B4 FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2020

All PHOTOS By JAnnA GRABeR

Scotts Bluff National Monument.

Carhenge, a quirky attraction in Alliance.

Cattle at Our Heritage Guest Ranch. A Road Trip Through Here, rugged buttes of clay and sandstone rise from the earth, a visible tribute Northwestern to the region’s ancient past. The tall ridges are often rich with fossils. Janna Graber the creation was invented, to sample it for and moon. Nebraska’s version is created ourselves. The soda fountain looked like it from vintage automobiles from the 1950s cattered among the expan- hadn’t changed much since its beginnings and 1960s, with the same dimensions as sive prairies, wide valleys and in 1916. Stonehenge. It’s free to visit. mountaintops of America are “I’d advise you to get a small, because thousands of rural towns and that will sure fill you up,” a local rancher in Our Heritage Guest Ranch communities. Travelers often a cowboy hat advised. He wasn’t kidding. The sun was low in the sky as we made our miss these far-flung destina- The “small” ice cream treat was enough way to Our Heritage Guest Ranch. Located tions, but they offer a reward- to feed a small family, but I tackled it all 12 miles down a dirt road near Crawford ing, uniquely American experience to the same. between the Oglala National Grasslands, Sthose who venture off the beaten path. “The secret is the marshmallow,” said the region, and the Badlands of That’s especially true in this time of social Warren, a retired Kansas pastor who now Nebraska, Our Heritage is a working cattle distancing. The wide-open spaces, free of volunteers to serve tables at the restaurant. ranch. The ranch has guest accommoda- crowds, offer the chance to explore—and The folks at several other tables agreed, tions, including a historic guest cottage that that’s healing after months of isolation. and in small-town fashion, soon we were sleeps six ($175 per night) and two apart- My sister Debbie and I took a recent road all having a nice conversation—socially ments in the barn. trip to northwestern Nebraska, a sparsely distanced, of course. The best part of the ranch experience is populated region with a rich history, an- One local suggested that we stop at the owner Jean Norman. My sister and I spent cient geological formations, and several Potter Duckpin Bowling Alley next door. a fun morning out with her in her truck as state or historic parks. This historic bowling alley, which has been Rock formations at Toadstool Geologic she checked on the cattle, showed us the Our destination was Our Heritage Guest lovingly preserved, is the last remaining Park. ranch, and introduced us to her horses. Ranch near Crawford, Nebraska, a sprawling duckpin bowling alley west of the Mis- Along the way, she told us stories of how ranch tucked in the hills and canyons of Ne- sissippi. You can rent the whole space for her grandparents homesteaded the ranch braska’s top left corner, some 30 miles from your family or group bowling for only $25 in 1887, and how Mother Nature challenged Wyoming and 12 miles from South Dakota. an hour. the family with bad storms and even a fire. Since we live near Denver, it was an easy While we didn’t have time to bowl, we Ranch guests can also add other activi- 4.5-hour drive. Denver is the nearest big did make time for a stop at A Collective ties through several ranch partners. M&M airport to western Nebraska, while Omaha Gathering, where 25 different vendors sell Overland Coach offers a chuckwagon cook- is a good eight hours away. an eclectic collection of gifts, arts, and spe- out and ride on an original 1860s Sidney- As we drove NE-71 up the western side cialty foods made in Nebraska. Lead-Deadwood stagecoach. You can book of the state, we often had the road to our- a fossil-hunting adventure with a local selves. The majority of Nebraska’s 1.9 mil- Scotts Bluff National Monument expert or just spend the evening stargaz- lion residents live in the eastern part of Then, we were off to our next stop at the ing. The ranch’s remote location provides the state, and most of the state is rural. Scotts Bluff National Monument. Known to a good place to view the night sky. Nebraska is famous for its rich farmland locals as “The Monument,” this giant bluff (this is the Land of the Cornhuskers, after rises 800 feet above the floor of the Platte Chadron all), but western Nebraska has a whole dif- Valley. It’s all that