Ice anglers are a rare breed. They flock to the frozen tundra with gusto in search of the ice belt’s most prized gamefish, often braving sub-zero temperatures for the chance to hook a big bluegill, mammoth pike or coveted crappie.

I never thought I would say it, but I am now proudly part of that rare breed! All the thanks goes to my good friend, Justin Haag, and new friend, Steve Frederick. As many of you may know, Justin as the Nebraska Game and Parks public information officer and regional editor for NEBRASKAland Magazine or better known as “the really good photographer.” Steve is a renowned and regionally-known special projects editor for the Scottsbluff Star Herald. It just so happened that on one cold, sunny January day that Justin, Steve and myself were able to go on an ice fishing excursion at Box Butte Reservoir.

I’m an ice fishing amateur, so this whole “brave the cold and sit on the ice” thing was still new to me. In our adventure, I found new respect for this pastime and would like to offer my advice to any other newbies out there.

Step 1: Make friends with veteran anglers. That way, if you’re new to the sport, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on equipment to come home empty handed. Plus, they offer excellent tips.

Step 2: Buy a fishing license. If you’re located in Northwest Nebraska, fishing licenses are available for purchase at Chadron State Park, Fort Robinson State Park, Chadron Walmart or Herron Bros True Value. Find a complete list of statewide license vendors here. Or, if you’re real tech-savvy, you can purchase and print them online.

I purchased mine at Walmart and even got a nice holder for it. Now, I display it proudly in my wallet next to my driver’s license.

Step 3: Get there & Set Up. Lucky for me, my fishing buddies had a destination in mind: Box Butte Reservoir. When we arrived on-site around 10:00 a.m. on a Wednesday, I was immediately shocked to see there were already about two dozen groups set up and reeling in fish. Shortly after, we pulled our sleds and equipment out on the ice in hopes of a successful day ourselves. To my surprise, the tents and gear were extremely easy to set up. Drag, pop, click. Just like that, we had shelter! Boy, I wish tent-camping was that easy. The final step was drilling the holes. I left that to the guys and their fancy augers.

Step 4: Fish! This is when the real fun begins. I’ve been fishing during the summer many a time, and I often struggle with my lack of patience. The first hour, the nibbles were sparse, there were no catches and my patience was fading. But then, Justin invited me into the adjacent igloo, which had a fancy fish camera. That was a game changer. I was able to see all the fish coming up to my wax worms through the camera and with a little time and practice, I began to master setting the hook. We fished for a solid four or five hours, only stopping for a classic PB&J sandwich lunch.

Step 5: Document. If you don’t take a photo, did it even happen? As a new ice angler, I was super proud of our batch of fish for the day. Between the three of us, we probably caught upwards of 50 fish. Most of them were bluegills, but there were a few perch and Steve won the catch-of-the-day with a northern pike.

Step 6: Pack Up & Go Home. As they say, all good things must come to an end. Just as quickly as we set up, we packed up. The sack of keepers were thrown in the back of the truck and we started the journey home.

Step 7: Clean & Eat. Justin gets all the credit for cleaning the fish this time around. It’s a long and tedious process from what I’m told. But baby steps, right? Now I’ve learned how to catch ‘em, next time I can learn to clean ‘em. My share of fish is packaged and sitting in my freezer, which is soon to be devoured.

Overall, this was a great experience and once again solidified the claim that Northwest Nebraska is an outdoors person’s haven. We spotted license plates from several surrounding states including Colorado and Wyoming, which only goes to show this is truly a tourism draw. I look forward to expanding my skills in the future and hope others are encouraged to get out on that Northwest Nebraska ice.

Dressing properly is the key to a long and comfortable day on the ice. Here are some important tips:

– Start with thin layers, then layer-on the heavier cloths on top. Good thermal underwear the first layer. The longer you can keep your core warm the longer your extremities will stay warm.

Make friends with an expert. Or see where other anglers are congregating and go near them. Often a lake will be either “hot” or “not”, so you don’t necessarily need to dive into the crowd.

