Several years ago, in my pre-caching days, I fielded several
customer requests for a book titled To Bucktail and Back: A
Million Miles of Memories by Tom Allan, a longtime Omaha
World-Herald columnist. I wasn't familiar with his work, but I
loved the cover photograph of him sporting a big smile and a truly
jaunty plaid golf cap, complete with red pompom. And I couldn't
help but wonder... where in the world was Bucktail?
I later did a little exploring and found that Bucktail, a tiny
gathering of houses and cows, still exists in eastern Arthur
County. Recently, I came across Tom Allan's book again and began to
browse. I found it to be full of stories of travel to every corner
of Nebraska -- its people, its beauty, and even its tragedies. For
over 40 years, Tom Allan roamed the state with one simple goal:
sharing the best of Nebraska with the rest of Nebraska.
Tom Allan would have made a fantastic geocacher. Before GPS,
satellites, 24-hour fuel and 24/7 communication, he traveled the
entire state, heading wherever the story was and finding the story
where supposedly none existed. From page one, he embodies the
spirit of geocaching:
"Bucktail? It’s the name of one of the now
long-gone ranch-house post offices once scattered throughout the
colorful Nebraska Sand Hills. It symbolizes my advice to visitors
to the state – as well as to many residents who don’t
know what they’re missing – “Get Lost!” by
leaving Interstate 80 to discover the real beauty of Nebraska, the
warm friendliness of its people and its genuine Western
heritage."
To Bucktail and Back was published by the Omaha
World-Herald in 2002. Tom Allan died in 2003, at age 84. Read more
about him here:
Tribute to Tom Allan
This cache is for all of you who undertake Nebraska's Delorme
and 93-County challenges. I wish you the best on the journey to
your own “Bucktail”... and back.
Container is a plastic jar suitable for small travel bugs and
trade items. Warning: this cache is under a rock in the Sandhills.
Watch for snakes! Please replace container sitting upright and hide
well. Happy caching!
Congratulations
"James Bridger" : First to Find - August 14,
2009
On May 07, 2011 James Bridger adopted this
cache. Everything above this horizontal rule is the original cache
listing. No alterations were made, save for the addition of
attributes and a FTF tagline. Thanks for looking.