remains of the ancient Chadron is about 45 minutes from the ferent feel. High Plains that have eroded over ranch, but well worth the drive. The town Most people imagine Ne- millions of years. of 5,400 is home to several popular restau- braska to be a flat prairie, Pioneers on wagon rants, including the Bean Broker Coffee but the further north we trains from the Mis- House and Pub, which is known for its drove, the hillier it got. souri River must have stone-fired pizza, hearty sandwiches, and Here, rugged buttes been awed at the A fossilized spiral beaver burrow at breakfast dishes. (My sister and I went back of clay and sand- sight of the mas- Agate Fossil Beds. several times for their delicious pastries.) stone rise from sive bluff. More Owners Paige and Dave Feddersen gutsily the earth, a vis- than 350,000 opened the restaurant during COVID, but ible tribute to the pioneers are es- it already has a loyal following. region’s ancient timated to have Nestled among the buttes and canyons past. The tall ridg- passed through of Nebraska’s Pine Ridge, Chadron State es are often rich here between Park is the main attraction in the region. with fossils. 1836 and 1869, and As Nebraska’s first state park, it is a popular Northwestern Ne- their wagon ruts family vacation destination. The park has braska is ranching can still be seen. cabins for rent, as well as a campground. country, and we passed We walked a trail We saw families fishing, hiking, on the ar- field after field of grazing along the national mon- chery range or playing in the pool. cattle, bison, and longhorn ument (it’s free to enter the cattle. park), thinking about those Crawford and The famed Tin Roof days, then drove to the top of We spent an afternoon visiting the town of Tin-Roof Sundaes and Sundae at The Potter the bluff for an expansive view Crawford, population 1,069. It has several Bowling in Potter Sundry. of the valley. unique stores and is home to the Broken Halfway there, we decided to Spur, a favorite local restaurant in a beau- make a short detour to Potter, population A Twist on Stonehenge tifully restored historic building. Diners 350. America can thank this little town for We made one more stop in the town of Al- come from more than an hour away for the invention of the Tin Roof Sundae, a sug- liance, home to a quirky attraction called their popular prime rib and steak dinners. ary concoction of ice cream with chocolate Carhenge. Carhenge is a replica of Stone- Crawford’s history is closely intertwined syrup, marshmallow cream, and nuts. henge in England, the ancient alignment with nearby Fort Robinson State Park. Fort We stopped into The Potter Sundry, where of stones that chart the phases of the sun The Broken Spur in Crawford. Robinson served as a military post from FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2020 B5 The Hip Strip and Beyond: Discovering the True Jamaica

All PHOTOS COURTeSy OF JAMAiCA TOURiSM BOARd Tim Johnson

Once, this was Jamaica’s most storied stretch of beach. Nicknamed the “Hip Strip,” Katharine Hepburn (accompa- nied by playwright and director Noel Coward) once tooled along this stretch of Gloucester Avenue in Montego Bay in a Singer convertible—one that she Carhenge, a quirky attraction in Alliance. shipped to the island herself. John F. Kennedy and other luminar- ies vacationed here. The adjacent Doc- tor’s Cave Beach was perhaps the first on the island to attract tourists, all the way back in the 1920s. And now, walking through a sultry, tropical breeze, palms audible, if not visible, shaking in the inky blackness off to my right, I see that this curving street, today renamed for local, legend- ary reggae and ska legend Jimmy Cliff, is rising again. The area has seen some tough times, sagging with the devel- opment of mega-sized, all-inclusive The Blue and John Crow Mountains national Park, a UneSCO World Heritage Site. resorts aimed to keep guests within their walls, swimming and eating and he lived from 1975 to 1981, has become ing through hairpin turns, you’ll roll drinking all in one place. a museum, and feels a bit like a reg- through everyday life in Jamaica, a long But now, anchored by a Jamaica-cen- gae Graceland. A stately 19th-century way from the beach, passing through Cattle at Our Heritage Guest Ranch. tric, distinctly non-all-inclusive hotel residence, it still feels like a home, and villages and farmer’s fields in Saint Ann (S-Hotel), as well as Usain