The Great Nebraska Tractor Ride, Day 2

Well, I'll be honest... 6 a.m. came pretty early this morning, however, I got off lucky by having few responsibilities today, thus leaving me free to take photos and to simply enjoy the ride. Something I won't soon forget is the sound of 119 tractors starting almost simultaneously in the Wilderness Lodge parking lot. It's hard to describe the atmosphere and energy of standing amid so many roaring tractors on a cool morning.

After leaving Fremont, we headed to Hooper. One of the neatest things I saw along the route today was just a few miles outside of town. We passed a neatly kept farmstead, and there in the front yard was a father and his son "driving along" with the other tractors on a vintage John Deere (maybe a late model B?). It's one of those things that makes you feel privileged to have seen. Though we never had a tractor ride drive by our place, it sort of reminds me of when I was a kid.

From Hooper, we took the back roads to Scribner, where we had a mid-morning break on main street. The turnout in Scribner was very impressive - definitely the largest after last night's stop in Fremont. The people were exceptionally friendly and hospitable.

After our break, we took the back roads to Snyder, then through Monterey, and to dinner in West Point. I was able to drive the KTIC Farmall Super H on River Road from West Point back to Wisner - probably one of the more scenic parts of the route. What a trip! The combination of scenery, speed (or lack thereof), and sound made for an incredible experience! I had always thought this was a neat event, but when you actually get to drive a tractor, you start to understand why guys come and why they enjoy themselves so much.

We arrived back at the River Park in Wisner just as it started raining. Guys were able to get loaded surprisingly fast, and they were off. I think all of the KTIC staff was sufficiently exhausted, and we headed back to our respective homes as soon as we were able. Overall, I feel proud to be part of such a great company, which puts on such a great event.