Make time for fall adventure in the Sandhills!!!

It's ever changing...the skies, water, foliage...and it's all here for you to enjoy! Come and take a peek at what your fall season, family fun, adventure could be like!

There were still campers at Merritt Reservoir enjoying the colorful storm rolling in. Only a small amount of rain fell, but left behind this remarkable scene below!

Berries - big deal? Not necessarily. They attract wildlife. Are you a bird watcher? There were several species flying around getting their fill. For the more disciplined, they may have gotten a great photo of them nibbling; however there were other distractions...

...the stellar colors of the screaming yellow and lime leaves against the brilliant blue of the sky.

 There's something magical when the sun hits the fall grasses...what luminance!

With the time change, the sun will be setting earlier, but you can still see fascinating things like these pods which have gone to seed.

Creeks are flowing swiftly and beautifully! This is Fort Falls which will flow into the Niobrara River!

Hiking anyone? Some thoughtful group of people put stairs for the deer to climb up and down the steep inclines of the Sandhills. Not really! They're there for you and your family - yes your furry family as well - to enjoy. Do yourself a favor and wear sturdy shoes, not flip-flops!!!

There's more to the family adventure....in Valentine there will be the kiddy parade Friday, October 30 beginning at 4:00 p.m. Booohhahahahaah!

Nothing incredibly scary like a dark forest reflected in the lake, or a giant spiders web ...

Scary like a lion perhaps??

The parade has some interesting characters...some you may recognize like the Mario Brothers! Some aren't so recognizable. Their shadows are also disguised as well...very clever! Line up at First and Main Street and let yourself be seen...4:00 p.m.! 

After the parade and trick-or-treating for candy, with special thanks to Valentine's businesses, kids can continue to the square in front of the Justice Center for more fun! Giant Jenga anyone? Video games? 

Looking forward to your presence at Moonlight Madness after these activities! From 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. it's hard to say what madness will be going on inside participating businesses. Sales? Of course. Oddities? Naturally! There's one way to win prizes and Chamber Bucks...keep a keen eye out for something that doesn't quite belong!!!

Enjoy your Sandhills Adventure this fall!

And let our sponsors help you with your four season, family fun, vacation plans!!! Trade Winds Lodge, can help you with accommodations, and you can get excellent food to go at Henderson's IGA. 

Why not plan a leisurely fall trip down Niobrara National Scenic River with  Brewers Canoers and Tubers ?

Nim-Rods Bait Store has all you could ever need or want for your fishing excursion - poles, live bait, bobbers, jigs, hooks, and plenty of refreshments! Berry Creek Gun and Pawn Shop, has everything you could ever want in the way of firearms, ammo, and reloading supplies - conveniently located right down the street from The Quilting Cupboard, which has western prints, wool, cotton and batik fabric, along with patterns from Fear Not Pattern Co perfect little projects for this season! 

For a one of a kind gift that is uniquely yours, head over to Outback Screenprinting and Embroidery at their new location!!!. 

The Valentine Chamber of Commerce has a plethora of brochures that will have you coming back this fall... make sure you stop by and pick some up today!

Remember...the Sandhills are your four season, family fun, ticket 4 Adventure....come find out why at SandhillsWesternVacations.com!!! And while you're here for your Halloween and Moonlight Madness adventure, remember there's a lot more coming up! Stay tuned...we welcome you and your family!!!

Old West Days schedule of events October 8-11, 2015

Do you like tales and music from the old west? Then it's time to get to Valentine, NE for the 24th annual Nebraska Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Old West Days.

Henderson's IGA grilled excellent burgers last year!

Thursday, October 8 will be the kick off for the annual event with a BBQ at Security First Bank's parking lot along with live entertainment which begins at 4:30 p.m.
After that it's time for the Melodrama which begins at 7:30 at the Valentine High School.

The Valentine Players will wow you with their antics. This group was from a previous performance!

