/ AGRITOURISM / She also teaches natural horsemanship and leads rides across Our Heritage’s 3,600 acres, including multi-day trips for groups. Solo travelers and small groups can request the all-inclusive ranch experience, including horsemanship, meals and lodging. Of course, guests can pitch in with regular chores such as inspecting and repairing fences, haying and working with lambs and calves. But like the surrounding landscape, some ranch activities might surprise you. Our Heritage hosts art and holistic health retreats in addition to single-and multi-day fossil hunts along “the wall.” That’s what locals call the rambling line of 60-foot-high bluffs that define the ranch’s pine ridge. I step out of my room and gaze at “the wall,” imagining how it must feel to explore it. Jean employs an expert guide to identify what guests find and can keep. Among the fossilized discoveries: sheep-like oreodonts, hyaenodon (similar to hyena) and saber-toothed cats that lived 30 million years ago. Yet, there are few places where I feel content just standing still. Jean’s corner of northwest Nebraska, with its unique beauty, is one of them. —Mike Whye Want to Pick Your Own? Nebraskans know the fruit and veggies you pick yourself taste even sweeter. 1. Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch, Papillion 402-331-5500, bellevueberryfarm.com Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, pumpkins Delicate berries fill these fields, ripe for picking. Nab the best and enjoy hayrack rides, tree houses and a kid-friendly Western frontier town. 2. DeGroot Orchards, Madison 402-454-3445 Apples, pumpkins Because fall isn’t only about pumpkins, harvest a bushel (or two!) of apples. Save them for your favorite autumn recipes or anytime snacking. Our Heritage Guest Ranch, Crawford OUR HERITAGE GUEST RANCH, CRAWFORD 308-430-1239, vacation-ranch.com 3. Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard, Nebraska City 402-873-5293, kimmelorchard.org Cherries, peaches, apples, pumpkins In the summer months, roam trails across 40 acres of land to seek out the sweetest peaches and juiciest cherries. 4. Nielsen Kids U-Pick Pumpkin & Sweetcorn Patch, Minden 308-830-1644 Sweet corn, pumpkins A summer favorite with a long growing season, sweet corn is fun to pick and eat. Experience the Nebraska tradition at Nielsen’s. 2 1 4 KIMMEL ORCHARD, NEBRASKA CITY 3 16 VisitNebraska.com CREDITS: JEAN NORMAN/OUR HERITAGE GUEST RANCH
Nebraska Official State Travel Guide The Official 2019 Not-At-All What You Thought State Travel Guide: Page 20