CHADRON & CRAWFORD COMMUNITY SURVEYS

CHADRON – Northwest Nebraska Tourism is cooperating with Hollman Media and researchers at the University of Nebraska at Kearney to assess how well Dawes County is performing in categories known to be important to both residents and visitors. All Dawes County residents and visitors to the county are encouraged to complete the survey on both Chadron and Crawford’s needs and priorities. The Chadron Survey is located HERE and the Crawford Survey is HERE . Each surveys takes approximately 5-10 minutes.

“I hope residents and visitors will be involved and lend their voice to this process,” said Kristina Harter, Northwest Nebraska Tourism Director. “Communication requires listening first, and this survey provides us a chance to listen in a statistically valid format.”

This is an early step in a year-long process to update the Dawes County Travel Board’s strategic plan that will guide priorities for the tourism office and other tourism stakeholders and partners in Dawes County.

The Chadron Chamber and Visitors Center has provided a computer available to those who may need it and it will be available for use during normal business hours. All responses must be complete before February 1, 2018.

Since 1980, the Dawes County Travel Board has been actively promoting Dawes County as an ideal tourist destination. The Dawes County Travel Board believes there is always something to discover in Northwest Nebraska. Among the Northwestern Nebraska charm is the rich history and natural beauty of Fort Robinson State Park and Chadron State Park, the abundant public lands in the Pine Ridge known for outdoor recreation opportunities and diverse landscapes, and not to mention friendly, small town atmospheres.

Get off the beaten path and start your journey at DiscoverNWNebraska.com and get social with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

As we move into the winter season, I find myself grateful for the 70 degree weather we have had this late fall. This is certainly uncharacteristic for northwest Nebraska, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s provided myself and many other outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to take advantage of late hikes and bicycle rides in Nebraska’s beautiful Pine Ridge.

Growing up in Colorado, one of my favorite hobbies quickly became… you guessed it… HIKING! I spent many summers climbing 14ers, backpacking with my siblings, and chasing waterfalls. When I moved to Nebraska and began to make Chadron my permanent location, I thought I would miss out on all those awesome outdoor opportunities. It wasn’t until after I graduated from Chadron State College and lived here for nearly 4 years that I realized I was missing out on over 200 miles of trails and 169,000 acres of public land right in my backyard!

Sure, northwest Nebraska does not boast massive mountains and tons of waterfalls. But it does have land that remains largely unchanged from the pioneer days – meaning you don’t have to compete for a spot on the trail to hike – and it includes two renowned state parks the Nebraska National Forest, the Oglala National Grasslands, Nebraska’s Badlands, and hundreds of unique buttes in the 100-mile long Pine Ridge escarpment.

I could rant about my favorite trails and how much I’ve grown to love this area, but more importantly, I’d like to recognize the Northwest Nebraska Trails Association (NNTA), which is a fairly new group spearheading the growth, development and promotion of trails in Dawes and Sioux counties.

The NNTA formed in early 2017 when a group of outdoor recreationists saw the need for a local organization to support the development, promotion and maintenance of the region’s outstanding trails resources for non-motorized exploration.

Since its origin, the NNTA has partnered with the Nebraska Tourism Commission to develop a comprehensive recreational trails guidebook that highlights eight trail complexes in the region. The user-friendly guidebook is available at the Chadron Chamber and Visitors Center and a PDF version is available online. It is an excellent resource for both newbies to the area and even experts who may not know about all the trails available.

In addition to the guidebook, the NNTA began a series of volunteer workdays to maintain and improve select trails in the region. The group believes in building camaraderie among its members through not only its advocacy and volunteerism, but also through social events such as group hikes, runs and rides.

One of the group’s major objectives is completing the section of the Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail from Chadron to Hay Springs, allowing for an uninterrupted route to Gordon on the smooth grade since abandoned by an historic railroad. Members also envision a trail suitable for all users linking the Heritage Trail at Chadron State College to Chadron State Park, eventually joining premier tourist attractions in Dawes and Sheridan counties for non-motorized travelers. These two projects will not only make outdoor recreation more safe and enjoyable in the region, but will also cater to an under-served demographic of trail users and generate tourism.

For the even bigger picture, the Cowboy Trail is a segment in the backbone of the nationwide Great American Rail-Trail with endpoints in Washington D.C.

and Washington State. Until recently, it was unknown if this was a realistic pursuit. Analyses implemented in the past few years of open rail-trails and out-of-service rail corridors show the potential to build a rail-trail that spans from Washington to Washington.

