Hastings, NE

County seat of Adams County, Nebraska, this is a city of nearly 25,000 souls and reminds me of "small-town" America, with its downtown area with independent shops and restaurants. There is also a very interesting museum here, well worth spending time in if you want a break from the trains. There is also a Saturday morning farmers market outside the museum. Hasting's other claim to fame is that it is town where "Kool Aid" was invented, an American fruit drink consumed by thousands of American kids since 1927!