Graf Bees Stop # 18 pg # 14

I have never been in a store like this before.  Can't say I even knew this kind of place existed.

So, suffice it to say, this was another new experience for us.  I had no idea there was so much stuff for display and sale related to bees and honey.  Visit with Mark and Linda if you want to know anything related to bees or honey.

Here's a few of the displays around the store.

My favorite item is made from beeswax.  Linda makes these and I bet she could make something special for you if she can find the right mold.

They make their own honey and honey products.  We bought a few things, honey butter (way better than any other I've had), honey coated puffs and honey mustard.

The Rescue Stop # 57 pg # 26

Unfortunately, it was closed.  We thought it wouldn't go so fast to get through the other stops before getting to Sargent, but we were an hour early.

 

Dear Myra Boutique Stop # 31 pg # 38

Nice layout, not crowded where you have to be careful not to knock things over.  Lots of styles to choose from.  

If you need assistance, just ask Lori.  She will be happy to help you find something if you're looking for something in particular.  Dear Myra may also be unique in that they have some items like caps, t-shirts and others with the Nebraska Passport logo on them.

Big Apple Fun Center Stop # 28 pg # 18

Great place for family fun for all ages.

There are many games for families or even larger groups.  Bowling, go-carts, video games, miniature golf and more.

The miniature golf is lit by black lights.  That was a first for me.  Actually, besides the special glowing all over the place, it didn't detract from playing.  Of course, it didn't help me either.  But, the important thing is that I did beat Cindy!  You can play all you want for just one fee.  At the end when your ball goes into the non-retrievable hole, you can just go get another one and start over.

Electric go-carts, looks like a lot of fun.

There is also a large children's playroom.  Lots of things to climb on.  Snacks and refreshments are available, as well.

3 Brothers Winery Stop # 21 pg # 34

A modest winery with seating inside and outside.  A very nice terrace area along the west side.

They have a unique story for naming this location.  I asked the owner how he came up with the name 3 Brothers.  He pointed to three photos on a wall.  The middle one is his grandfather and the photos on each side are his grandfather's brothers.  Three brothers, not so special yet.  However, all three brothers married three sisters!  I've never heard of such a thing.  Two brothers marrying two sisters, yes, but three brothers marrying three sisters.  That is certainly worth creating a name for your business.

Shepard's Rest Goat & Sheep Rescue Stop # 53 pg # 15

We kind of jumped the gun on this one.  It was a bit isolated so I thought I would go see where it was and stop back later when it was open but the road didn't lend itself to turning around so I drove in and out comes Jen, the caretaker of this place.

She was very ready to come and talk to us.  Her knowledge of the animals she has there is amazing.  She knows all their names and all of them by sight!  It seems she can barely glance at one and calls its name.  I don't know enough about goats to know if they know their names.  

As you can see, goats like to be on top of things.  And they are really friendly and love being around people.

There is one lama, too.  The sheep were out in another area so we didn't see them until we were almost ready to leave and I didn't get an pictures of them.  Jen obviously loves all her animals.  One more item of interest here is a very old barn.  It has been modified for various purposes over the years but it was originally built without any nails or bolts.  The exterior is the only area with metal fasteners.  The hinges on the hayloft door are cast iron.  I've never seen those before.

The Old Poor Farm Animal Sanctuary Stop # 42 pg # 15

Yet another surprise that was totally unexpected.  Sure I read the little blurb in the passport book but this totally surprised us!  This is really someplace everyone needs to bring their kids.  There are so many different animals here.  Pluss a state historical marker and the history around that, but now they're writing a new history for this location as an animal sanctuary.

When you drive in you'll notice lots of old buildings.  These are still left from it's days as the Dodge County Poor Farm.  There is a small but nice historical display in the main office.

There is a unique bone you need to make sure you see.  It's a bison vertebra in the display case shown above.  I didn't get the woman's name who runs the sanctuary but she is a wealth of information on this place, past and present.  Ask her about the bone if you don't see anything special.  

There are lots of different animals here.  Many are here to live out their lives in peace and comfort.  Don't put your finger through the fence where the geese are, they love to bite and it will hurt!  We used to raise geese on the farm where I grew up.