Because of their work schedules, Emily Blanchard and husband Daniel Lucas couldn’t take their three children on their usual family vacation this summer.
Emily Blanchard and husband Daniel Lucas with kids Benjamin, Beatrix and Harrison at a Nebraska Passport stop in North Platte.
People are also reading…
Terrace Books, located at 2507 11th St. in downtown Columbus, opened around a year and a half ago.
Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park was the No. 1 attraction in a survey of people who completed all 70 stops. The original dig site was excavated in the summers of 1978-79.
Linda and Mark Graf in their bee store in Emerson. Mark cares for bees while Linda runs the store. The store was the No. 2 choice among top participants in the Nebraska Passport Program.
Some of the featured 2023 Nebraska Passport Program stops
Nestled off of Highway 71 just south of Harrisburg, Laura Lee’s Double L Country Store has become a welcome reprieve for travelers along the road. Double L is also the only restaurant in all of Banner County, providing an important service in what would otherwise be a complete food desert.
The Nebraska Passport season will soon draw to a close, but there’s still time to squeeze in one more adventure out west at Riverside Discovery Center.
The Branding Iron Café in Wahoo offers breakfast comfort food and classic lunchtime fare in a setting reminiscent of days long ago.
Christy Taylor opened The Refuge in Eagle in 2021 with the mission to create a “slice of heaven” out in the country.
A local version of the Nebraska Passport Program attracted nearly 200 tourists to a variety of destinations and businesses across Sarpy and Cass counties.
The Loft by Lee Douglas Interiors in Lincoln has 11 rooms on two floors, with each room having its own theme to display hand-selected furniture and home décor. It's one of 70 Nebraska Passport stops.
Between recommendations, first-time visits and necessary stops, Nebraska Passport visitors made a big impact on Columbus in 2023 by stopping at Terrace Books.
Featured in this year's Nebraska Passport program, Ashfall Fossil Beds in northeast Nebraska tells the state's history from 12 million years ago. It's a rare find that draws many fossil enthusiasts.
People collect all kinds of things, from lighthouse models to pig-themed items. This year's Nebraska Passport features a museum in Falls City, Nebraska, that displays more than 50 such collections.
A tidy brick building in Nebraska City is dedicated to telling the story of the Civil War and the Nebraskans who fought in it. The museum is part of this year's Nebraska Passport tourism program.
The Big Apple Fun Center in Kearney is one of this year's Nebraska Passport destinations, offering everything from laser tag, bowling, go karts, an arcade and a play area.
Freeze-dried Skittles on the internet led to a new career for an Auburn woman — and a fun stop for the Nebraska Passport tourism program.
Railroad Towne Antique Mall is the perfect place to “buy memories" and is a stop on this year's Nebraska Passport tourism program. The Grand Island business features roughly 75 dealers.
4th St. Sweets is one of the 70 stops in the 2023 Nebraska Passport tourism program. The shop, which sells retro candy, homemade chocolates and other treats, opened last summer.
At the corner of Main and Second streets in Springfield sits a shop where folks can purchase a wide variety of vintage furniture and other home décor items.
Whether it is biking, swimming or fishing that interests you, Red Willow State Recreation Area near McCook, Nebraska, is worth a stop this summer. “I think it’s one of those hidden gems if you are looking for adventure."
Tea lovers should visit this Papillion shop with its wide varie-teas.
The Dodge County farm once was a sanctuary for people in need. Now it does the same for special-needs, neglected or abused animals. And it's a stop in this year's Nebraska Passport tourism program.
The 2023 Nebraska Passport location, about 1½ miles off U.S. Highway 20 southeast of Nenzel, has won multiple wine competition awards since 2015 and ships to 38 states.
Everywhere you look are brightly colored interactive displays for “kids” of all ages. The building also houses a theater and classrooms.
The Cakery survived COVID, and now there’s more to see and do at the business. Ktown Cakery remains a key part of the business, but Printz is rebranding her place as The Central Mercantile.
Lulubee Artisanal Chocolates is one of 70 stops on the Nebraska Passport tourism program. The Lincoln shop is best known for its chocolate bonbons and flavor experimentations.
Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering is one of 70 stops on the Nebraska Passport tourism program. The popular North Omaha restaurant is known for its oven-fried chicken and sweet potato pie ice cream.
The Grain Bin Antique Town near North Platte has 20 WWII-era wooden buildings, once used to store grain but repurposed as showrooms for antiques. It's one of the 70 Nebraska Passport tourism stops.
The Buzz is one of 70 stops in this year's Nebraska Passport program, the annual tourism promotion that encourages Nebraskans and others to visit a variety of places across the state.