Bolt’s Tracks tours take you past his bedroom and Parish, not far from tourist hub Ocho and Records (a restaurant co-founded personal recording studio, as well as Rios. But again, Bob Marley is the main 1874 to 1948. A visit to the Fort Robinson by the fastest man on earth), as well as his lifetime-achievement Grammy and attraction. The birthplace and child- Museum gave us new insight into those a statuary park dedicated to the island’s clothes he wore on stage. (It’s closed for hood home of this island (and global) tumultuous times. We stopped to visit the heroes and an increasing number of the moment, but you can still stop by icon, it’s also his final resting place. monument for Crazy Horse, who had sur- new clubs, the Hip Strip is back. and spot greatness, just over the fence.) rendered here but was killed during a brief Reopened in June, Jamaica became And then, ask your guide to find a struggle. one of the first Caribbean destinations few lesser-known spots in the city. In later years, Fort Robinson had many roles to welcome visitors again. While travel- One might be Coronation Market, as a cavalry outpost, as the last great gathering ers from a small handful of states still sometimes known as “the stomach of of the Sioux, a military dog training center, a face restrictions (proof of a negative test Jamaica,” and one of the largest mar- World War II POW camp, and more. Today, taken shortly before arrival is required), kets in the Caribbean. Selling a colorful however, it has been transformed into a popu- it’s an island big enough, and diverse array of produce—the fruits of a fertile lar outdoor recreational park. enough, to encourage you to roam— island—grab a few juicy items and head In normal times, visitors can go trail rid- and it definitely rewards those that do. to a park for a picnic (Kingston has all ing, take stagecoach rides, and go tubing on After so many months of lockdown, kinds of green spaces). the river. Fort Robinson has historic lodges, the joy of finding true connection, real cabins, and homes that are available for Jamaican destinations—beyond the Port Antonio The Blue lagoon, an underground spring fed rent, and there is plenty of room to hike, most popular beaches—is purer than Small, quiet, and home to eco-resorts lagoon, is a popular destination for families and honeymooners. bike, and play outdoors. ever. Beyond the Hip Strip, here are a and open-air markets, this community few of our favorites. on the “far” side of the island—beyond Toadstool Geologic Park the Blue Mountains, in the northeast Just 30 minutes from Crawford is Toad- The Blue Mountains corner—is a world away from swim-up stool Geologic Park, a region in the Oglala Rising to more than 7,000 feet and bars and big hotels. Float on a bamboo that is named for its covering the eastern end of Jamaica, raft down the nearby Rio Grande and otherworldly rock formations. Narrow clay these green peaks—so-named for the get a front-row seat to life along one of pedestals with huge slabs of sandstone on blue haze that often hangs around their the island’s longest rivers—kids swim- top look like giant toadstool mushrooms. summits—are full of surprises. Perfect ming in its dark waters, their parents These ancient formations house many for a drive, tiny two-lane roads wind scrubbing down the laundry—before a fossils or footprints of creatures such as along soaring ridges and down through simple lunch of shrimp and cod. Visit extinct three-toed horses, saber-toothed lush valleys, with small cafes and other the Blue Lagoon or local beaches such cats, and camels. roadside attractions popping up, all as Boston Bay and Winnifred Beach, The Bob Marley Museum. Debbie and I were only a handful of visi- along the way. where you can carve out your own tors in the park. We took the one-mile trail There’s Strawberry Hill, sitting way piece of paradise, wading into the blue through the odd-shaped formations. See- up, at 3,100 feet, owned by Chris waves, then recharge with jerk chicken IF You Go ing all the layers, it almost felt like I could Blackwell, founder of Island Records or pork, prepared right there, near the Stay at the stylish, hyper-local see the passage of time. (the Gold Room here showcases his water, at little local stands. S-Hotel, voted the best hotel in the Other things at the park are a 10,000-year- hardware, gold records awarded to And take some time to wander the Caribbean. It includes a rooftop