Will we feel the love in Valentine, Nebraska Again?

As we left North Platte, Nebraska, millers flew out of the motor home every time we came to a halt at a stop sign. We were bringing Nebraska souvenirs with us! Our destination is Valentine, Nebraska, and just south of town we crossed the bridge over the Niobrara River. We looked downstream to see the old railroad bridge beside us. When we visited here four years ago, we really enjoyed going to that bridge. This is our second time in Valentine, and we are wondered if we will feel the love again.

Four years ago we made a multi-day stop at the Wacky West Campground in Valentine on our way to a summer in Canada. This year we got a late start, so this was only a one-night stop at the same half-price Passport America campground. It sits right on the hiking/biking Cowboy Trail. While this trail runs 321 miles across Nebraska, we're not biking that far. Just a two-mile ride down this flat cinder path brought us to one of the tallest bike trestles in this country.

The bridge is an impressive quarter mile long . . .

and 150 feet over the Niobrara River. This imposing steel structure was built in 1910 and is still being enjoyed over a 100 years later. We enjoyed it four years ago, and it was still a good stop this time.

We made a repeat drive out to the Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, but we didn't get to see the bison like last time. They were grazing on a distant hill, and we only saw them as dark dots on the horizon. We did get a close-up of the beautiful purple wildflowers we have been enjoying from a distance as we zipped down the highways of Nebraska.

We're not sure what they are called, but they are lovely wildflowers up close.

Our drive made a wide circle as we had to find a bridge to cross over the Niobraro River. This is a National Scenic River, and we kayaked here on our last visit to Valentine. Our one-day visit didn't allow for that, so we don't have time for so much love in Valentine.

On our loop back to town that evening, we made a spontaneous left turn when we saw a sign pointing to a scenic overlook. It took us to this nice view of the Niobrara Valley just north of Valentine.

But more importantly, it brought us to Melissa. A traveling nurse from West Virginia, we enjoyed visiting with her for over an hour. She told us about her travels, complete with pictures of the moose she hit with her car, and the moose meat they cooked on the barbecue. She is an adventurous wanderer, and we welcome Melissa to the blog!

Back at the motor home, we are still fighting the miller invasion in the motor home. It's the Nebraska gift that keeps on giving. Mark is getting very practiced at lifting and aiming the vacuum, to suck up these nasty bugs. We spent over two hours in this hunt, and estimate we got over a hundred millers. This isn't an exercise program that we would recommend to others.

We left our campground the next morning. This might be a record for us, as this is the third one-night stop in a row. We usually spend three or four nights each time we stop, but we are having to hurry to make it to our upcoming reservations. We crossed into South Dakota, but Denisa didn't get a picture of the state sign. We probably couldn't have read it anyway, for all the Nebraska bugs splattered on the windshield. 

We couldn't help but think of the day that we left Valentine, Nebraska, four years ago. We were driving on this same very bumpy road, commenting that this might be the worst highway we'd ever taken the motor home down. Four years ago, the buzzers started sounding and the "Stop now!" light came on the dashboard of the motor home. Our water pump went out at this very spot on this very highway, leaving us stranded until a tow truck drug the motor home 90 miles to the nearest diesel repair shop. Mark still had the exact spot on his phone from sending the tow company directions in 2019. Sometimes our trips down memory lane aren't based on great memories. We are glad to say that the road has been repaved and is smoother this trip, and our water pump made it safely over this stretch of road this time.

As we made the turn onto Highway 44, the road got more narrow and more rough. "Rough Road next 24 miles" is not a good sign when driving a big motor home. In our two times through this state, we're not impressed with South Dakota roads.

After those 24 miles, the road did get better. We have been enjoying the green pastures around us, but we see that the landscape is changing ahead. Instead of green, we see a wall of white sandstone. But that's an adventure for the next blog.