The Rails to Trails Conservancy says, “Any number of possible routes are more than 50 percent complete and span nearly 4,000 miles. And demand for rail-trails and the benefits they bring—from economic gains to physical health and wellness—is high. People understand the value of trails, and they want them in their communities.”

And we are pushing for Northwest Nebraska to be one of them. It’s a long-term goal and there are many facets, but with the enthusiasm and persistence of NNTA members it can be a reality.

There’s no doubt that Northwest Nebraska is plentiful in trails, public lands and scenic beauty. It’s my hope that locals continue to recognize the blessing of having these outdoor spaces so close and that visitors continue to see that Nebraska is SO much more than “cows, cornfields and I-80.”

Hikers, bikers, runners, horseback riders, cross-country skiers, and more – if you love Northwest Nebraska trails, you’re invited to join our journey. Check out the new NNTA website and join us at our next group meeting, social or maintenance day.

When the 2018 Nebraska Tourism Conference was announced in La Vista, I was ecstatic! Certainly not for the 8 hour trip there, but for the opportunity to re-visit the one-of-a-kind Vala’s Pumpkin Patch. I lived in Bellevue for a short part of my childhood, and my mom had a part-time seasonal job at Vala’s for several years. Last month, I was able to rekindle some of those memories as part of this conference. Let me tell you, this place has GROWN – literally. This is the epitome of a successful agri-tourism business that has the ambiance of an amusement park. Today, Vala’s Pumpkin Patch has grown into a 400-acre operation with nearly 55 acres of pumpkins planted every year and over 800 employees.

Among all the harvest festivities, I enjoyed the Apple Slingshot and Blasters the most. It’s exactly what it sounds like… shooting apples out of a cannon-blaster. FUN. What a wonderful thing it is to travel the state for these conferences and see “crazy” ideas flourish into such a successful tourism businesses.

Since day one, my neighbors and fellow tourism gurus have been nothing but nurturing and helpful. To be honest, I did not expect that type of reaction as I thought were are all “competing” for the same tourists. But the reality is that there are no county or regional lines in the eyes of tourists, so sharing information and expanding the “to-do” list helps everyone. This conference once again confirmed that idea. One session with the Nebraska Festivals and Events, Inc. was filled with suggestions, solutions and new ideas for events across the state.

One-on-one time with other industry professionals was no different. We shared guideline and procedure documents, fundraising tips and formed more partnerships. Why re-create the wheel? Never underestimate the power of Nebraska hospitality. Post-conference, I created a Tourism Industry Professionals Facebook group to continue sharing ideas day in and day out. Click here to join.

I’m sure we can all related to that time during a road trip when driving through an unfamiliar place, but you really have to go. Then, out of the blue, you see a marker for a rest area or gas station. More than likely, you stop right then and there. While you’re there you fill up with gas and buy a snack or even a meal. It’s certainly not rocket science, but those markers directly translate into tourist spending, which benefits the economy.

This concept not only holds true for bathroom or gas station markers, but also for wayfinding signs in the community. Clear signage helps visitors feel welcome which hopefully results in repeat visitors. Matt Neemann with the Nebraska Department of Transportation shared this some insight at the conference on the process of providing wayfinding signs in communities. This is certainly something Dawes County can improve on and I look forward to developing a program for Crawford and Chadron in the coming year.

In April of this year, the City of Chadron officially began its journey to develop a downtown gathering space by purchasing the lot on the corner of 2^nd and Main. I believe this is a progressive step to vitalizing downtown Chadron.

Dan Senftner, President of CEO of Destination Rapid City spoke at several conference sessions about his first-hand experience with the central gathering space in Rapid City. The visitor statistics and growth in downtown Rapid City show how the gathering space is an economic catalyst for downtown communities. Tourist and regional visitors see out authentic experiences and are increasingly looking for “where the locals are.” Incorporating this downtown gathering space into our community will foster community pride, increase tourist spending and capitalize on downtown revitalization projects. Let’s keep this rolling, Chadron!

