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If you're a student in the Grand Island public schools, next week means one thing: spring break.
That week off from school might seem like an oasis now. But if you're still sitting around at home on Thursday watching bad daytime TV and annoying your little sister (not to mention your parents) for the fifth day in a row, you might be wishing you'd found something a little better to do.
That doesn't mean you have to go on some cross-country road trip. There's plenty to do here in Nebraska, no matter what you're into.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Sports
High school basketball season may be over, but that means Husker baseball is just heating up.
This year's Husker team is young but playing well, and it plays at home for almost all of next week. Games are scheduled against Arkansas on March 18 and 19 and Oklahoma from March 21 through 23, all in the afternoon. You can check www.huskers.com for more information and tickets.
Closer to home, the Tri-City Storm hockey team faces Des Moines in Kearney this Saturday at 3:05 p.m. You can also catch them on the road against the rival Lincoln Stars at Lincoln's Ice Box at 7:05 p.m. March 21.
And next week also brings the fabled first weekend of March Madness, the NCAA Basketball Championship tournaments. The Husker women will likely get a bid in the Big Dance, while the men will probably play in one of the two consolation tournaments, which may mean you have another chance to watch them play in Lincoln.
Shows
You probably need to head to Lincoln or Omaha next week if you want to see any big shows, but it could be well worth the trip.
The Omaha Community Playhouse is putting on two shows right now. One is "Company," a Tony award-winning musical comedy about a single man's married friends trying to find him a relationship. It runs through March 21.
The other is "Cliffhanger," a murder mystery, running all next week. For more information and tickets for both shows, visit www.omahaplayhouse.com.
Another idea is the Fremont Dinner Train (www.dinnertrain.net), which gives you a fancy five-course meal and lets you help solve an acted-out murder mystery while you're at it.
It's pretty pricey $72, or $52 just for the meal but if you're looking to impress a date over the break with a unique evening out, it could be just the ticket.
And of course, there are always dozens of bands playing in Lincoln and Omaha's clubs, but you must be at least 18 or 21 to get into most of those venues.
Shopping
For those with the urge to splurge, Nebraska has no shortage of top shopping options.
If the weather finally turns spring-like, Omaha and Lincoln each boast excellent outdoor malls in Village Pointe and SouthPointe Pavilions. Each have dozens of stores, at least 10 restaurants and a movie theater.
For more distinctive shopping, head to the Old Market in Omaha or the Haymarket in Lincoln. Both are charming historic districts packed with art galleries and dozens of unique restaurants and specialty shops.
The Old Market also features a few museums, while the Haymarket has a live theater. For information on both, visit www.oldmarket.com or www.historichaymarket.info.
Outdoors
Spring break is also a great time to see Nebraska's great outdoors. You'll find less busy parks and cooler hopefully not too cool weather.
If you're heading east, Mahoney and Platte River state parks, just a few miles apart between Lincoln and Omaha, offer beautiful views of the Platte and host of other amenities, like trails for hiking and biking, and campsites and cabins to stay in.
But Nebraska's headquarters for hiking, biking and generally all things outdoors is in the Panhandle, with Fort Robinson and Chadron state parks. Fort Robinson has loads of history behind it and also boasts 60 miles of hiking trails and 20 miles for mountain biking.
Chadron State Park, a short drive away, has a few more miles of trails, and both parks have plenty of cabins and campsites for overnight stays.
And on the way out, you can stop at Carhenge near Alliance, the strangely captivating (or just strange) configuration of old cars.
Check out www.ngpc.state.ne.us/parks/ for more information on those parks and others closer to home.
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