Experience the cranes and the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway from the Platte River valley to Broken Bow. Here's your chance to get up close and personal with the natural phenomenon of 600,000 migrating sandhill cranes as they camp out each spring in the Platte River Valley at the eastern end of the SJNSB. Arrive at the Crane Trust Visitor Center on the south side of Alda, exit 305 on Interstate 80, about mid-afternoon around March 15th, where your previously reserved evening sandhill cranes tour is awaiting you. Your waiting guides will orient you regarding what you'll see on the Platte River when the cranes, still getting their daily fill of corn in the fields surrounding the Platte River, return to the river in the evening. You'll travel to the blind at the river's edge and watch as the thousands of birds gradually return from the cornfields to stand on the sandbars in the river, which afford them protection from predators for the night. As day merges into dusk, the din of their communal conversation will result in unforgettable memories of this ancient ritual.
When night has replaced dusk, you'll sneak quietly back to your waiting transportation to allow the cranes to get some z's before returning to the cornfields the next morning. Your next order of business is to travel 15 minutes to your favorite restaurant in Grand Island. Virtually all types of cuisine await you, as does a very good selection of hotels and motels.