It was a great year for the Backroads Tour participants! Thank you to all that joined in, and we hope to see you again next year! Stats are below.
2023 BESTS
“Bests” from the returned maps:
Friendliest community – 1st -Hartington 2nd -Crofton
Customer Service- Rodeos
Unique stop – Something Special
Experience- three way tie – Neihart/Rodeos/Wiebelhaus
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“Bests” from digital voting:
Best Burger – Mistys Saloon Bloomfield
Best Burger Runner up Bob’s Bar Martinsburg
Best Selection Diane’s Green House Fordyce
Best Selection Runner up Shamrock Nursery O’Neill
Best Pizza – South Side Mini Mart – Stuart
Best Pizza Runner Up Outlaw Pizza – Ponca
Best restaurant Service Mary’s Restaurant Plainview
Best Atmosphere -West Point Brew – West Point
Best Atmosphere Runner Up Dianes Green House Fordyce
Best Fries Misty’s Saloon Bloomfield
Best Fries Runner Up Royal Bar
Best Coffee River Mill Coffee Neligh
Best Coffee Runner up Royal One Stop
Best Beer – West Point Brew
Best Beer Runner up Big Hair Brewhaus Hartington
Best Gift Selection Something Special by Marilyn’s Atkinson
Best Gift Selection Runner Up Shelia’s Country Gardens Hartington
Best Wine – Nissen Winery
Best Prime Rib – Jerry’s Hilltop Randolph
Best Prime Rib runner up Mary’s Restaurant Plainview
Best Chicken – Wiebelhaus Recreation Crofton
Best Runner Up Chicken First Stop Atkinson
Best Service – Hefner Hardware Bloomfield
Best dealership Service Moody Motor Niobrara
Most Different experience – Town Square – Hartington
Most Different experience Runner Up – Fred Dale Planetarium Wayne
Best Wait Staff – Royal Bar Royal
Best Wait Staff Runner Up Cast Iron Stuart
Friendliest Location Ponca Tribe Trail Niobrara
Friendliest Location runner up Mainstreet Treasures Crofton
Best Place Things to Do – Creighton Library
Best Place Things to do Runner Up Verdigre Library
Best Bar B Q – Back Road Bar B Q
Best Bar B Q runner Up Murdos’ Crofton
Best Seafood Murdos Crofton
Best Seafood Runner up Lantz’s Steak House Wisner
Best Salads – Cast Iron Stuart
Best Salads Runner Cedar Hills Bar and Grill Ponca
Most Helpful – Corner Hardware – Orchard
Most Helpful Runner Up John Neihardt Bancroft
Most Experienced Staff — Oak Barn Beef West Point
Most Experienced Staff Runner Up Laurel Ace –Laurel
Most Variety – Krotters Home Center Oneill
Most Variety Runner Up — Quilt Shop Wakefield
Best Chicken Fried Steak — Mary’s Restaurant Plainview
Best Chicken Fried Steak Runner up – Elaines Winnetoon
Best Boutique – Rural Route one Neligh
Best Boutique Runner Up W.W. Galore
Best Steak — Rodeo Bar Coleridge
Best Steak Runner Up — Lantz’s Steak House Wisner
Best Hardware Variety – Kruse True Value Hartington
Best Hardware Variety Runner Up Sam’s Hardware Randolph
Best Flower/Gift Shop Blooms and Bling Bloomfield
Best Flower/Gift Shop Runner Up Neligh Flower shop
Best Thrift Store/clothing – Mainstreet Treasurers Crofton
Best Thrift Store/clothing –Thrift Warehouse Wayne
Most Educational – Wayne Sculpture Walk
Most Educational Runner Up Lied Lincoln Township Wausa
Best Golf Experience – Randolph Golf Course
2023 STATS and CARD WINNERS
145 MAPS SENT IN OR ONLINE
TOTAL SPEND ON THE BACKROAD TOUR $44,962.70
PEOPLE PARTICIPATED FROM 8 STATES
1675 total stamps both in person and digital
Digital numbers from banner ad on News Channel Nebraska
Delivered 582,903 ads, which received 503 clicks, with a Click Through Rate of .09%.
TOP WINNERS WENT TO THE MOST PLACES
Marlys Bockelmen – Pierce
Sandra Bockendahl – Pierce
Donna Asmus – Pierce
John Frerichs – Coleridge
Lisa Gerdes – Center
Tim and Reta Moser – Hartington
Winners that bought the most on the Backroad Tour
Harriet Lorenz – Meadow Grove
Connie Micke Hills – Hartington
Jan Fuchtman – Creighton
Heather Reimers – Belden
Sandra Lakey Guide Rock, Nebraska
Jill Wagner – Creighton
Shelly Buss- Pierce
Winners that followed the trail and went to many stops
Sue Rohrer – Center
Tara Koss – Randolph
Sandy and Dale Preston -Wagner
Charlotte Endorf – Magnet
Lindsey Tarno – Coleridge
Matt Haberer – Crofton
Amanda Kalhoff – Bloomfield
Nicholas McNear – Newcastle
Mary Ann Lechtenberg – Norfolk
Justin Fiscus – Coleridge
Renae Claus – Norfolk
Random Drawing Winners
Sue Wiebelhaus Center
Shirley Cobb – Oneill
Cindy Howey – Hartington
Connie Christensen – Hartington
Holly Kathol – Wayne
Diane Hansen – Norfolk
Brandi Morrow Gassett
Linda Pasel – Verdigre
Anna McQuay – Wausa
Angie Oholich – Belden
Terri Olander – Bloomfield
Rachell Westlanke – Osmond
Best Sanders – Oneill
Janice Biederman – Allen
Mary Christensen – Norfolk
Numbers by Counties are the number of businesses that participated in each county.
| County | Stamps | Retail |
| Antelope(6) | 177 | 2003.38 |
| Cedar(17) | 532 | 7801.74 |
| Cuming(7) | 179 | 3871.97 |
| Dixon(4) | 95 | 1215.09 |
| Holt(6) | 146 | 2118.31 |
| Knox(11) | 318 | 26452.79 |
| Pierce(3) | 83 | 627.21 |
| Wayne(5) | 137 | 650.07 |