After several days of inspiring sessions, cultivating new ideas and industry updates, we celebrated with a reception and awards banquet. This year, we spent some quality time networking over a glass of wine and beer during the Celebrate Nebraska Reception. The Nebraska Wine and Grape Growers Association and Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild sponsored the event and there was a wide variety of wineries and breweries from across the state. Who says Nebraska is nothing but corn fields? My personal favorite was the Marquett from Niobrara Valley Winery. Currently, northwest Nebraska does not have any wineries or breweries in its two counties. This would be a great addition to tourism in our area. If you have a contact who might be interested in starting one, let’s chat!

Lastly, I’d like to say a big congratulations to my dear friends Mitch and Patty Glidden, who were recipients of the Henry Fonda award at the Awards Banquet. They are the owners of the well-known Sandhills Motel & Glidden Canoe Rental in Mullen. If you haven’t experienced tanking yet, I highly recommend blocking out a weekend next summer to pay them a visit. Clearly, many can attest to their unparalleled western hospitality.

The Nebraska Tourism Conference is an excellent place to grow as a professional, network and build Nebraska Tourism Commission’s tourism efforts as a whole. I invite anyone in the tourism industry to save the date for October 16-18, 2018 in Nebraska City. The Western Nebraska Tourism Coalition offers scholarships and carpool options are available, too!

On August, 21 2017, millions of people across North America experienced something totally unforgettable. I was one of those millions and I enjoyed it with the biggest space nerd I know, my dad.

As the Northwest Nebraska Tourism Director, it’s been my job to help plan and prepare for the Great American Eclipse in the typically quaint and quiet northwest corner of Nebraska. And let me tell you, planning for an event like this is tough.

How do you gauge the number of visitors that are coming? How do you prepare locals for an influx of tourists that could potentially triple or quadruple the population? Will we have enough gas? Food? Will we actually have traffic jams? What about the “weirdos”?

Well, simply put, you can’t plan for an exact number or demographic. What we did know was that this event could be the biggest event in Northwest Nebraska Tourism history. Thousands of people coming to Dawes and Sioux counties for the total eclipse who may never have come here otherwise. Our motto was prepare for the most, hope for the best. And we did.

My dad is a space geek. And he’s proud of it. And so am I. He served 23 years in the Air Force as an aerospace engineer, satellite operator, and missile defense. As a retired Lt. Colonel, he works at MITRE Corporation as the Technical Director for the Space Knowledge Center. I don’t understand everything that he does at work and much of it is classified. But what I do know is that I wake up, go to work and do my best to get more visitors to northwest Nebraska. He wakes up, goes to work, and makes sure other countries don’t even try to shoot missiles our way. And if they do, our U.S. defenses will knock ‘em down, roll ‘em round, come on team let’s work. WORK!

And that’s pretty neat. And that’s exactly why I wanted to watch the total eclipse with my dad.

Before pops arrived in Chadron, we tossed around several ideas to view the eclipse. In planning for this event, I learned it’s most enjoyable to be around a surplus of people or wildlife. We thought Alliance’s Carhenge or Agate Fossil Bed National Monument in Sioux County would be the golden ticket, and it certainly was for thousands of others. But, we decided to take a more natural, spontaneous and crowd-less, approach for the event somewhere in southern Dawes County near the Nebraska National Forest. You know, we really wanted to #DiscoverNWNebraska.

It all started with a two hour drive through northwest Nebraska backroads. It was an early rise and we jumped in the car with my dad’s new dog, Comet, who was adopted three days earlier from the Colorado Springs Humane Society. The name was certainly fitting for this astronomical event.

While navigating my dad down Highway 20 I couldn’t help but notice the grey, cloudy skies above us and fog along the buttes, which is atypical for August weather in the area. Heavy traffic on a Monday morning to Crawford was also atypical.

Rounding the corner into Crawford, blue skies began to emerge and it dawned on me that we certainly needed to get my dad a souvenir for the event. So, we proceeded to Herren Brothers True Value in downtown Crawford with hopes to find a t-shirt keepsake. They had one left and it was the right fit! We were told that was the last eclipse T-shirt left in Crawford! Imagine that.

With our trusty tear-off map and Nebraska Public Access Atlas, we proceeded aimlessly south on Highway 71 and various county roads for the next hour looking for the perfect spot. We passed hundreds of eclipse viewers scattered all over the county roads and properties. Too much shade. Not enough trees. Too many people. No people. Whoops, private property. Oops, there goes cell phone coverage and our map, where are we now?

