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Stretching 387 miles from its Missouri River border on the east to the western panhandle, the country's 15th largest state offers a surprising variety of tourist treats as well as miles and miles of undulating farmland that spreads to the horizons.

Follow in the footsteps of great explorers with a visit to Fort Atkinson State Historical Park, nine miles north of Omaha, near the Nebraska-Iowa state line. Here, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set up camp on July 30, 1804. Their first official powwow with Native Americans (members of the Oto and Missouri Indian tribes) took place a few days later--15 years before the site they recommended became a federal fort in 1819. Currently under reconstruction, Fort Atkinson today encompasses Lewis and Clark's original council site and

parts of the north, south, and west barracks as well as an interpretive center. For general information and this summer's living history re-enactment schedules, call (800) 826-PARK.

Just south of Fort Atkinson, Nebraska's largest city (with a population of just under 400,000)--Omaha--offers visitors a variety of cultural experiences, including the Joslyn Memorial Art Museum, the Western Heritage Museum, and the Orpheum Fine Arts Theater. But perhaps the city's premier attraction is the Henry Doorly Zoo, recognized as one of the country's leading zoological parks. In addition to its well-deserved reputation as home to the world's largest indoor rainforest and North America's largest complex for large cats, the zoo will house the world's largest indoor environment for desert wildlife when it opens its new Desert Dome in April. For further information, call (402) 733-8401 or visit www.omaha zoo.com.

Affiliated with the Omaha zoo is the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari, a "drive-through wildlife adventure" nestled in the Platte River hill country southwest of the city, halfway between Omaha and Lincoln. Here, a four-mile car trail winds through prairies and wetlands where bison, elk, pronghorn, and deer roam freely. Off the beaten track, hikers crossing a bridge to Wolf Canyon may encounter not only a pack of gray wolves but also wild turkeys. Wetlands that recreate the native habitat of central Platte Valley's meadows shelter sandhill cranes and pelicans. The park (402-994-WILD) is open daily from April through October.

While in the area, a side trip to Schramm Park State Recreation Area (the state's oldest) and its Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium will net you a glimpse at the country's largest catfish (a 95-pounder) in captivity. Paddlefish, sturgeon, and snapping turtles round out aquatic displays found in 12 tanks filled with 32 of Nebraska's fish species. A terrarium houses 19 native species of reptiles and amphibians. The recreation area surrounding the aquarium features nature trails, breathtaking bluff-top views of the Platte River, and a fish hatchery museum housing 12 dioramas that trace the state's fish management history from prehistoric to modern times. For information, call (402) 332-3901.

Lincoln, the state capital, has three outstanding museums--the Museum of Nebraska History, Lincoln Children's Museum, and University of Nebraska State Museum. Tours of the Capitol and Governor's Mansion are available.

No one visiting Nebraska in late winter or early spring should pass up the opportunity to witness the annual migration of 90 percent (some 500,000) of the world's sandhill cranes during their five-week layover in the south-central Platte River valley. The annual gathering begins around mid-February as thousands of the migratory waterfowl arrive from wintering locations in Texas, New Mexico, and northern Mexico en route to their summer breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska. Prime viewing locations along I-30 stretch from Wood River (where the Crane Meadows Nature Center is located) to the National Audubon Society's Rowe Sanctuary in Gibbon to Fort Kearny State Recreation Area's Hike-Bike Bridge in Kearney. Additionally, a series of five public viewing decks dot the river road area. Dusk and dawn offer the best opportunities for seeing wave upon wave of the water birds as flocks rise or return to the banks of the Platte.

A photographer's dream of a different sort beckons visitors to nearby Comstock (northwest of the Platte River), where the largest standing collection of windmills creates dancing silhouettes against prairie skies. Henry Nuxoll's 2nd Wind Ranch (www.windmillenter prises.net) also is the site of a June festival featuring country music and hot air balloon and parachuting demonstrations, capped off by sunset fireworks.

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