March 25, 2023
by Amber Johnson
(Ashland, NE, 2021)
You don’t need to go very far to experience the benefits of travel or tourism. In essence, when we move from one place to the next, we are placing ourselves in the path of new places, people, things, and ideas. And this can be found everywhere, no matter where you find yourself–whether firmly planted in a hometown, or living a more mobility-minded lifestyle.
I have greatly enjoyed the experience of rural tourism, specifically to places not so far out of reach to me, in the Great Plains Midwestern U.S. state of Nebraska. Nebraska is a state whose residents are known for their Midwestern hospitality and is greatly influenced by agriculture and rural lifestyles. The majority of the state is full of beautiful, albeit rather flat, nature [1]. This state, which takes about 7+ hours to drive across, is home to approximately 2 million residents. My city of residence, Omaha, holds the bulk of those residents with a quarter of the state’s population, a little less than half a million.
(Omaha, NE, 2023)
(Sunken Gardens in Lincoln, NE, 2021)
In 2021, due to the fact of the COVID-19 pandemic, rural and proximity tourism were trending. Rural tourism, or that which is related to tourism activities in areas or regions characterized by nature, agriculture, traditional values, as well as rural lifestyles and culture, presented a perfect opportunity for visitor-ship [2]. Not only more sustainable, due to less emissions produced than those caused by more long-distance travel, but also incredibly accessible to you! In order to social distance, find rejuvenation through nature, and due to restrictions often banning international and even regional tourism, rural tourism within one’s own country was on the rise and had the potential to greatly benefit local communities in these rural destinations [3]. Proximity tourism, that form of travel which aims to explore nearby areas often overlooked due to closeness or familiarity, became a safer and more viable option [4]. I myself experienced this. I also had a burgeoning interest, due to my extensive time spent abroad, to explore more corners of the world closer to home.
(Visiting Lincoln, NE, 2021)
The destinations that my family and I sought out during the summer of 2021 included Nebraska’s capital city of Lincoln, finding spots we’d never visited previously related to nature, history, and food [5]. Beyond that, we sought out smaller rural towns nearby our hometown on the edge of Omaha [6]. One such destination was Ashland, NE.
(Relatives with me on my Nebraska Wine Tourism Research, 2022)
I absolutely adore Ashland. Growing up, I had visited a number of times, without even knowing, to enjoy cultural offerings such as the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace (SAC) Museum or Mahoney State Park [7]. It’s very small-town Americana in a way. Now, it may not be viewed the same way by those from or nearby it, since much of Nebraska is rural and full of small towns, some quaint and others more rough-and-tumble. It’s also true that my hometown within Omaha has quadrupled its population in the last 20 years. While now part of the city of Omaha officially, the shift from rural-adjacent and small-town status has changed. Omaha itself is the biggest city in Nebraska, and often endearingly referred to by locals as Homaha (home + Omaha). This perhaps influences my views of Ashland as a small-town fixed in a more rural landscape. Ashland has a population of just over 3,000 residents. Its main street has beloved favorites of mine including: Glacial Till Cider House & Tasting Room, the best local book and stationary store ever ‘Post-Script,’ and the latest addition of Fariner Bakery, the cutest bakery and coffee shop with the best vibes and whitewashed farm or country-core energy.
(Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo, 2023)
(Ashland Wildlife Safari Park, 2021)
Our first visit to Ashland, with my brother, mom, and myself in tow, was a combo trip–we planned to visit a partnered extension of the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo, one of the world’s best and rated #1 in the U.S. in 2023, and then we decided we’d visit main street as well [8]. We wanted to visit the Wildlife Safari Park, which allowed guest a drive-thru safari experience of numerous animals and nature spots, including bison, birds, bears, prairie dogs, elk, and more [9]! It was a wonderful experience, one where you are kept at a distance from most of the wildlife but able to witness breathtaking nature at its finest. Next was main street!
(Ashland, NE Stir-Up Days, 2021)
A surprise to us, the day we visited was also Ashland’s annual town celebration, Stir-Up Days, and it was themed everything alien, extra-terrestrial, and outer space [10]! This brought up nostalgia for me, due to the fact that there had been a similar tradition in my hometown and growing up we looked forward to this celebration with great enthusiasm. I even started my first entrepreneurship endeavor–selling water and popsicles to parade goers and participants alike! Experiencing this celebration so serendipitously likely affixed Ashland with even more charm in my mind. But, to be fair, every return visit maintains that feeling!
(Fariner Bakery in Ashland, NE, 2023)
(Tasty treats at Fariner Bakery, 2023)
Today, on a lovely Saturday morning in late March, my Mom and I returned to Ashland for a visit to Fariner Bakery, partaking in amazing freshly baked treats (orange cream cruffin, cinnamon roll, scones, & sourdough bread) and iced coffee. It’s always full, the energy is so charming, it’s always hopping with people, and it never disappoints! This was a return trip, as we first visited several weeks prior as a family for breakfast on our way to visit Grand Island, NE, several hours west from us, with the goal of seeing the Sandhill Crane Migration, an annual migration of approximately 1 million cranes, the largest such migration of this variety in the world [11]! While we likely saw more snow geese flying than cranes, witnessing this amazing natural phenomena left an indelible mark on me. I hope to experience more such nature tourism in the future!
