3355. Visit the Pony Express Station in Gothenburg

 The one thing I wanted to do on our way across Nebraska this trip was stop at the Pony Express Station in Gothenburg. It is only open seasonally so coming through in March in the future would not work. I find all things Pony Express fascinating.

The Pony Express Station in Gothenburg is open from early April to the end of October every day. You can view the outside of it all year round. 

The Sam Macchette Station was built in 1854 on the Oregon Trail and used as a trading post and ranch house. It was also a Pony Express station for the 18 months that the Pony Express operated from April 1860 to October 1861. Afterwards it was used as a stagecoach station, bunkhouse, and private dwelling. It was moved to it's present day location in 1931 when Mrs. C. A. Williams donated it to the city of Gothenburg.

The building is not much bigger than my kitchen. It houses a small museum featuring what life would have been like as a Pony Express Station. It also had a nice collection of antique revolvers.

One of the reasons I wanted to stop here was to get a Pony Express stamp but since COVID hit, the National Park Service removed all the stamps and they never got it back. Oh well. I think I have one anyways. There is a pressed penny machine which might just become my next collection.

The Gothenburg Pony Express Station is worth the stop. You only need 15-20 minutes to see it, more if you really read everything. It is located in a city park so plenty of room for pets and kids to run around. There is also the Sod House Museum in town that is on my bucket list and should probably have checked out while we were there. Alas next time.

3353. Go to the Golden Spike Tower in North Platte

 One of the options I gave the hubby was the train tower in North Platte. He decided that we'd need several hours there and didn't want to make it stretch break attraction. Well.... when we were talking to the volunteer at the Cody Park Railroad Museum, he said we should check it out. I agreed since it was in town and we were ahead of schedule. I firmly believed we didn't need several hours there. 

Golden Spike Tower is an observation tower overlooking the Union Pacific railyard in North Platte. It is open year, seven days a week. The cost is $8/adult and $6/children. There is small museum and hall of fame on the ground floor and two observation floors in the tower.

The 7th floor has more informational exhibits about World War II and the food trains as well as an outdoor observation deck. The hubby did not go out on the observation deck and greatly feared me going near the edge for pictures.

The 8th floor has an enclosed observation deck. There was a volunteer up there that worked for Union Pacific and was very knowledgeable. 

The Union Pacific Railway in North Platte is a 8 miles long and over a mile wide. It features at least 8 tracks and two humps. I was fascinated to learn about a hump -- which is how they move cars to different engines. It is like a speed bump for railcars. A train car moves to the top of the hump and then gets sent down the hump on the line to connect to the new engine. 

We definitely did not spend hours watching the trains. We were probably there about an hour. Okay so maybe I speed things up a but since it was lunch time but we definitely did not need to spend hours looking at trains coming and going no matter how interesting it was.

It is fascinating to watch all the trains in action.. the ones going straight on through.. the ones getting split apart and moving to other destinations. If you are a train enthusiast or not, this place is amazing. IT is one of the world's largest railyards and it is worth a visit. 

3352. Go to Cody Park Railroad Museum in North Platte

Finding stretch breaks for the hubby sometimes is difficult since his interests pretty much include sports, planes, trains, and automobiles. I am open to pretty much anything. Nebraska doesn't offer many choices of cities to stop in. It is a boring drive. However, North Platte seemed to be a good stopping point between Denver and Omaha and offered several options for the hubby. One of his choices was the Cody Park Railroad Museum. 

The Cody Park Railroad Museum is seasonal museum in Cody Park about 10 minutes off the interstate. As it's name suggests it is a railroad museum. It is free to visit.

The main attraction at Cody Park Railroad Museum is the Challenger Locomotive. It is one of two remaining locomotives remaining from the 3900 Challenger class built by the American Locomotive Company of New York in 1943. Fully loaded, the engine weighs just over 1 Million pounds. It was in service just over 30 years. 

You can climb aboard and look inside the old locomotive.

The other train they have is 6922 Union Pacific Engine. 

This train features a mail car, baggage car, fruit car, and a caboose. 

I thought I spotted a slot for Oshkosh but it might have been for Oshkosh, NE not Oshkosh, WI.

Inside the museum, the volunteer was very knowledge and explain the history behind the building, the railroad in North Platte and Nebraska, and answered all the hubby's questions.

Besides the train museum, the park features Cody Park Rides from Memorial Day through October 1st, a small animal enclosure, a campsite, softball complex,  and three playgrounds among other things. This where we saw our only buffalo of the trip.

This was well worth the stop especially if you or anyone you are traveling with is interested in trains. Just to climb aboard the old trains was worth it. Even if you are not into trains, the animal enclosure and rides would entertain kids for an hour or so.

3351. Go to Fort Cody Trading Post in North Platte

 When planning our trip across Nebraska for the second time this year, I made a list of 12 places that we could see between Denver and Omaha and told the hubby to pick 2. He said that was too many to choose from and I narrowed it down to four. Since Fort Cody and Cody Train park were in North Platte, that is what he decided on.

Fort Cody Trading Post has been around since 1963. Back in the day it was your typical tourist attraction that you really don't see too much of any more. It is a gift shop and mini museum. 

Inside the museum area you can find Buffalo Bill's Wild West show in Miniature. 

The most interesting feature is the two headed calf. This was worth the stop.

There is also a small exhibit on the old west. 

We did not go in the backyard. I'll be honest. I missed the door leading out there. The hubby peeked out and decided it wasn't worth it. I would have liked to see what was behind that stockade. Oh well.

We did not buy anything. I really didn't need another postcard and nothing else really caught our eye.

The hubby said Fort Cody is one of those tourist places from the 1980s that you don't see any more. It really wasn't that exciting. Good thing it's pretty much right off the highway and it's free to see otherwise it would have been a waste of time. If I had my choice I'd stop at the Archway in Kearney over Fort Cody

If you need a break driving through Nebraska, this would be a good stop to stretch your legs if you like the Old West.