Nebraskan Vacations (Revised)

Nebraskan Vacations

The cornhusker state of Nebraska has been drawing tourists for quite some time. There are plenty of things to do for travelers of all kinds:

• romantics
• historians
• outdoor enthusiasts
• sports lovers

Nebraska offers something for almost everyone.

For Romantics

From train rides to waterfalls, Nebraska has many opportunities for romance. 

Chadron State Park
Location: Northwestern Region (Chadron, NE)
Get away from it all and head up 5,000 feet to Chadron State Park, where you’ll find a modern campground with:

• cabins 
• RV hookups
• hidden bike trails 
• a quiet relaxing forest area
• a swimming pool
• volleyball court 
• fishing areas 

Enjoy all of these amenities and activities in the state's panhandle. 

Smith Falls State Park
Location: North Central Region (Near Valentine, NE)
Take a trip to Smith Falls State Park to admire the natural beauty of Nebraska. Here, you can:

• view the state’s highest waterfall
• visit the nature preserve
• see rare plants
• camp overnight

Campsites are available for overnight guests. Reservations can be made a year in advance.

For the more romantic travelers, why not take a ride on a train?

For Historians

Nebraska is a great vacation spot for historians. 

The Railroad System
Location: Midwestern Region
Nebraska is home to several railroad museums. The rail system played an important part in the state’s history. The Transcontinental Railroad originally ran through Nebraska. The Union Pacific Railway is still headed in the Midwestern state. 

Nebraska’s Geology
Location: Northwestern Region (Harrison, NE)
Nebraska’s land was once known as the great American desert. Before European settlers arrived, Native American Indian tribes occupied the land. It was known for its fertile soil and hunting opportunities. 

Dig around the past at the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. The 3,000+ acre quarry is full of mammal fossils and a museum with over 500 Indian artifacts. 

Carhenge
Location: Northwestern Region (Alliance, NE)
Check out Carhenge - a replica of the world famous Stonehenge, but made of old cars.

For Outdoors Enthusiasts

Be challenged and excited during your vacation!  Here, you can enjoy:

• prairie wildlife
• camping
• hiking
• fishing
• boating
• biking
• star gazing

With these activities and plenty of parks, Nebraska is the ideal vacation destination for you!  

Hilltop Mini RanchLocation: Central Region (Phillips, NE)

See a working horse ranch in the southeast corner of the state. At Hilltop Mini Ranch you can view majestic spotted Appaloosa horses.

For Sports Lovers

Nebraska is best known for its college sports. 

University of Nebraska Cornhuskers
Location: Southeastern Region (Lincoln, NE)
Catch a game during football season at the University of Nebraska. The University of Nebraska Cornhuskers’ fans enjoy games full of spirit and sportsmanship.

Getting Here

Drive, fly, or ride the rails! It’s easy to access your favorite Nebraskan spots.

For Drivers

All parts of the state can be accessed from Interstate 80, which spans statewide east to west. Many highways intersect I‐80.

For Flyers

Hop a plane and head to any airport in the state. Nebraska doesn’t have any international airports, but numerous regional airports make it easy to catch flights in and out.

Getting to and around Nebraska is easy, no matter how you travel.

Learn More

With so much to offer, it’s easy to see why people choose to vacation in Nebraska. 

Visit TripAdvisor's Nebraska Vacation page to learn more.

Nebraska: A Vacation Spot for Everyone

Nebraskan Vacations

The cornhusker state of Nebraska has been drawing tourists for quite some time. There are plenty of things to do for travelers of all kinds:

• romantics
• historians
• outdoor enthusiasts
• sports lovers

Nebraska offers endless possibilities of vacation fun for everyone.

For Romantics

From train rides to waterfalls, Nebraska has many opportunities for romance. 

Chadron State Park
Get away from it all and head up 5,000 feet to Chadron State Park, where you’ll find a modern campground with:

• cabins 
• RV hookups
• hidden bike trails 
• a quiet relaxing forest area
• a swimming pool
• volleyball court 
• fishing areas 

The state park is located near the town of Chadron in the panhandle. 

Smith Falls State Park
Take a trip to Smith Falls State Park to admire the natural beauty of Nebraska. Here, you can:

• view the state’s highest waterfall
• visit the nature preserve
• see rare plants
• camp overnight

The park’s located in the North Central part of the state, near the town of Valentine. Campsites are available for overnight guests. Reservations can be made a year in advance.

For the more romantic travelers, why not take a ride on a train?

For Historians

Nebraska is a great vacation spot for historians. 

The Railroad System
Nebraska is home to several railroad museums. The rail system played an important part in the state’s history. The Transcontinental Railroad originally ran through Nebraska. The Union Pacific Railway is still headed in the Midwestern state. 

Nebraska’s Geology
Nebraska’s land was once known as the great American desert. Before European settlers arrived, Native American Indian tribes occupied the land. It was known for its fertile soil and hunting opportunities. 

Dig around the past at the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. The 3,000+ acre site is located in northwest Nebraska, 22 miles from the city of Harrison. Find quarries full of mammal fossils and a museum with over 500 Indian artifacts. 

Carhenge
Check out Carhenge - a replica of the world famous Stonehenge, but made of old cars. Created in 1987 by six families celebrating a family reunion, Carhenge is located in Alliance, on the panhandle.

For Outdoors Enthusiasts

Be challenged and excited during your vacation!  Here, you can enjoy:

• prairie wildlife
• camping
• hiking
• fishing
• boating
• biking
• star gazing

With these activities and plenty of parks, Nebraska is the ideal vacation destination for you!  