Friday, October 9
The music and poetry sessions begin. Some you will have to pay for, others are free of charge. All are interesting insights into the settlement of the west. Which, when you consider the age of this area, it's really still being settled at a mere 130 years old.
9:00 a.m. - Poetry and Music at VHS
10:00 a.m. - Trade show opens at VHS gym
7:30 p.m. - Featured performances requires you to have tickets. The performers include: Doc Mehl, Susie Knight, Cowboy Culture, Dakota Style with Paul Larson, Robert Dennis and Bonnie Krogman and host Doris Daley.

Cowboy music and poetry will be shared on the same stage! 

Saturday, October 10
9:00 a.m. -  more poetry and music at VHS
10:00 a.m. - Want to learn the Do's and Don'ts of Writing Cowboy Poetry  head to the commons area and be instructed by Doris Daley
10:00 a.m. - Time to shop at the Trade show which opens at VHS gym
1:30 p.m. - Featured performances requires you to have tickets. The performers include: Doc Mehl, Susie Knight, Robert Dennis, Bonnie Krogman, Paul Larson, Trey Allen, Mary Kaye and Three Trails West hosted by Doris Daley.
7:30 p.m. - Featured performances - again, tickets are required. Performers include: Trey Allen, Mary Kaye, Three Trails West, a secret special guest, with host Doris Daley.

O.K., not quite that type of trail ride...the kind where you bring your own horse and enjoy the beautiful countryside on a crisp fall day!

Sunday, October 11
11:00 a.m.  - Old Time Church services at various churches in town.
2:00 p.m. - Trail Ride - information can be found by clicking on the link below.
7:30 p.m. - Final showing of the Melodrama - hiss and boo at the villain, cheer and applaud the hero and heroine!

For tickets call 1-800-658-4024 or go to Nebraska Cowboy Poetry Gathering. You can also contact the Valentine Chamber of Commerce for more information at 402-376-2969.

It's a weekend full of fun, music, poetry, and FUN. Quilts will be on display, western giftware, CDs from the performers, and a variety of fun things you really don't want to miss out on!

Don't let the sun set before making your arrangements to attend the 24th annual Old West Days!

Let our sponsors help you with your four season, family fun, Old West Days' plans!!! Trade Winds Lodge, can help you with accommodations, and you have an excellent selection of fresh foods at Henderson's IGA. 

You can get a gift certificate for a trip down the  Niobrara National Scenic River with  Brewers Canoers and Tubers? What a terrific gift for you or a loved one!

Nim-Rods Bait Store has all you could ever need or want for your fishing excursion - poles, live bait, bobbers, jigs, hooks, and plenty of refreshments! Berry Creek Gun and Pawn Shop, has everything you need in the way of firearms, ammo, and reloading supplies - conveniently located right down the street from The Quilting Cupboard, which has western prints, wool, cotton and batik fabric, along with patterns from Fear Not Pattern Co. 

For a one of a kind gift that is uniquely yours, head over to Outback Screenprinting and Embroidery which has new location on First Street!!!

The Valentine Chamber of Commerce has a plethora of information that will have you coming back all year long ... make sure you stop by and pick some of their brochures up today!

Remember...the Sandhills are your four season, family fun, ticket 4 Adventure....come find out why at SandhillsWesternVacations.com!!! 

We welcome you and your family!!!

The Sandhills are alive with color!!!

Always, the invitation is open for you to come and visit the lovely Sandhills! There's plenty of thrills...and things to do. Right now the Sandhills are alive with color! 

Rich, jewel tones! Emerald with amethyst dusted with pollen on this morning glory!

Misty rain highlights this tiny lavender flower on the forest floor. 

Butterflies are fueling up for their migration on purple asters. 

A fuzzy bumble bee allows this portrait to be taken. Smile! 

Ordinary marigolds are a nice looking flower this time of year...up close you can see they're also dynamic as they unfurl their petals and are also homes to webbed insects. 

Raindrops emphasize the tips of this Ponderosa Pine. 

Sumac is already changing colors....stellar!

This beetle didn't care for the raindrops collecting on his back. Notice his middle leg is wiping them off. Something it did repeatedly. Adorable.  