bar old bison bonebed and a reconstructed sod everyone from U2 to Bob Marley). And streets of this small town, taking in and seaside pool, right on Doctor’s house. There is a small campsite onsite. Blue and John Crow Mountains Na- its (sometimes tumbledown) colonial Cave Beach, steps from the Hip Strip. tional Park, a UNESCO World Heritage architecture, browsing arts and crafts (CrissaHotels.com/s-hotel-jamaica) Site, where you can lace up your boots stands, and chatting with friendly A number of airlines connect the for a hike—some trails meander past people, un-jaded and happy you made United States with both Montego natural springs and provide sweeping the trip here. Bay and Kingston from New York, Northwestern Nebraska is sea views, but those in for a challenge Miami, and other major hubs. (and have up to eight hours to devote to Castleton Botanical Garden ranching country, and we Plan your trip with Visit Jamaica, at it) can actually summit Blue Mountain, Even in a tropical destination, you need VisitJamaica.com passed field after field of a non-technical but still-taxing climb your moment of Zen. For that, head to that takes the brave (and the fit) over a one of the oldest botanical gardens in grazing cattle, bison, and 3,000-foot change in elevation. the Western Hemisphere, established Toronto-based writer Tim Johnson longhorn cattle. And, of course, there’s coffee. Grown back in 1862, when plants from Bath, is always traveling, in search of the here since 1728, from just six coffee in England, were transplanted to this next great story. Having visited 140 plants transplanted by the British from fertile island. Walking these rolling, countries across all seven conti- far-off Java, the unique ecosystem here verdant 15 acres, you can almost forget nents, he’s tracked lions on foot in Agate Fossil Beds creates some of the best beans in the about the pandemic. Botswana, dug for dinosaur bones Ending our visit, we decided to visit one last world. High-altitude ridges trap the Enjoy a wide variety of endemic and in Mongolia, and walked among park. The Agate Fossil Beds are located 22 cool trade winds blowing in from the transplanted flora, including some 180 a half-million penguins on South miles south of Harrison, population 251, sea, settling moisture onto trees grow- palms and more than 400 other plants. Georgia Island. He contributes to in Sioux County. (Fun fact: 2,000-square- ing in the shade and rooted in dark, some of North America’s largest mile Sioux County has a population of only volcanic soil. You can tour and taste at Nine Mile Village publications, including CNN Travel, 1,500 people.) places like Craighton Estate, an 18th- It’s not an easy road, to get there—wind- Bloomberg, and The Globe and Mail. The park’s remote location, however, century colonial great house where belies its rich fossil record. Agate Fossil you’ll sip some of their premium prod- Beds Visitor Center is closed, but there is uct while guides explain the process, a mobile ranger unit open, and you can then hike up, among the coffee trees, explore the grounds. After grabbing a map, to reach a viewpoint overlooking the we hiked the one-mile Daemonelix Trail, undulating, fertile farm. which almost felt like a walk through time. We passed ancient sand dunes and fossil Kingston grasslands, but the most interesting thing Set on the southeast coast of the is- to see were fossilized spiral beaver bur- land and home to more than a million rows. Peering at such a simple, but useful people, Jamaica’s capital has gotten its thing from so long ago was moving. share of bad press over the years, but it’s Hopping back in the car, it was time to still home to some of the coolest places head home to the city. We took our time here. Hire a qualified guide for a day exploring the backroads of Nebraska on tour, and hit the bustling, super-heated our unhurried way back home. streets. Swing by Tuff Gong Studios, which once turned away Bob Marley, in Janna Graber has covered travel in more the early days of his career. Marley was than 55 countries. She is the editor of resolute in his conviction that one day three travel anthologies, including “A Pink he would own it, and his widow com- Suitcase: 22 Tales of Women’s Travel,” and pleted this wish, turning it into a global is the managing editor of Go World Travel hub for reggae recording artists. Magazine. And Marley’s home in the city, where Reach Falls, Port Antonio.