It was still drizzling in Wood River as the sun rose, but the sandhill cranes passing through the area didn’t mind the rain. And neither did Vernon Williams.
The 90-year-old Lincoln man watched in awe as hundreds of cranes came into view as dawn broke above the riverfront blind he was sitting in. His amazement only grew as the birds — known for their migration through Nebraska this time of year — slowly lifted their wings and flew off in pairs, barely grazing the water below them.
Williams had been waiting for this moment, the chance to see the cranes take flight, since he first caught a glimpse of the birds in Kearney years ago. A dream more than 30 years in the making had finally come true.
And it was everything he imagined it would be. It was breathtaking, beautiful, special.
In fact, it was more than that, it felt spiritual.
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“It's not possible to express the feelings that I had,†he said. “Just as the title of the program tells you, it was a wish of a lifetime.â€
Williams’ wish to see the famous sandhill crane migration in central Nebraska was granted on March 14 by AARP’s Wish of a Lifetime program that helps people in older generations live out their dreams.
Kristin Johnson, the life enrichment director at AVIVA Woodlands assisted living in Lincoln where Williams lives, nominated him for the program last fall after learning of his wish to see the crane migration in his lifetime.
Vernon Williams (left), a resident of AVIVA Woodlands in Lincoln, watches sandhill cranes with Kristin Johnson, Life Enrichment Director at AVIVA, who nominated Williams for AARP's Wish of a Lifetime. His wish was granted when he had the opportunity to watch the cranes at the Crane Trust in Wood River.Â
At first, she hoped she would be able to take a group of residents to view the sandhill cranes, but she realized it would be too complicated logistically. So, she kept Williams’ dream in the back of her mind and started looking at other solutions. Then, about six months later, she came across Wish of a Lifetime.
“Vernon's wish from several months prior flashed in my mind,†she said.
In October, Johnson got the call informing her that Williams’ wish had been selected and in just less than five months, he would be able to spend two nights at Crane Trust in Wood River.
The months in between were long, though, as Williams’ anticipation grew. He was so excited the week of his trip that he was ready to go a full day before his departure.
While there, Williams woke before dawn each morning and embarked on a quarter-mile hike to the riverfront blinds where he watched cranes wake up, dance, display their wings and take off.
"It didn't disappoint me," he said. "It was everything I could have expected."
To top it off, he was able to share the experience with some of the people who made the trip possible. He spent the first day viewing cranes with Johnson, and then a longtime friend from his days as a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln joined him the second day. When it was time to go home, a driver from AVIVA Woodlands was there to pick him up.
“That made it so much better,†he said.
After the final day of his trip, Williams returned to his apartment exhausted, but happy.
“I feel like I'm still flying with the cranes,†he said.
Williams has a couple of bucket list items he still wants to check off like watching his grandson graduate from Lincoln Southeast in May and seeing a large herd of buffalo in person, a dream he hopes to fulfill this summer at Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge with his son.
But until then, he’s content reminiscing on his time with the sandhill cranes.
“I feel blessed. I have really had a life that I wouldn't have asked for anything different. It has just been great, and certainly this visit with the cranes has been, so far, topping it off,†he said. “Something else may come along, but right now, this is the top. It’s the best thing I have ever experienced in my life.â€
The Platte River Valley in Nebraska hosts up to 90% of the world's sandhill crane population during migration season, with an estimated 650,000 cranes passing through each year.
Check out these photos from the 2024 sandhill crane migration through Nebraska
Sandhill cranes fly along the Platte River on March 17, 2024, outside of Kearney.
A mass of sandhill cranes takes flight at sunrise along the Platte River outside of Kearney. Journal Star photographer Kenneth Ferriera captured photos of the annual migration last week. For more of his photos, see Page A7 and .
Sandhill cranes fly through the air along the Platte River on March 17, 2024, outside of Kearney.
Sandhill cranes fly along the Platte River on March 17, 2024, outside of Kearney.
Sandhill cranes fly along the Platte River on March 17, 2024, outside of Kearney.
Sandhill cranes fly along the Platte River on March 17, 2024, outside of Kearney.
A lone sandhill crane spreads its wings as it soars along the Platte River on March 17, 2024, outside of Kearney.
Sandhill cranes fly along the Platte River on March 17, 2024, outside of Kearney.
A trio of sandhill cranes match speeds as they take off along the Platte River on March 17, 2024, near Kearney.
Sandhill cranes fly along the Platte River on March 17, 2024, near Kearney.
Sandhill cranes gather March 17, ,2024, on the sand banks that dot the Platte River outside of Kearney.
A pair of sandhill cranes dance with one another along the Platte River on March 17, 2024, outside of Kearney. Sandhill cranes mate for life and the dance is part of their courtship and bond.
Reach Jenna Ebbers at 402-473-2657 or jebbers@journalstar.com.
Jenna Ebbers
K-12 Education Reporter