Ruby mixed with garnet and a bit of citrine grace this tree....birds  flock here for winter kibble. 

Webbed beauty! Mist beads up on this intricate lacework! 

Grasshoppers are interesting...especially up close. Kind of looks like a robot face..."better to eat all your flowers!"

A recent, record setting rain fell, cleaning off all the leaves, trees, and hills, for a nice crisp walk on the many trails in the area. 

Geese are starting to collect for their migration as well. 

Happy autumn...the sun sets sooner...and colors are intensified making everything look cozy and warm. It's a purrrrrrfect time of year for a Sandhills vacation or quick visit!

Let our sponsors help you with your four season, family fun, vacation plans!!! Trade Winds Lodge, can help you with accommodations, and you can get excellent food to go or grill at Henderson's IGA. 

Why not plan a leisurely and colorful trip down Niobrara National Scenic River with  Brewers Canoers and Tubers?

Nim-Rods Bait Store has all you could ever need or want for your fishing excursion - poles, live bait, bobbers, jigs, hooks, and plenty of refreshments! Berry Creek Gun and Pawn Shop, has everything you need in the way of firearms, ammo, and reloading supplies - conveniently located right down the street from The Quilting Cupboard, which has western prints, wool, cotton and batik fabric, along with patterns from Fear Not Pattern Co. 

For a one of a kind gift that is uniquely yours, head over to Outback Screenprinting and Embroidery which has new location on First Street!!!

The Valentine Chamber of Commerce has a plethora of brochures that will have you coming back this all year long ... make sure you stop by and pick some up today!

Remember...the Sandhills are your four season, family fun, ticket 4 Adventure....come find out why at SandhillsWesternVacations.com!!! 

We welcome you and your family!!!

Enjoy what the Sandhills have to offer!

The countdown is on for Labor Day weekend!!! Pack up the family - including your furry family  - and head for the hills!!! The Sandhills that is!!!

There's plenty of fabulous food to eat out here!  Burgers, steak, and for this monarch, the wonderful goldenrod - Nebraska's state flower. There's fuel in them hills...which is something the monarch, as a whole, is in need of. Their numbers are dwindling and they need nutrition along their route - which was explained by the new manager at the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge. Make sure you stop out there for some pristine wide open spaces, or to fish.
New docks and there are some lake renovations underway - but there's plenty of other refuge lakes to find your fish!

The Sandhills are your four season, family fun, vacation destination - deerie!

Play...dance...enjoy!!! Be weird, be random...you never know who you'll meet up with and the new friends you'll eventually call "family."

Odd....but true! Family isn't always a birthright...sometimes it's the deer friends you hang out with, or the turkeys you love so much you call family!

The sunflowers are in bloom ... alive with buzzing activity.

And it won't be long before the birds begin their migratory patterns - which is enjoyable even if you're not a bird fancier! So take flight....get ready....and land in the Sandhills for Labor Day!

You'll be offered the best vistas, and the most comfortable perch to watch as the season slowly changes colors to vivid gold and bright yellows!

As the seasons begin their change...so too do the skies. While this giant field looks full of fluffy cotton candy or crunch popcorn, it's actually the remains of a storm that took place far, far, away...and we were left with this beauty!

Sometimes, there's a bit more drama - which is stunning to look at. Again, 15 drops of rain fell, but left behind a small rainbow tucked into the clouds. You can almost smell the rain and feel the wind tugging at your hair.

An unusual rain cloud....dropping some moisture right between the power poles. Magnificent way to end the day?!

You're invited to enjoy all that the Sandhills has to offer. Check out the different activities on  SandhillsWesternVacations.com and make a discovery of your own this Labor Day weekend.
Clearly, there's plenty to do...or not. Watching the sun set is a fine art...but does take practice.
You've been challenged!!! Sit back....relax...enjoy....

And let our sponsors help you with your four season, family fun, vacation plans!!! Trade Winds Lodge, can help you with accommodations, and you can get excellent food to go at Henderson's IGA. 

