After 2 years, 10,655 miles and 533 Nebraska towns, couple’s travels are over for now

Sarah Jones didn’t expect to cry as she and husband Jereme drove their Buick away from Elm Creek, a town of around 900 near Kearney, Nebraska.
It was the last stop on their quest to visit every incorporated community in the—state—all 531 of them.
It took 10,655 trouble-free miles, 36 trips and more than two years. After starting on April 4, 2021, they actually visited 533, including county seats Tryon and Harrisburg.
“They were happy tears,” Sarah Jones said of that last day on July 2. “We created a lot of memories.”
The York couple, who have been married 20 years, decided to traverse the state after reading a book by Wahoo native Seth Varner called “Visit531Nebraska,” a travel guide, history book and photo album of the state.
Varner, a former UNO student who now lives in Omaha, took to the road with friend Austin Schneider in summer 2020 during COVID.
“They were the inspiration,” Sarah Jones said. “I don’t think I ever would have come up with this without seeing their Facebook post and following along.”
The Jones family worked around son Noah’s soccer and baseball games and Jereme’s football and wrestling schedule at Thayer Central and Hampton High Schools. He was the head football coach for both.
Things speeded up when Noah started attending college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and their schedule eased during the summer, when they made most of their trips. Sarah runs the bookstore for Southeast Community College in Milford and Beatrice.
They kept track of their journeys on a map. Jereme would plot out each adventure and act as driver. Sarah would read a blurb from Varner’s book as they arrived—it was their bible for their trips, she says.
She also was in charge of taking a photo of something with each town’s name, whether it was a sign, a mural or a water tower.
They saw towns such as Ashland, Brownville and Hampton fighting to stay modern with downtown restorations and others that seemed to be struggling to keep up.
They visited Omaha with its half a million citizens and then stopped at Monowi in north-central Nebraska with its population of one.
“There is just one lady (Elsie Eiler) who lives there, and she operates a bar and grill. And the library,” Sarah said. “She runs the whole town.”
Along the way, Jereme said, they saw a Nebraska that few know about if they don’t leave Interstate 80, especially out west on one side of the road, he said, would be bluffs and the other side rolling hills. Dense trees would yield to cornfields.
His conclusion? It’s a great state.
“Nebraska is not that flat land you see driving along the Interstate,” he said.
Disagreeing with Nebraska’s slogan: “Honestly, it’s not for everyone,” he said:
“I think there is something for everyone in the state.”
They loved the theater being run as a nonprofit in Hebron, the wildlife near Valentine and the scenic bluffs near Gering and Scottsbluff.
They discovered a peaceful spot called the Little Grand Canyon near Wauneta in southwest Nebraska.
You don’t hear anything but the wind blowing and the birds chirping, Sarah said.
“There is a little scenic view you can pull up in,” Jereme said. “Right over the edge there is a big drop-off. It was really cool.”
They even visited a few places they could see themselves living when they retire. The views of the Scotts Bluff National Monument make the Gering and Scottsbluff area attractive, especially with all the amenities nearby for a city girl like Sarah.
Before then, they have other plans. Just as Varner has begun to explore and write about the states surrounding Nebraska, they’re mulling ideas for their next adventure.
“We’ve talked about visiting all 50 states. As a football coach, I thought about trying to go to every college football stadium,” Jereme said.
Sarah said since the last two years were her idea, he gets to choose.
“I’ll go along for the ride,” she said.

About their trip

Total miles driven: 10,655
Total trips taken: 36
Most miles driven in one day: 687
Most towns seen in one day: 36
Favorite town: Valentine (Sarah) and Brownville (Jereme)
Favorite nature site: The Little Grand Canyon near Wauneta
Inspiration for the trip: Visit531Nebraska by Seth Varner
Instagram account documenting their trip: thegoodlife_jones