Night-before-last we stopped in Bennington, Nebraska – just over the state line. The town is about 20 miles northwest of Omaha, and I’d booked us in a BnB there.  We pulled up at the house around 7pm and were welcomed by Gordon and Linda Oft – proprietors all around sweet people. The house had been in his family for generations and we instantly felt comfy there.

After getting our things settled into our room, we headed across the street to Nate’s Grill for a bite of dinner. Which, it’s not much to look at, but you cannot leave without filling your belly with hearty food. Jason opted for the country fried steak and it did not disappoint.

This morning over breakfast, Gordon told us of a little known spot on our route he thought we might find of interest called Ashfalls Historic Park.

He told a story of an ash storm caused by a volcano in what’s present day Wyoming that swept across the prairie, causing mass extinction of pre-historic mammals.  An excavation site of several fossils was 100 miles away, so off we went. The park itself was impressive, but it was hard not to be taken with the prairieland around it.  Below are photos from our stop at the park and our afternoon travelling Nebraska back roads on the way to South Dakota.

We made it to South Dakota last night and spent the night in a little ranch just outside of the Badlands. That’s what we’re exploring today!