The Bus Trip - Transcript
[MUSIC]
[NARRATOR]
It’s 6:30 AM, the early summer air puts the promise of a gentle day. I shall spend this day on a bus. All day long.
[SALLY]
Good morning. Hi Inger. Good morning, Edna. I believe there’s a gentleman you have to sit with.
[MUSIC]
[NARRATOR]
I find myself riding with former 4-H mothers, PTA parents, and church ladies. And heading for small towns unknown.
[SALLY]
Dennis is going to be our driver today and get us to all those small towns. Did anybody figure out where Alerio was?
[NARRATOR]
Our itinerary has us hitting six little-known central Nebraska tourist sites in 15 hours.
[MUSIC]
[SALLY]
And we’ve had a travel group for about 12 years now. And we’ve been about everywhere we can go in Nebraska in one day and get back and still make it home before midnight. I have shoppers. I have eaters. I have one gentleman that just likes to ride on the bus, and he just stays on the bus the entire day.
[NARRATOR]
At the back of the bus sat Edna and Merlin. [LAUGHTER]
[MERLIN]
We….. and we’re not even on the way home yet.
[NARRATOR]
Here sat youthful optimism.
[MERLIN]
We just discuss just things of life.
[EDNA]
We’ve had a ball.
[MUSIC]
[NARRATOR]
Our trip included a stop at Dannebrog, a town that Nebraska folklorist Roger Welsch put on the map.
[SALLY]
Oh no, look at him. Look at him cutting across the street.
[NARRATOR]
Known for its Liar’s Hall of Fame, Dannebrog is no stranger to bus trips.
[DANNEBROG LADY]
Well, this spring we had three. They come for Danish and coffee, which is what we’re noted for.
[NARRATOR]
I noted that at 8:30 in the morning this was our second snack of the day. Who can argue with that.
[MERLIN]
Never saw her before in my life, but we sure had a lot of fun already.
[EDNA]
I can’t believe we’re just getting along great.
[NARRATOR]
Others were more excited about the shopping possibilities.
[NARRATOR]
Now why did you buy that?
[MAN]
Fun.
[NARRATOR]
I was reconsidering who was the youngest on the bus. [MUSIC] Another stop was at Scotia’s Happy Jack Chalk Mines. The countries only underground chalk mine. The chalk comes from a time when we were a great inland sea. The mines were created in their unique formation of rooms and pillars by the late 19th century chalk miners.
[INGER]
I thought it was interesting too the chalk mine because I didn’t know it was even there.
[MUSIC]
[NARRATOR]
When we arrived at the herb garden, Nebraska’s dream weaver herself led us around.
[DREAMWEAVER]
We’ll pass some of this around. You get to start, and you can just rub those leaves and smell.
[NARRATOR]
Located by Burwell, the dream weaver’s cabin is a most un-Nebraska kind of Nebraska spot. Here one can find homemade herbal tonics, weavings, and all things good for you.
[DREAMWEAVER]
Well, would you like to sample some tea that I prepared?
[MUSIC]
[NARRATOR]
So, why take a 15 hour bus trip?
[DAISY]
The best thing is just being with other people and laughing. And seeing the country. Of course, all we’ve done is eat. That’s been fun. It’s just like one big happy family, and it’s, you know, it’s fun.
[MUSIC]
[NARRATOR]
And how many miles can you rack up in 15 hours?
[DENNIS]
It’ll be, by the time we finish, it’ll be right around 400. This was a good trip.
[NARRATOR]
It was what a day away was meant to be. A good time with good people. In these uncertain times, such days shine brighter than ever.
[MUSIC]
"Nebraska: Off the Beaten Path" by Hannah McNally
If you are interested in taking your own unique tour of Nebraska you may wish to check out this guide to unique places in the Cornhusker state.
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