Nebraska Highway 2 links Grand Island and Alliance. Not the "lonelist" of our choices with respect traffic, but does transverse some wonderful open country and connects a series of charming small towns.(Also, for you fans of famous crime scenes, this was Charlie Starkweather's route west across the state.) Pay attention to Ellsworth, the home of the historic, 500,000 acre Spade ranch, and please take a short drive north on Highway 27 to the Mari Sandoz site.

This route meanders through the Sand Hills and provides an interesting look at the Western region of Nebraska, You find at least two intersing communities: Arthur, the smallest County Seat in the country, and tiny Whiteclay which sells over 4 mllion cans of beer a year. (Why? Look up Whiteclay in our “Tiny Towns site.)

Although the very busy Chadron is right in the middle of this route, Nebraska 20 from Van Tassel, WY to Merriman, NE is sufficiently rural and liesurely to be one of our choices. Van Tassel, even though it is across the border, qualifies as one of our "Tiny Towns." It is the site of the very first American Legion Lodge. Also, the Bowring Ranch at Merriman has some unusual historical angles.