Hilltop Mini Ranch
See a working horse ranch in the southeast corner of the state. At Hilltop Mini Ranch you can view majestic spotted Appaloosa horses. The ranch is located in the town of Phillips, Nebraska. Get outdoors and enjoy the natural beauty Nebraska has to offer!

For Sports Lovers

Nebraska is best known for its college sports. 

University of Nebraska Cornhuskers
Catch a game during football season at the University of Nebraska. Located in eastern Nebraska, in the city of Lincoln, the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers’ fans enjoy games full of spirit and sportsmanship.

Getting Here

Drive, fly, or ride the rails! It’s easy to access your favorite Nebraskan spots.

For Drivers

All parts of the state can be accessed from Interstate 80, which spans east to west from Omaha to the southwest tip of the panhandle. Many state highways intersect I‐80.

For Flyers

Hop a plane and head to any airport in the state. Nebraska doesn’t have any international airports, but numerous regional airports make it easy to catch flights in and out.

Getting to and around Nebraska is easy, no matter how you travel.

Climate

Nebraska’s climate varies by season.

The state sees its fair share of thunderstorm activity, which sometimes spawns tornadoes. Most tornadoes occur in the spring and summer, but fall can be active during some years.

Learn More

With so much to offer, it’s easy to see why people choose to vacation in Nebraska. 

Visit TripAdvisor's Nebraska Vacation page to learn more.

Revised Infographic: 2012 Global Smartphone Operating System Market Share

View Larger Image in PDF Format

Revised Infographic: 2012 Global Smartphone Operating System Market Share

View Larger Image in PDF Format

Infographic: Calories Burned in 60 Minutes

Source: myfitnesspal.com, 2013 | Design: Sherry Umlah , 2013

View a larger image in PDF format

 Aim

The goal for this infographic is to convey the:

• Number of calories burned in 60 minutes for various exercises
• Difference in calories burned for people weighing 150lbs and 200lbs
• Most effective 60-minute workouts in terms of calorie expenditure

Using activity icons and a pie chart as the face of the stopwatch helps accomplish the aim of this infographic.  It illustrates time, activity, and calorie expenditure.

Rationale

Rationale for producing this infographic was based on the need to identify the most effective workout activities. Understanding calorie expenditure helps sprockFIT focus on the most effective activities when reviewing apps and gadgets.  Encouraging visitors to choose calorie-intensive activities will help them accomplish fitness goals quicker.

Data for 150lb and 200lb individuals was chosen to portray an average calorie expenditure.  Number of calories burned correlates to weight.  The pie chart represents the comparison of activities.

sprockFIT will focus more on gadgets and apps related to running, biking, and martial arts.  The infographic will be used within the FAQs page to illustrate calorie expenditure to visitors.

Process

This infographic took more than 60 minutes to create.  Steps taken to create this infographic:

1. Searched for calorie expenditure for a variety of exercises and found a handy calculator from myFitnessPal.com
2. Chose the most common activities and a representation of range (sedative to active)
3. Created an Excel pie chart from data
4. Took a screenshot
5. Imported the screenshot into a graphics program
6. Designed the stop watch in Adobe Illustrator
7. Found icons for various activities
8. Mashed it all together in Adobe Photoshop

Calorie expenditure for the above eight steps was estimated to be 140 calories.   Time to go burn some more!

How to Improve the Infographic

An interactive infographic would be awesome in this example.  Allowing visitors to enter in their weight to change the calories expended would be useful.

Know This: Calorie Expenditure Varies by Weight

Wonder why it's easier to drop the first five pounds and hardest to drop the last?  The more you weigh, the more you burn!

Infographic: 2012 Global Smartphone Operating System Market Share

Source: International Data Corporation, 2013 |  Design: Sherry Umlah, 2013

View a larger image in PDF format

Aim

Several goals for the infographic were identified. This infographic aims to convey:

• Appealing data for geeks
• Market share of smartphone operating systems (OSs)
• Android OS's popularity
• Android OS's consumption of other OSs

Creating a gaming-related visual that represents the Android OS as the 'Pac-Man' of OSs accomplishes these goals.  Designed for geeks!

Rationale

Rationale for producing this infographic was based on the important need to understand sprockFIT's target market.  OS market share is important because it shows the largest audience to target.

Data from International Data Corporation (IDC) was used because it's a credible source in the industry.

sprockFIT will review more Android OS apps and use this infographic on the FAQs page to justify focusing on Android OS users.

Process

Creating this infographic was easy as pie.  Steps taken to create this infographic:

1. Watched the Lynda.com tutorial on Infographics: Area Bubbles
2. Searched for statistics for smartphone OSs and market share
3. Settled on data from IDC as a foundation
4. Created an Excel pie chart from data
5. Took a screenshot
6. Imported the screenshot into a graphics program
7. Edited colors and arrangement to mimic Pac-Man game design
8. Saved the file in PNG format and PDF format for larger viewing

Eh voila! Seven easy steps to creating an infographic. It packs a punch, right?

How to Improve the Infographic

Imagine if this baby was animated?  Now, THAT would be imPACtful.

Know This: Great Tutorials are Online

Interested in learning how to make infographics?  You should check out Lynda.com's tutorials!

Semester Project Progress: 10/07/2013

This Week's Update: 

• Blog Post / Gadgets & Apps: Motivation App: Podrunner
• Added a Newsletter Sign-up Form via Mailchimp
• First Newsletter Sent
• Set up Facebook Page
• Set up Twitter Account
• Set up IFTTT account to auto publish Wordpress posts to Facebook and Twitter
• Online Resources: Health & Wellness
• Healthy Helper Blog