My First Husker football game

[cfullm1]

All,

I'm traveling from Utah to Nebraska via a road trip along I-80 and taking Lincoln Highway 30 (because I wanted to see more of the country side). I was hoping to get any advice on going to my first game to see Nebraska. I've been a fan my entire life and was able to convince my wife to do a road trip with me to see the home opener vs. BYU. What to see, what to avoid, how early to get to the game (would like to experience the tail gating and everything involved with it) Also any thing to see during the road trip that would be fun. (Don't know why, but I have a love for the open space and idea of seeing miles and miles of just field).. Stopping in North Platte and then taking highway 30 into Lincoln.

Thanks in advance

[teachercd]

My advice...most of the bars will be open by 9am but 10am for sure. Hit O street and check out Sandys, brothers, the rail and head over to Barry's and get up on the rooftop. Hit the rail yard area and enjoy some drinks outside with the biggest TV ever. For tailgating, check out lot 7 or look up Blur Parties and buy a 40 dollar pass for all you can eat and drink. Oh, hit the Embassy suites tailgate too. That will be a lot of fun as well.

 

Everyone else can fill you in on things like a museum and some campus sculpture that looks like a mistake.

[cfullm1]

Ha.. thank you.. I should have mentioned I'm not a drinker..

[teachercd]

Ha.. thank you.. I should have mentioned I'm not a drinker..

 

Ha.. thank you.. I should have mentioned I'm not a drinker..

 

Then disregard everything I said, and wait for the other people to post on it. Ha! You will have fun no matter what!

[Redux]

Have a lot of good suggestions in this thread.

 

http://www.huskerboard.com/index.php?/topic/74577-south-alabama-game/

 

Definitely hit up Misty's to eat if the bar scene isn't what you are looking for.

[cfullm1]

Thank you for the link.. Good info

[Red Five]

FYI - Highway 30 does not go to Lincoln It veers northeast at Grand Island and goes towards Columbus. As someone who has made the Highway 30 drove between North Platte and Grand Island before, don't do it. Take the interstate. The view is basically the same (at some points you can see Highway 30 from I-80. I mean if you want to get stuck behind some combines going 10 mph or slow down to 25 mph every 15 miles for a Maxwell or Overton or Gibbon, then go right ahead. Taking highway 30 from Kearney to Grand Island (45 miles) should be enough to see rural Nebraska for anyone.

[ColoradoHusk]

FYI - Highway 30 does not go to Lincoln It veers northeast at Grand Island and goes towards Columbus. As someone who has made the Highway 30 drove between North Platte and Grand Island before, don't do it. Take the interstate. The view is basically the same (at some points you can see Highway 30 from I-80. I mean if you want to get stuck behind some combines going 10 mph or slow down to 25 mph every 15 miles for a Maxwell or Overton or Gibbon, then go right ahead. Taking highway 30 from Kearney to Grand Island (45 miles) should be enough to see rural Nebraska for anyone.

I am glad I am not the only one who thought that taking a state highway would have been a terrible idea. Always stay on the interstate, unless you are forced to take another option.

[cfullm1]

The intrigue of taking 30 was to be able to hit the small towns along the way. I realize it doesn't go all the way into Lincoln. but I figured if I were on 80 the whole time, I would never really get off of it to stop and enjoy that part of the country. I know it's an odd desire to make this drive.

[hskerprid]

FYI - Highway 30 does not go to Lincoln It veers northeast at Grand Island and goes towards Columbus. As someone who has made the Highway 30 drove between North Platte and Grand Island before, don't do it. Take the interstate. The view is basically the same (at some points you can see Highway 30 from I-80. I mean if you want to get stuck behind some combines going 10 mph or slow down to 25 mph every 15 miles for a Maxwell or Overton or Gibbon, then go right ahead. Taking highway 30 from Kearney to Grand Island (45 miles) should be enough to see rural Nebraska for anyone.

I concur whole heartedly! I've been on hwy 30 more times than I care to recall and the trip from Kearney to G.I is enough to soak in rural Nebraska. Take 281 south at Grand Island and hit the interstate for the final 90 mile drive. Take the "O" street exit and go on the overpass and you'll spy the stadium of to your left.

[knapplc]

The intrigue of taking 30 was to be able to hit the small towns along the way. I realize it doesn't go all the way into Lincoln. but I figured if I were on 80 the whole time, I would never really get off of it to stop and enjoy that part of the country. I know it's an odd desire to make this drive.

 

They call this "flyover country" for a reason. West of Grand Island there's pretty much nothing you want to see. You'd get the same experience if you took the Interstate, but got off at, say, Gothenburg, NE (mile marker 211), drive to Cozad and get back on the Interstate (mile marker 222). It's only a dozen miles or so, but it's representative of the countryside you'll see along the entire stretch of Highway 30.

 

Just check out that ten-ish mile stretch of the state highway, and imagine that repeated 40 times more before you're done. It's like driving through Iowa. You get across the river, go up a hill... and then repeat that 300 times until you hit Illinois. It's the same hill.

[DevoHusker]

Bring Hwy 30 from North Platte, and then in Grand Island, switch over to eastbound Hwy 34. It takes you right to 9/10th Street in Lincoln, or directly downtown. Much less traffic than I-80 on a game day, and you get to see great small towns like Aurora, York and Seward.

[Red Five]

Bring Hwy 30 from North Platte, and then in Grand Island, switch over to eastbound Hwy 34. It takes you right to 9/10th Street in Lincoln, or directly downtown. Much less traffic than I-80 on a game day, and you get to see great small towns like Aurora, York and Seward.

You also get the added benefit of smelling the dog food plant in Aurora.

[The Dude]

The best scenery is I-80 between the Wyoming border and Sydney.

 

After that you might as well take highway 30 to Grand Island - if that's what you want to do. The speed limit is 65mph until you get to (I think) Brady.

 

Really, you don't save that much time taking the interstate, as it's usually pretty congested these days, and it tends to be more curvy than the highway.

 

Avoiding the Colorado drivers is reason enough to take the highway.

 

There's some pretty country between Seward and Lincoln on highway 34, imo.

[cfullm1]

Thanks for everyones input. I was looking as well and wondering if south of I-80 (hwy 6 and 34) wouldn't be bad of a drive either. I love the idea of the small town and miles of cornfields. For you the drive these a lot I'm sure you think I'm crazy for wanting to even do this. But for my sake, can you tell me what would be more of a, small town, feeling of being in the middle of fields experience would be.. HWY 30, or 6 and 34? Maybe both? We will be taking I80 into N. Platte and staying there a night, then taking the "scenic" drive the next day into Lincoln. Thanks again for indulging me here.