Hunting and fishing friendly lodging for fall adventures

It's fall - full blown, colorful, beautiful, and ready for you to explore!!!

 

 

 Valentine had her first frost Friday, October 18, 2013, and it sure did something spectacular to the leaves.

It wasn't long and the sun warmed up the crystals and all you could hear were the trees releasing each leaf...cascading them to the ground below where they raced down the street in a noisy clatter.

Are you a bird watcher? They are beginning their migration and there are many, many, places that you can watch them as they prepare their travels.

 Also beginning their transformation are the caterpillar. This one is a white lined sphinx moth caterpillar; also called a hummingbird moth caterpillar. Once it goes through its metamorphosis, it will sip nectar from morning glories and other long necked flowers, with its long tongue.

With the government shut-down over, there will still be hunting at Valentine National Wildlife Refuge. But for the best time ever, why not book your hunting or fishing expedition with Double R Guest Ranch http://www.sandhilldoublerranch.com/html/deerhunts.html. They have the best facilities way out in the middle of nowhere for an experience of a lifetime.

Trade Winds Lodge also caters to the thoughtful folks who enjoy hunting and fishing with facilities to help get their catch cleaned and on its way home. To make reservations go to http://www.tradewindslodge.com/ They're open year-round with doorways open to the parking lot - NO STAIRS!!! In the morning, there's a breakfast bar that will get you on your way - even when the sun's not up quite yet!

 Even though there's a chill in the air, the Niobrara River is serene this time of year without the company of the summer visitors, yet flamboyant in its colors! Why not take a fall trip in a canoe or kayak? You'll still need some sunscreen, and there's still going to be some nice weather before a full fledged winter comes on~right?

  Here's a sunset taken over the Niobrara River which you could be experiencing, along with the beautiful foliage and nature hikes available when you enjoy a fall vacation in the Sandhills.

 Let the sponsors of SandhillsWesternVacations.com make your family fun, four season vacation  a trip to remember.
Comments and suggestions are welcomed at sandhillsvacations@yahoo.com

Old time fun at Old West Days and Nebraska Poetry Gathering!!!

Time is passing  by so quickly, just in case you didn't remember, it's time for the 22nd annual Old West Days and Nebraska Cowboy Poetry Gathering at Valentine, Nebraska. There's four days of fun, learning, culture, art, crafts, quilts, writing workshops, poetry and music. But one of the best things is meeting up with old friends. They'll all be there waiting to see you too.
The fun begins Thursday, October 10, with a parade at 4:00 p.m. Only non-motorized entries are allowed in the Old West Days Parade...

 Get your fill Thursday evening with a hamburger feed held at Security First Bank...

before the first showing of the melodrama put on by the Valentine Players. This year's jolting melodrama is Pony Expresso or... the Villain came to a Grinding Halt. Puns galore and a wonderful cast will have you hootin' and hollerin' for the good guys and booin' for the bad guy! And believe me...he's BAD!

Friday begins the poetry and music sessions. Make sure you get your tickets early since they can go quickly. After the sessions, held at the Valentine High School, there are vendors who have all their  western arts, crafts and and homemade items. Hint...in the past there's been homemade candy. But you'll have to come out and see who will have their booths set up in the gym.

Saturday will be more poetry and music sessions. Lyn Messersmith will be teaching at 10:00 a.m. about how to Write the West. She is truly one of a kind, and brings the west to life with her practical approach to life, love, ranching and her gift of conveying it simply but with a great amount of heart. In fact, she's written several books but this one is special: My Sister Mariah. It may at the resource table in the gym or at Plains Trading Booksellers on Main Street. There is a blog entry about Lyn's book which can be found under the year 2011, in September for the 20th annual Old West Days. 

Books also make great Christmas gifts and it's not too early to begin thinking about that.

Some of the featured poets and musicians include: RP Smith, Paul Larson, Yampa Valley Boys, and Pat Richardson to name a few.  Pictured below is Brett Burress who plays a mean fiddle!

Sunday morning, worship Old West style with several of the local churches. Then enjoy God's own country on horseback with the annual trail ride which begins at 1:30 p.m. Meet at Bill Ward's residence for a look at Fredrick's Peak on horseback. You must provide your own horse. To see the map and for more information about the trail ride visit this link: http://nebraskacowboypoetrygathering.com/Other_Events.html

The 22nd annual Old West Days celebration will conclude Sunday evening with the final performance of the melodrama at 7:30 p.m.

Please be sure to use the sponsors of SandhillsWesternVacations.com while making your plans to visit. They want to welcome you to Valentine and help you to be a part of the Old West celebration. Want to go down the river? Visit with http://www.brewerscanoers.com/. Not sure where to stay? How about visiting http://www.tradewindslodge.com/ or http://valentinesniobraralodge.com/.
Henderson's IGA will have plenty of quick food to keep you full and ready for your next adventure at: http://www.hendersons.iga.com/. They could even fix you up a picnic for the trail ride, or a fall trip down the Niobrara River.

Businesses downtown will also welcome you. Be sure to stop at Outback Screen Printing for Husker gear. Discover what you'd like by visiting them on-line at http://www.outbackvalentine.com/ and pick it up while you're here. Or call ahead and have them make you something special.

The Quilting Cupboard, https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Quilting-Cupboard/525886570824196?ref=notif&notif_t=fbpage_fan_invite has all you need to make fall that much more cozy...quilting cottons in contemporary, Americana, Civil War, baby soft colors, and Christmas. There's wool for applique projects and patterns to complement the seasons.

They also have wool applique patterns by Fear Not Pattern Company http://fearnotpatternco.com/. Why not pick up a craft pattern and woolens now for a great Christmas gift ... which is right around the corner.

You won't have a better time this fall than a visit to Valentine's Old West Days. It's family fun done right!