian School Museum. The Genoa Indian School opened in 1884 and continued operation until 1934. It was the fourth non-reservation school established by the Office of Indian Affairs. The school grew from an original enrollment of 74 students to 599 and encompassed over 30 buildings and 640 acres. The school s mission stressed assimilation into white society through a combination of manual training and education. Later that afternoon we will return to Columbus and a short visit to the national Higgins Memorial which honors the development of the Higgins World War II landing craft. Our final tour stop will be dinner and fun at Abie s Place Res-
$548 per person for shared accommodations $670 per person for single accommodations Reservation deadline: September 15, 2017 Although the reservation deadline is September 15, this tour may reach maximum capacity much earlier. Therefore, early registration is encouraged to guarantee space on the tour. September 15 is also the deadline for cancellation and a full refund. Once the tour registrations reach capacity, interested individuals will be placed on a reserve list. Individuals requesting assistance under the American Disabilities Act (ADA) should contact Valden Tours at the time the reservation is made. Please contact Lee Rockwell, Valden Tours, at 402-486-0900 or email lrockwell@windstream.net with any questions. All reservations should be made by completing the separate reservation form for this tour and mailed, along with a check payable for the full amount, to Valden Tours 2101 South 66th Street, Lincoln, NE 68506.
VISIONS OF NEBRASKA Autumn in Northeastern Nebraska October 18-20, 2017 RESERVATION DEADLINE: September 15, 2017 Name(s) Address City State Zip Home Phone Cell Phone email address (please print) Sharing accommodations with Shared accommodations at $548 per person Single accommodations at $670 Please make check payable for the full amount to Valden Tours and mail to Valden Tours, 2101 South 66th Street, Lincoln, NE 68506 Individuals requesting assistance under the American Disabilities Act (ADA) should contact Valden Tours at the time this reservation is made. Contact Lee Rockwell at 402-486-0900 or email lrockwell@windstream.net with any questions