USE LESS GAS SEE NEBRASKA

You'll use less gas driving to Nebraska's historic and beautiful Fort Robinson than you would driving to the Rocky Mountains and still have a wonderful family vacation in the great outdoors.

The high cost of gasoline may have a lot of Nebraskans sticking closer to home this summer vacation season. That’s not bad. For one thing it helps our state's economy. It also gives Nebraskans a chance to learn more about our state.

Explore Nebraska
There really are a lot of fun and interesting places to visit in Nebraska. You may see some of them by visiting my website www.bennelson.senate.gov, and click on the tab marked "Explore Nebraska".

Through Google Maps technology you can get directions to the attractions, read a brief description of it and even see a picture. It's divided into two categories. Nebraska’s federally designated national parks like Homestead National Monument near Beatrice and attractions that are unique to Nebraska like the World's Largest Porch Swing in Hebron.

Save Money Seeing Nebraska
With 4 dollar a gallon gasoline a lot of us are probably calculating how much a driving vacation will cost this summer. Round trip from Omaha to Scottsbluff to see the Scottsbluff National Monument and Chimney Rock and a lot of other attractions along the way, like Stuhr Museum, Fort McPherson National Cemetery and even Carhenge it would be about 800 miles. At 23 miles per gallon it would cost about $130 for gas. That's $70 less than if you drove to the Rockies. In some towns in Nebraska that would pay for a night’s lodging.

As a Nebraskan and avid outdoorsman, I am very proud of our state and like to show it off every chance I get which is why tourism is highlighted on my website. I have been promoting Nebraska tourism since I was Governor. In fact, in 1996 the travel and tourism industry took a big step forward with the production of the first Tourism Industry Development Plan since 1975.

That plan provided numerous recommendations for the development of attractions, events and other important tourism components in the state and as a result tourism has become a booming industry in Nebraska.

The Big Three
Tourism is Nebraska's third largest source of revenue behind agriculture and manufacturing. As an example of just how much the travel and tourist industry is worth to the state, revenue from tourism has more than doubled since I became Governor. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development reports that in 1990 travelers spent about $1.5 billion in Nebraska on trips away from home with overnight stays in paid accommodations and on day trips to places 100 miles or more away. In 2005, the number more than doubled to $3.1 billion.

Whether it's a weekend getaway, a 4th of July family reunion, or a weeklong family vacation, I hope you will visit my website, plan your trip, save a little money on gas, and Explore Nebraska!

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	Column	June 16, 2008
USE LESS GAS SEE NEBRASKA You'll use less gas driving to Nebraska's historic and beautiful Fort Robinson than you would driving to the Rocky Mountains and still have a wonderful family vacation in the great outdoors. The high cost of gasoline may have a lot of Nebraskans sticking closer to home this summer vacation season. That’s not bad. For one thing it helps our state's economy. It also gives Nebraskans a chance to learn more about our state. Explore Nebraska There really are a lot of fun and interesting places to visit in Nebraska. You may see some of them by visiting my website www.bennelson.senate.gov, and click on the tab marked "Explore Nebraska". Through Google Maps technology you can get directions to the attractions, read a brief description of it and even see a picture. It's divided into two categories. Nebraska’s federally designated national parks like Homestead National Monument near Beatrice and attractions that are unique to Nebraska like the World's Largest Porch Swing in Hebron. Save Money Seeing Nebraska With 4 dollar a gallon gasoline a lot of us are probably calculating how much a driving vacation will cost this summer. Round trip from Omaha to Scottsbluff to see the Scottsbluff National Monument and Chimney Rock and a lot of other attractions along the way, like Stuhr Museum, Fort McPherson National Cemetery and even Carhenge it would be about 800 miles. At 23 miles per gallon it would cost about $130 for gas. That's $70 less than if you drove to the Rockies. In some towns in Nebraska that would pay for a night’s lodging. As a Nebraskan and avid outdoorsman, I am very proud of our state and like to show it off every chance I get which is why tourism is highlighted on my website. I have been promoting Nebraska tourism since I was Governor. In fact, in 1996 the travel and tourism industry took a big step forward with the production of the first Tourism Industry Development Plan since 1975. That plan provided numerous recommendations for the development of attractions, events and other important tourism components in the state and as a result tourism has become a booming industry in Nebraska. The Big Three Tourism is Nebraska's third largest source of revenue behind agriculture and manufacturing. As an example of just how much the travel and tourist industry is worth to the state, revenue from tourism has more than doubled since I became Governor. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development reports that in 1990 travelers spent about $1.5 billion in Nebraska on trips away from home with overnight stays in paid accommodations and on day trips to places 100 miles or more away. In 2005, the number more than doubled to $3.1 billion. Whether it's a weekend getaway, a 4th of July family reunion, or a weeklong family vacation, I hope you will visit my website, plan your trip, save a little money on gas, and Explore Nebraska! ###