Sarah Jones didn’t expect to cry as she and husband Jereme drove their Buick away from Elm Creek, a town of around 900 near Kearney.
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Couple visits 533 Nebraska communities
A downtown intersection in Bee.
- SARAH JONES
A mural in Beatrice.
- SARAH JONES
A downtown banner in Elm Creek.
- SARAH JONES
A mural in downtown Ogallala.
- SARAH JONES
The town countdown in the Jones' living room.
- Mural in downtown Ogallala
The Little Grand Canyon near Wauneta.
- SARAH JONES
A welcome sign at the Charles Horn sculpture garden in Oconto.
- SARAH JONES
A billboard in Rock County.
- SARAH JONES
The bluffs near Fort Robinson
- SARAH JONES
The welcome sign in Deshler.
- SARAH JONES
Jereme and Sarah Jones at the end of their journeys.
- SARAH JONES
A mural in Verdigre.
- SARAH JONES
A mural in St. Paul.
- SARAH JONES
A unity mural in Palisade.
- SARAH JONES
A mural in Arapahoe.
- SARAH JONES
The notes on their trips.
- SARAH JONES
An old ad in downtown Nebraska City.
- SARAH JONES
An old school sign in Chapman.
- SARAH JONES
marjie.ducey@owh.com, 402-444-1034, twitter.com/mduceyowh
About their trip
Total miles driven: 10,655
Total trips taken: 36
Most miles driven in one day: 687
Most towns seen in one day: 36
Favorite town: Valentine (Sarah) and Brownville (Jereme)
Favorite nature site: The Little Grand Canyon near Wauneta
Inspiration for the trip: Visit531Nebraska by Seth Varner
Instagram account documenting their trip: thegoodlife_jones
About the author
Seth Varner says he was bored because of COVID restrictions when he got the idea to visit every incorporated community in Nebraska in 2020.
He’s now not just written about his home state, but also has books about Iowa and South Dakota. He’s exploring Kansas for another, and he's planning even more.
"I tout the book as 'the greatest guide to Nebraska’s 531 incorporated towns ever created,' as it’s packed full of history, travel information and contains access to tens of thousands of photos throughout Nebraska," he said.
At the age of 23, he’s formed Wandermore Publishing. He just graduated with degrees in marketing, sales and business administration from UNO.
Varner said he’s been amazed by the reaction to his travels. He’s heard from thousands of people about his adventures.
His Facebook pages about his books reach a combined 1.8 million people every month.
“I am very lucky I stumbled across this kind of niche business opportunity when I did,” he said.
Exploring runs in the family. Varner said that when he was 9, his father decided to take pictures of the gravestones of family members, and he would often go along on his trips.
“I was just very intrigued by all the small towns,” he said.
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