This familiar sight of Chimney Rock in Bayard, Nebraska, was photographed by Randy Ratzlaff on a past stop on Nebraska Passport.
Heartlandbeat interviewed two Henderson couples who have participated in the popular Nebraska Passport program. Both Orie & Linn Friesen and Randy & Donna Ratzlaff completed checking in at all 70 Passport stops this year!
This was the Friesen’s first time to complete all 70, but they’ve been participating in the Passport program for the last three years. Last year, they made it to 50 stops. “It’s so interesting to drive to such small towns of maybe 60-100 people and see unique places we’d never go to on our own,” said Linn.
The Ratzlaffs have been visiting Passport sites since about 2017, completing all 70 stops, and have plenty of trophy t-shirts proving it!
The program starts in May, and the deadline for getting your check-ins is September 30. Randy & Donna cut it a bit close this year, but they finished up with one day to spare on September 29th in Big Springs, checking in at the depot and Veterans Memorial by 5 p.m.
Linn first became interested in passporting when her cousins visited and were doing it, and she got hooked. She and Orie usually start in May and map out one, two, and three-day trips. They sometimes plan their stops to coincide with trips when they are visiting some of their kids who live in the Lincoln and Omaha area.
Randy has a strong interest in history, and visiting the Passport stops reminds him of road trips with his father, Deitrich Ratzlaff, when he was a young boy. “My dad would take week-long trips to Western Nebraska and South Dakota for his irrigation business and take me along sometimes. Because of that and my own business background, I’m more interested in the businesses we see on the trips and Nebraska history,” said Randy.
Some of the categories for this year’s Passport stops were “America’s Artland”, “Culture Cluster”, “Her Way”, and more. Participants can either obtain a real passport stamp at one of the destinations or receive a digital one. Both couples always get the digital stamp, as sometimes they’d arrive at a stop and it would be closed.
A few notable stops for the Friesens and Ratzlaffs included the Winnetoon Mall & Post Office, which showcased about a dozen historic storefronts and an antique shop. However, they mainly enjoyed listening to stories from the store owner. Both couples mentioned one of their favorite treats, an original and delicious Tin Roof Sundae in Potter.
Linn, passionate about gardening and flowers, especially loved visiting Grimm’s Gardens in Nebraska City. She also enjoyed a stop in Prague at the A-Mazing Flowers and Studio, where folks come from all over the state to pick fresh flowers and enjoy a real flower maze.
Photography is one of Randy’s hobbies, and he has taken some excellent photos of stops at many Passport destinations over the years. Take a look!
Orie got a kick out of eating at The Blue Bison in Hebron. “When we got there, we were a bit worried because there was only one other table with customers. We asked what was the best thing to order, and the waitress said the Drunken Pig Pizza. It was great!” They soon realized it was a popular place, with folks coming and going to get take-out pizza.
Other highlight stops for the Friesens included the Fat Head Honey Farm in Clarkson, where they purchased some honey, and breakfast served at the Burgies Bowling Alley in Chappel.
In Neligh, the Ratzlaffs enjoyed a good noon lunch at the River Mill Coffee Company and saw other passport visitors doing the same. “I like to ask the businesses we visit if the program has helped their business, and I’ve heard a lot of positive responses about the economic impact,” said Randy.
The Friesens visited the Western Nebraska Pioneer Baseball Club in Gering and learned about the 30-40 college-age boys who spend 10 weeks in Gering playing baseball in their minor league. The community takes them in and provides housing for all of them said Linn. They didn’t visit during the baseball season, but she was so impressed that she and Orie intend to catch a game if they go out west next summer.
Traveling to the various stops can take you to all four corners of the state! “I think we’ve about worn out a car since we started traveling about 5 to 6,000 miles each year on the Passport program. Donna and I like the scenery and just getting out of the house,” said Randy. When completing the western part of the Passport stops, the Ratzlaffs like to spend the night in Chadron, and Randy maps out all the destinations they can drive to and from Chadron for a few days.
One unique past stop for the Ratzlaffs was the old Highway 81 bridge spanning the Missouri River to South Dakota. “You can walk over the bridge and see these padlocks where newly married couples engrave their initials, lock their padlock, and throw away the keys into the river, signifying that their marriage is forever,” said Randy.
The Nebraska Passport awards prizes for participants who get all 70 stamps. The Friesens and Ratzlaffs will receive a Passport Champion T-shirt, Cowboy Trail cowbell, seed packet, and an additional $45 in Nebraska Lottery vouchers.
This is a great program for Nebraska, and congratulations to the Friesens and Ratzlaffs for their participation! Click here for more information about the Nebraska Passport program.
