Day 21-July 26, 2017-Valentine, NE
What a difference a storm makes, it was 105 yesterday, 72 this morning and got up to 84 this afternoon.
Jason came back to fix our brake problem. It wasn’t a big deal and he didn’t charge us, can you believe that! I looked at maps and campground books again. There were no spots available where we decided to go last night so we changed our minds again and are going in a completely different direction. That’s what’s so great about doing this the way we do it, we can change our minds any time we want. So I spent the morning looking at maps and books again, but I think we’re now set for the next few days as to where we’re going. Just have to make some reservations. Drove about 6 miles to Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge. At the visitor center we were greeted by a flurry of yellow at the bird feeders. Goldfinches upon goldfinches which we learned later wanted to be guides on the trail. They flew right next to the truck and flitted in front of it every now and then. Very pretty to watch. Saw sand dunes covered in prairie grass. The winds here are slowly eroding the dunes and there’s a big drive on to save them. The wind here is constant and strong. It feels great in the summer but I imagine it’s nasty in the winter. Drove through prairie dog towns and grasslands where sandpipers and other birds seemed to come from nowhere. They manage a herd of about 350 buffalo but we only saw a small herd in the distance and one lone buffalo on the side of the road. Didn’t see any elk, but drove up behind a herd of the nosiest horses I’ve ever seen, they tried to poke their entire huge heads in the window of the truck. There are also bright green ponds, corrals, falls and of course the river. They have a nice little area for a picnic so we ate lunch there, then drove to the Rosebud Tribe Casino outside of town. We’re not going to any more casinos. Back through town, such a cute little town. Lots of western wear stores and a bank with the most beautiful brick relief mural down by a local craftsman. The town is Valentine so they have red hearts painted on the sidewalks. We filled up the gas tank, stopped at the grocery store right in front of the campground and stocked up the larder. Tried to make campground reservations for the next few days but lots of places are filled for the week-end. Finally found a place I think we’ll like.