Backroads, lots of coffee and water, and no services is sometimes not a good combination. One of us HAD to go. It wasn’t dad. About 15 minutes later, one of us REALLY had to go. It wasn’t dad. One of us was bouncing in the seat. It still wasn’t dad. It was settled, we would turn at the next road. As fate would have it, that next road had a small crowd of people. We turned and gawked at the telescopes and binoculars as we drove by over the hill.

Minutes later we returned and asked if it was a private party. Surprisingly, it was not and we were welcomed to join the gathering. Maybe it was the “military brat” in me to dive nose first into this group of strangers, but there was no question. We found the spot.

There we were, in Marsland, with Comet the dog, a Senior Space Systems Engineer and several amateur astronomers, viewing the eclipse with an anticipated totality of 2 minutes, 5 seconds.

Leading up to the totality set at 11:48 a.m., these strangers quickly became friends and we learned they came from all over the country including Rapid City, SD, Fort Collins, CO, St. Petersburg, FL, California, New Mexico and several others. They graciously shared their equipment and knowledge, and we took full advantage of the opportunity. Pops became quite the expert at taking pictures of the eclipse through the telescope lenses.

It was about 20 minutes until totality and there was a noticeable difference in darkness and the temperature began to drop. At 11:38 a.m. we saw a pronghorn buck a few hundred yards away. It began running up and down a fence line and in circles, confused by the phenomena. The temperature continued to drop and the darkness increased. At about 11:40 a.m. I had goosebumps and one of my new friends offered me a jacket. The evening crickets started shortly after that, and the 360 degree horizon started turning violet then purple.

The light during this time was extremely unique and difficult to explain. It was almost like lights in a baseball arena coming from above. The gravel was very light, but the world around was dark. We were observing scattered stray sunlight being blocked by the moon.

A semi-truck passed by and the automatic headlights were on. A noticeable 360 sunset was all around us. The moon shape became a sliver, and the sliver a faint line, and then… it happened.

Yeah, I thought it would be neat, but I had no idea. Totality is truly an out-of-body experience. I was looking at a radiant, black sun. Venus, satellites and other stars were clearly visible, at 11;48 in the morning! It was unlike anything I had ever seen or experienced before… totally eccentric. The two minutes flew by – we cheered, we wow’d, we didn’t want it to end. The difference between 99% and 100% obscuration is literally night and day. Wow!

Right when as the sun peaked back out from behind the moon, an eagle was spotted to the south flying overhead as if it were dawn.

The eclipse climax was over, but the memory did not fade. To celebrate the event, a bag of Sun Chips was passed around and we cheered and chatted. One by one the group packed up and left.

Just as soon as everyone showed up, they were gone. My dad laughed when I thought this was “insane traffic” in northwest Nebraska. All lanes going into Crawford were packed for miles. It truly was the most traffic I had ever seen on Highway 20 and 71. I guess that’s just the norm in Colorado, and I don’t miss it!

When we got home after the eclipse, you would NEVER believe what happened … A comet went through my living room window! That’s right, our new four-legged friend was devastated when we left him at home while running a couple errands and busted right through the screen window.

When all was said and done, the Great American Eclipse surpassed all my expectations. From a tourism perspective, I am pleased with the turnout of visitors to our area (estimated of 20,000 extra visitors), and proud of the hospitality they were shown by our communities. We gave out 10,000 pairs of eclipse glasses free of charge in Dawes and Sioux Counties. That’s about 100 pairs of eclipse glasses for every second of totality. Without a doubt, this was this biggest tourism event in our history!

As a viewer, I now understand the thrill that eclipsers are chasing, and they may have just recruited one more guru. But more than anything, I am tickled that I blacked out in Northwest Nebraska with my dad. There is no doubt it’s a memory we will cherish forever.

If you enjoyed watching the eclipse in northwest Nebraska (Harrison, Agate, Crawford, Marsland, or Chadron) send your story or pictures to director@discovernwnebraska.com.

One last bad dad joke to send you on your merry way…
How does the man on the moon cut his hair? Eclipse it.

There’s No Better Direction than Northwest Nebraska. Why? Northwest Nebraska defies expectations. You won’t find cornfields and flat landscapes here. Discover towering buttes, sweeping grasslands, a lunar landscape and more.

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