(Bird migrations in Grand Island, NE, 2023)
(Visiting Post Script, 2023)
Later, we stopped by Post Script, and I couldn’t help but purchase some fantastic literature and knickknacks on my annual visit. PS is a beautiful shop, a boutique for paper, book, and lettering arts, run by Laura Capp [12]. I have never loved another book-related place better. I always find something creative and eclectic there! And it’s always a win to support small local businesses. One of my favorite finds was an artistic and reflective emotional wheel, detailing the wider range of emotions that humans experience. It came with me to every home I had during my EMTM master’s programme, visiting six countries along the way! Their newest employee and I chatted while she made me a fantastic raspberry iced latte. She breezed past the fact that from her hometown of Seward, it was a 45-minute drive to work in Ashland, reminding me again that distance was often perceived quite differently in rural regions. As I perused the books, I found one focused on letter exchanges between one of my all-time favorite wordsmiths, Anaïs Nin, and author Henry Miller. A find! Another, written by a Nebraska local, Creighton University professor, and senior writer for Legacy Preservation in Omaha, Eileen WIrth, took a different approach in her work. “The Women Who Built Omaha” details the history of key women in the shaping and growth of the city, and I can’t wait to dig in. I also found a beautiful notebook with floral designs and pages edged in gold as well as a few souvenir letters to send to friends. I’m already looking forward to my next trip back! If you ever get a chance to go, take it. :)
(Ellsworth Crossing, Waterloo, NE, 2023)
On our drive home, we found ourselves slightly sidetracked, and as we re-routed we passed even more sights we hadn’t known were so close. Agricultural research plots of land connected to the University of Nebraska appeared as we zipped by quaint farmhouses and the small Nebraskan villages and census designated places of Mead, Yutan, Waterloo, and Venice. Then, we saw a sign along the road blazoned with the words “Farm to Fork Market.” Without knowing it, we had discovered Ellsworth Crossing. We decided to quickly pull over and check it out; a gathering of cars were parked outside and it seemed a sight worth seeing. Inside, we had been suddenly transported to a farmer’s paradise–all sorts of local products including meat (bison, elk, beef, pork, chicken), eggs, produce, local cheeses, coffee, honey, breads, pickles, popcorn, and more!
(Ellsworth Crossing, Waterloo, NE, 2023)
(Local Products, 2023)
Amber Ellsworth, one of the owners, quickly greeted us. She was interrupted by another local entering and greeting her. Meanwhile, another staff member (and I suspect family member) approached us with samples of cooked chicken to taste. Amber then continued her introduction, informing us, all elated, that the chicken farmer was here today to answer any questions we had. She informed us that the business had opened during COVID-19 by this very chicken farmer, as a way to get local farmers’ products sold despite restrictions. He had recently gone back to farming and she and her husband, Tony Ellsworth, had purchased the business and grown its business twofold. They’d extended the offerings to be from farms of 50+ local Nebraska (and some Iowa) farmers. Thanking her for the information, we began to shop. I found sausage links from Unadilla, NE, chicken tenders from Burchard, NE, honey from Ralston, NE, Verena Street Coffee from Dubuque, IA, and an already favorite product of mine–Jisa’s farmstead cheese from Brainard, NE (we’ve seen these cows on a drive by at their farm before). Our visit to this farmer’s market included fun conversations with locals, discussions with transplants to Nebraska from California, and education related to the offerings in our own state. Without planning to, we’d stumbled upon a new treasure!
(Cellar 426, Ashland, NE, 2021)
(Cellar 426 Vineyards, Ashland, NE, 2023)
(Ashland Main Street, NE, 2023)
Our first trip to Ashland only got the ball rolling. After that, we would begin exploring even more spots around Nebraska, including today’s mini adventures. It would lay the groundwork for future trips in rural tourism–including a trip to Cellar 426 Winery which led to my discovery of Nebraska wine and eventually my master’s thesis research in Nebraska Wine Tourism, built on personal travels around Ashland, Springfield, Lincoln, and Brownville, as well as our mini road-trip to visit Grand Island for the Sandhill Crane annual migration, a bucket-list worthy experience for Nebraskans. And who knows what’s next? Western Nebraska, with pioneer landmark Chimney Rock, forests, hills, and man-made landmark Carhenge beckon. For me, rural tourism is an adventure worth taking on. What are you waiting for? Find some rural destinations nearby and get your proximity tourism adventures lined up today!
Let's hit the road!
~Amber
#ruraltourism #proximitytourism #sustainable #tourism #travel #locals #destination #roadtrips #localproducts #supportlocal #nebraska #ne #ashland #omaha #lincoln
References:
Proximity Tourism: DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-8231-2
https://www.ashland-ne.com/vnews/display.v/ART/56b9551c72cb5
https://visitgrandisland.com/events/sandhill-cranes-migration.html
Wonderful! I want to go there. Book store and bakery!!! Yum. As always, you do a wonderful job describing your adventures in an enticing way!!! Love, Gma