The Great Plains
Rural Nebraska
The first day of my trip to the Northwest (US), I drove from Kansas into Nebraska--much of which, as is the case in my home state of Kansas, is dominated by the Great Plains. This particular scene is typical of much of those Central Plains states--gently rolling prairies with only the occasional cottonwood tree to break the "monotony" of grasslands or fields of wheat. I, like so many others, used to, indeed, find the panoramas rather boring. They always fell short when compared to the barrier Islands of the East, or the snow-capped mountains or great sandstone-scapes of the West. Clearly, these plains cannot claim to have the same awe-inducing power of those places--but no matter. They still have a beauty all their own--just as the small-town beauty of the girl next door may not turn heads the way a Hollywood starlet might. Still, she has every right to claim a beauty all her own.
This is a Pano combining 12 photos. The location on the map is a close approximation. I ended up eating my evening meal in a (VERY) small-town diner in Gilead, Nebraska late in the day, and when I exited, sunset was less than an hour away. So, I couldn't have driven far before taking this photo (off US Highway 136).
I ended up spending the night in Hastings, NE--which for most, couldn't be considered making good time on a trip that would end up covering about 8,000 miles (it's about 240 miles from Topeka). The next day I only made it as far as Valentine, NE--about 230 miles. The way I usually travel, however, that's making very good time indeed! I do so love stopping and smelling the scenery along the way. There would be days that I covered ever so much more--especially near the end when I found myself under some time pressure (I had to be in DC June 28th--though I didn't make it, arriving the next day). I do hate driving like that, however. Hate it.
The Great Plains
Rural Nebraska
The first day of my trip to the Northwest (US), I drove from Kansas into Nebraska--much of which, as is the case in my home state of Kansas, is dominated by the Great Plains. This particular scene is typical of much of those Central Plains states--gently rolling prairies with only the occasional cottonwood tree to break the "monotony" of grasslands or fields of wheat. I, like so many others, used to, indeed, find the panoramas rather boring. They always fell short when compared to the barrier Islands of the East, or the snow-capped mountains or great sandstone-scapes of the West. Clearly, these plains cannot claim to have the same awe-inducing power of those places--but no matter. They still have a beauty all their own--just as the small-town beauty of the girl next door may not turn heads the way a Hollywood starlet might. Still, she has every right to claim a beauty all her own.
This is a Pano combining 12 photos. The location on the map is a close approximation. I ended up eating my evening meal in a (VERY) small-town diner in Gilead, Nebraska late in the day, and when I exited, sunset was less than an hour away. So, I couldn't have driven far before taking this photo (off US Highway 136).
I ended up spending the night in Hastings, NE--which for most, couldn't be considered making good time on a trip that would end up covering about 8,000 miles (it's about 240 miles from Topeka). The next day I only made it as far as Valentine, NE--about 230 miles. The way I usually travel, however, that's making very good time indeed! I do so love stopping and smelling the scenery along the way. There would be days that I covered ever so much more--especially near the end when I found myself under some time pressure (I had to be in DC June 28th--though I didn't make it, arriving the next day). I do hate driving like that, however. Hate it.