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Valentine is a quiet setting the end of August. Some restaurants were closed on Sunday, leaving few eating options other than chain/fast food. It has beautiful scenic areas for those who enjoy the outdoors ~ Merritt Reservoir, Fort Niobrara Wildlife Refuge, the Niobrara River. We drove to Merritt at night for perfect stargazing; enjoyed the picturesque view in the Refuge; tubing down the Niobrara River was peaceful and relaxing, even for a couple of 70 year olds!

We like to golf but they had a fundraiser so we couldn't. Fredricks Peak so that means we will be back for a quick weekend again. We always take a drive out to the lake and campsites nice and relaxing.

The Historic Bridge and the nearby hills with pine trees would have made for excellent hiking and exploring if I would have planned on staying longer; I should have left early in the morning and gotten my exercise exploring before getting my money's worth from the hotel sleep and explored a second location on the way home. I was trying to make the most out of a boring spring (still wintry) break from school and just needed to "get out of town" and I'm glad I did.

Valentine is surrounded by the sand hills, the bad lands, the grass lands, and is home to the beautiful Niobrara River. Call ahead to book a ride down the river on tubes, canoes, or kayaks, because outfitters can be booked one or two days out. Be sure to visit the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge and see the Fort Falls and bison and prairie dog towns. The National Park Service visitor center in town has a twenty minute video on the valley that is well worth watching. If you have time to drive up to Mammoth Site in Hot Springs (South Dakota) or Agate Fossil Beds in Harrison (Nebraska), you can see active fossil digs and sites of legendary discoveries.

Was pleasantly surprised at the rest of Valentine, especially the natural resources there for visiting. Have recommended that other long-distance traveling friends of mine put Valentine as their stopover, respite from driving, and exploring natural resources.

We visited Smiths Falls State Park and enjoyed the breathtaking waterfall (wish it had been about 10 degrees warmer outside, though!) and Fort Falls at Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge. We also traveled west of Valentine to Nenzel to visit Niobrara Valley Vineyards, which is owned by a lovely couple who gave us some great information about the surrounding area.