BROKEN BOW – Courtesy of Terri Licking.
30 volunteers who manned the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway Visitor Center (SJNSB VC) this summer were thanked with an appreciation luncheon at the Broken Bow Country Club on December 6th.
Rick Maas, overseer of the SJNSB VC (Red Barn) gave an overview of the achievements from the first time the visitor center has been on the Nebraska Passport program.
“We had 3091 total visitors. 2460 from in-state, and 609 from 43 other states. States missing included Alaska, Hawaii, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia. 22 came from the countries of Australia, 3 provinces in Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Of the total visitors, 34 %, 1048 accounted for the Passport visits. There was no way to figure in the digital stamps taken. We had to open May 1, the day NebraskaTourism season began, but our volunteers, over 35 of them stepped up.”
First-time volunteers were recognized at the luncheon including Joan Birnie, Phyllis Lund, Donna Zimmer and Jan Dobesh.
The Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway Visitor Center’s biggest achievement was putting up the sod house that had been envisioned for over ten years. They held their 5th annual SJNSB pie baking contest, with 21 entries won by Barb Ottun on the day the sod house was dedicated.
The Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway Visitor Center applied for the Passport again, but rarely do they select the same site two years in a row.
In 2024, the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway Visitor Center has more big plans, an outhouse ( for show only), a one-room school being brought in, and a way to get visitors with limited walking abilities to the soddie and or up to the Observation Deck.
The Visitor Center is owned by Custer Economic Development Corporation,(CEDC) and is sustained by volunteers, Maas included. Contact Rick Maas or the CEDC if you would like to donate time or finances for the Red Barn’s continued success.
