Suggestions For Crossing Nebraska?

[Travlr]

I'm going to be riding a motorcycle from Sioux City, Ia. to Glenwood Springs, Co. the first week in August.  Sturgis is that week so I want to stay out of S. Dakota.  I could use some route advice across Nebraska.  Here are some parameters.

Total distance is a bit over 700 miles.  Or 2 days of 350 miles each. 
I love Daniel Kalala's stuff.  Small towns, back roads, no interstates, etc.

Any suggestions as to road selections or "must see" attractions?

Thanks in advance.

Mike 

[Guzzistajohn]

I took HY 2 across NW Ne. in May. Nice stretch through the sandhills      Plenty of stuff to see if you're a fan of the lone prairie.

[Moto]

I have enjoyed US-20 across northern Nebraska, especially to Chadron and Chadron State Park. Very nice cabins and swimming pool there, and very dark skies for stargazing.

But that would add about a hundred and twenty-five miles to your 700-mile total for the direct route.

I don't think there are any can't-miss attractions in Nebraska. If you want to be like Daniel Kalal, you'll have to adjust to his attitude. He finds something interesting in the ordinary, wherever he goes. Maybe he'll chime in with some recommendations. He gave me recommendations once for how to cross Kansas, but I didn't take enough time to really follow them. As a result, my experience was less than what his would have been.

Go slow, and talk to people, are the only real recommendations I could offer. Enjoy your trip.

Moto

[blackbuell]

Highway 2 is much more interesting than the interstate or rt. 20.

[Daleroso]

Rte 2 is nice.
Ft Robinson where Crazy Horse was murdered by a Army private.
It's been awhile but I believe it's Nebraska where I saw an Oregon Trail sign. Parked the bike edge of road & walked between the ruts to where I looked back & only saw tall grass. No bike or road. I could only imagine.
Saw a historical marker near the ONLY tree around. A winter storm approaching the late 1800's. The school teacher took the class to her house. Not knowing, one student's mother went to get him/her (?). Locals found her frozen at the base of this tree after the storm passed.
There's interesting things in every state.
I enjoy history & trivia.

[Daniel Kalal]

Any suggestions as to road selections or "must see" attractions?

You're crossing on a long diagonal that is not aligned with the rivers (or railroads) of Nebraska.  that means you'll be stepping from one east/west road down to the next.  How you do those steps won't matter too much, but this might be interesting:

starting in Sioux City
US-35, aim for Wayne, NE
NE-91, aim for Albion, NE
NE-92, aim for Arnold, NE (Nebraska's numbering system can be annoying as it uses similar numbers without any reason)
NE-23, aim for Wallace, NE
CO-14, aim for Stoneham, CO
now you're on your own to get to your final destination

If you shoot for the listed town (somewhat randomly picked) you would then look for the next highway and drop down to it at some point, while aiming for the next little town listed.

As to must-see attractions; you'll need to dial back.  What you're looking for is evidence of what Nebraska was like before center-pivot irrigation made dramatic changes in the crops and before freeways realigned everything.  Certainly, on the roads I've listed, you'll be riding in something closer to 1959 than 2019.  As a note; most small towns will have a café, but there might not be much of a sign--look for the pickup trucks and order what they're eating.

[alanp]

I took HY 2 across NW Ne. in May. Nice stretch through the sandhills      Plenty of stuff to see if you're a fan on the lone prairie.

This is the best route I have found.  Very little traffic and has some decent scenery, which is saying something for Nebraska!  Highly recommended. 

BTW, if you do take 2, once you get to Alliance drop down to Scottsbluff, then take 71 south to near Stoneham in CO.  71 is another great route with little traffic that traverses the entire width of the Pawnee National Grassland. 

[Chuck in Indiana]

airplane. 

[TDF]

I'm going to be riding a motorcycle from Sioux City, Ia. to Glenwood Springs, Co. the first week in August. 

Which days, and on what make of bike?

Theres been a lot of good suggestions about sites to see out in the heart of the state so far, so I wont go into too much detail, other than to say hwy 2 is one of my favorites but doesn't lend itself well to what you're doing as it essentially angles through the state from the Southeast to the Northwest and your going Northeast to Southwest.  But you could catch part of it.  Any of it much west of Grand Island is pretty. 

If you're in the Lincoln area on the first Wednesday of the month from 5 to 9 PM, down in the old haymarket is European Bike Night.  We block off a block with barricades and only allow bikes in.  Preferably European.  Some fine eateries along that block as well. 

Hwy 6 angles down from Omaha to McCook and continue west into CO.  Not near the scenery of hwy 2, well OK no scenery, just a trip through small town Nebraska, but beats the hell out of the interstate.  Though I'd try and get off of it and catch some of the little highways like the afore mentioned 23 that Daniel Kalal noted.

TDF

[Kent in Upstate NY]

As one who has gone through NE and really has no appreciation for the heartland, don't take your time. 

[alanp]

hwy 2 is one of my favorites but doesn't lend itself well to what you're doing as it essentially angles through the state from the Southeast to the Northwest and your going Northeast to Southwest

Don't be dissuaded.  The best part of Hwy 2 is the essentially due east/west section that ends in Alliance.  The only road that is going to get you where you are going significantly quicker is I-80.  But it is true, you don't want to do ALL of 2, just the western most portion. 

[John A]

 Top gear, 6200 rpm 

[rschrum]

Ole's big game bar and steakhouse, Paxton NE.

[LongRanger]

If you find yourself anywhere near Alliance, NE, stop at Carhenge just to say you did it. But don't go too far out of your way just to do it.

[Daniel Kalal]

…stop at Carhenge just to say you did it...

the unfortunate thing about Carhenge is that it is no longer what it once was.  When first put up it was an ironic/humorous twist on Stonehenge except for the cars instead of stones and the sandhills substituting for the Salisbury Plains.  Clever.

Now, the site is also occupied by other art installations that are nowhere near as clever and take away seeing Carhenge against a background of the sandhills.

Photographers now have to be very careful with composition (to avoid seeing the other stuff out there) if you want to maintain the illusion of Cargenge being in a vast plains (just as I had to do for this shot, back in 2005).

But, as was said, if you're within a few miles of it, you should go have a look...

[bete]

I like 2 also, I have ridden and driven  it several times.  I really like the sandhills.

[mjptexas]

Ole's big game bar and steakhouse, Paxton NE.

If it walked, crawled, flew or swam Ole shot it or caught it and displayed it in the bar.  Worth the visit even if it's a bit off your chosen route.

[jim_W]

I just rode from Des Moines to Cody Wyoming on US 20. Nice road with no traffic and lots of rolling ranch land  Might be more traffic when rally going on in SD.

[PICKLEKOOKEN]

At night and as fast as you feel safe!

[ccoli]

We recently took 34 across the state to deliver a bike and vacation in Colorado. The pavement was in better shape than most interstate highways. Plan out your gas stops though as towns are scarce.