Why not plan a leisurly  trip down Niobrara National Scenic River with  Brewers Canoers and Tubers to complete your summer?

Nim-Rods Bait Store has all you could ever need or want for your fishing excursion - poles, live bait, bobbers, jigs, hooks, and plenty of refreshments! Berry Creek Gun and Pawn Shop, has everything you could ever want in the way of firearms, ammo, and reloading supplies - conveniently located right down the street from The Quilting Cupboard, which has western prints, wool, cotton and batik fabric, along with patterns from Fear Not Pattern Co. 

For a one of a kind gift that is uniquely yours, head over to Outback Screenprinting and Embroidery new location!!!. 

The Valentine Chamber of Commerce has a plethora of brochures that will have you coming back this fall... make sure you stop by and pick some up today!

Remember...the Sandhills are your four season, family fun, ticket 4 Adventure....come find out why at SandhillsWesternVacations.com!!! And while you're here for Labor Day...begin planning your fall adventure! We welcome you and your family!!!

Sing the summer song...

This summer has been nothing short of perfection! Sunny days, green hills, a beautifully flowing Niobrara River, and abundant fish in the lakes.

Sing the summer song! That would be the cicadas letting us know how much summer we have left...

Calendar wise, we have plenty of summer left...right on through the end of September...vacation wise, however....

This week we have the Cherry County Fair and Rodeo and coming up!

There will be some cool chicks there!!!

Colorful rides for kids of all ages! Even those faint of heart who choose to go in the ROCKET!

 When you're a wee one, the DRAGON can be just as scary!

 The always popular auction for the 4-H Champion animals is something not to miss!

Tim Henderson of Henderson's IGA won the bid for this prize winning hog raised by Justin Lurz.

Colorful, creative, works of art are on display in the 4-H Building, including quilts that will one day become heirlooms!

 LEGOS!!!

Artists have their work entered in the Sand Painters Art Guild for everyone to appreciate - everything from photography, pastels, oils, acrylics, and multi-media. We have a talented county!

Saturday at 6:00 p.m. the Valentine Chamber of Commerce hosts their Watermelon Feed in front of the 4-H Building. Summer just isn't summer without watermelon! Last year it was sweet and juicy! Stop out!

These are just the highlights of what the rest of the week will showcase. When you're not at the Cherry County Fair, head downtown for end of summer clearance items as well as BACK TO SCHOOL savings!

Outback Screen Printing and Embroidery has a new location to serve you. They moved to 208 E. First Street. The crew urges you to stop in and see the spacious new building and load up on all your child's sporting gear, back to school fashions, and one of a kind, customized apparel.

So the cicadas are singing...
The sun is setting sooner...

 Making our skies more colorful...

 More dramatic...

A vacation in the Sandhills will leave a lasting ripple effect and calm your senses...whether you take in the Cherry County Fair, visit with our lovely sponsors, or enjoy our nature...
We welcome you to Cherry County!

Let our sponsors to help with your vacation or adventure!!! Trade Winds Lodge, can help you with accommodations, and you can get excellent food to go at Henderson's IGA. 

Why not plan a leisurly  trip down Niobrara National Scenic River with  Brewers Canoers and Tubers to complete your summer?

Nim-Rods Bait Store has all you could ever need or want for your fishing excursion - poles, live bait, bobbers, jigs, hooks, and plenty of refreshments! Berry Creek Gun and Pawn Shop, has everything you could ever want in the way of firearms, ammo, and reloading supplies - conveniently located right down the street from The Quilting Cupboard, which has western prints, wool, cotton and batik fabric, along with patterns from Fear Not Pattern Co. 

For a one of a kind gift that is uniquely yours, head over to Outback Screenprinting and Embroidery. 

The Valentine Chamber of Commerce has all the tickets you'll ever need for the Cherry County Carnival...make sure you stop by and pick some up today!

Remember...the Sandhills are your four season, family fun, ticket 4 Adventure....come find out why at SandhillsWesternVacations.com!!!