During my 1,700 mile trip across Nebraska last summer, I knew at times the trip would seem long. Especially since I was traveling by myself. Nowhere else did that seem more true but when I was the center part of the state. The Sandhills.
This part of the state seemed to stretch for miles. Even beyond the horizon. The road seemed to last forever. But I tried to be in the moment and enjoy the views. At one point during my Sandhills trek, I literally stopped my car in the middle of the road. How could I not take a picture?
And the photograph turned out exactly as I hoped. Breathtaking. As I put it on my list of top photo choices, I even hoped it would be on the Detour Nebraska cover. Yet somehow, this picture did not make the cut for even being a part of the book. That made me sad at first. Yet then I realized that perhaps you have to be from Nebraska to understand the wild beauty. To me, this picture was the essence of the state. Instead of being on the cover, I get to feature what might have been one of my favorite trip pictures on my blog. And here I can convey exactly how much this view took my breath away. So much so that I wrote an ode to the Sandhills. And even more so to the One who Created the beauty of it all.
Ode to the Sandhills
Driving through rugged Nebraska
The landscape spoke of isolation and hardiness
Of a strength that goes beyond external
To inner fortitude
When I beheld the Sandhills scene before me
How could I help but stop my car
To try to capture the moment
Forever on film
God’s country lay before me
As far as the eye could see
Beauty that literally took my breath
I sighed in wonder at it all.
Seeing your tribute to God’s country-the Sandhills- brought such an emotional flood to me I grew up in the beautiful Sandhills on a cattle ranch and miss it every day since leaving in the 1980s. Thanks so much for the tribute to the best place on earth.
We had the opportunity to drive through the Sandhills earlier this week. Every time, I am in awe of the beauty. Glad that you had a wonderful experience growing up.