Editor’s Note: This post is a part of the #winosontheroad series. Over Yonderlust and d travels ’round are road tripping and exploring America through June 27. Be sure to check out all of the posts of life on the open road.
Driving through Nebraska is … boring. Like really, really boring.
After leaving Denver, it’s nothing but straight. Straight. Straight. Mind-numbingly straight. Flat land against straight roads that gives way to rolling, desolate hills against straight roads.
Fortunately, as the sun sets, the scenery in Nebraska comes alive.
En route to Omaha, we were treated to this stunning image as the bright orange sun sunk into the horizon in the distance.
It was a fluke actually. Erica spotted a great roadside attraction and I turned around and got back on the highway so we could loop back to it. As we crossed the overpass, there was this …
Who says road trips are always boring? Even in Nebraska.
D Travels 'Round 
Diana: Nebraska can be so much more than boring straight roads. This summer, I have been exploring the state with the Nebraska passport program and I have seen a wide variety of beauty. The key is to exit Interstate 80 for the smaller roads. There is so much to see and do between Omaha and Denver!
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I’m getting there 🙂 We actually had an amazing time in Nebraska! Spent an afternoon in Paxton and two nights in Omaha. We would have spent longer there if we didn’t need to get to Chicago. Definitely really enjoyed our time in the state … but driving down 80 on a cross-country drive is really straight. There is no way to escape that fact.
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Lovely shot and beautiful colors!
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Thank you!!
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There’s something about those flat states. I remember many a summer night in Oklahoma with the sky in every shade of pink and red and orange. Beautiful!
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I LOVE it. America really is so diverse and beautiful.
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The middle of nowhere in Nebraska has special meaning to me…somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska is where my husband and I fell in love on a road trip. Great photo!
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I love it!!!! Thank you 🙂
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I remember the HOURS we spent driving through the Midwest! It was beyond daunting, and usually there was nothing besides random roadside attractions to keep us awake. 😛
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YES. I have found myself growing claustrophobic the closer we get to the East Coast, the dimmer the blue sky gets and the more trees and traffic surrounds us. I am such a southwest girl!
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Keep in mind that those first few hours getting out of Denver is still Colorado…not Nebraska…and it’s just as flat and uninteresting. I lived in Nebraska, went to school there, worked in Omaha, and all of my relatives are from there – so it’s still quite a special place to me. Plus – if you would have gotten off the interstate and drove through the northern part of the state – you would have been very surprised by rolling hills and beautiful landscapes. It really is a beautiful area…and yes…I’m a bit biased! When I drive through South Dakota and Nebraska I think of Mongolia and consider how much the two geographies are similar, but becuase it’s my home country I don’t appreciate it as much! Hope you are enjoying your road trip! Have you drove through Illinois yet? That’s where I was born and grew up!
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Absolutely! I actually really enjoyed Nebraska and am writing a post about it. 🙂 While it is flat and relatively uninteresting in I-80, I still really loved it. There were so many times I would remark how beautiful it was. It’s just long and flat and straight. We just drove through Illinois … spent two nights in Chicago. Such a great city!
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I agree completely with Sherry. I spent many a childhood summer in Nebraska and driving around and through it. I think way too many people think of this as a boring drive, but they’re really missing out.
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I-80 is a boring drive. If you aren’t stopping off at any of the cool places or exploring, it is simply flat and straight. However, we did get off the main road and see some of the sites. Actually, I really enjoyed my time in Nebraska and have a few posts planned about the cool stuff we experienced, beyond I-80.
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Can’t say that Nebraska is a place I’ve ever considered visiting, but that sunset sure does look gorgeous! Glad you guys are having fun!
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It was never a place I considered either … until this trip. I had a few friends suggest I go through Omaha and I trusted their opinions. They were SO right!! I tell everyone how much I loved that city! It would be a great place to check out for a weekend trip!
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Gorgeous! May be passing through Nebraska next year if I decide to overland the Miami-Las Vegas part of my RTW, rather than fly. This photo is tipping me towards overlanding – love the colours 🙂
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You have to overland and see America. Even the straight and boring roads are beautiful. Driving cross-country (for the third time) reminds me how stunning the US is and how varied the landscape, cultures and cities are. We may all speak the same language (and I say that loosely) and have the same currency, but from coast-to-coast, we are so different. And beautiful.
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hahaha it looks sort of similar to where I am from in Canada….. endless nothingness
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YES. But, it was also really pretty. 🙂 Just not so much fun for driving eight hours.
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Just happened to see this – I am from Omaha, Nebraska and recently moved to South Korea from Denver. I’ve traveled that road many times and miss the beauty is so often overlooked in Nebraska. I’ve been fortunate to see many sunsets in my life, but by far some of the most beautiful are in Nebraska, not to mention all the luscious green vegetation! Hope you enjoy the state and midwest niceness and hospitality!
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Stephanie, I agree. Nebraska is absolutely beautiful! I had a great time in the state and was definitely a witness to the hospitality — blog post coming VERY Soon!
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