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This waterfall on the Niobrara River near Valentine Nebraska was a real lifesaver. This shot was taken way back in 2003 during our last trip to this wonderful area of the country in what is called the sandhills of Nebraska.
For a couple of years when the boys were back in middle school we used to go camping at a star party in north central Nebraska. Star Parties are gathering of amateur astronomers that get together in very rural and dark areas of the country to see the skies in their pristine state. This is one of the rare areas of the country that you can see the Milky Way from horizon to horizon. Near Valentine, the Milky Way is so bright it looks like clouds coming in as it rises. Even the bottoms of clouds are darker than the tops as they have no ground light to reflect back. That is how dark it is near Valentine. Well, one thing about the Nebraska Star Party is that it is held in June or July and the average daytime temperature is near 100 degrees with no shade. We found this waterfall on the Niobrara where we could spend a few hours in the coldest most refreshing water I have ever been in. You can actually walk under these falls. I just got the brochure for this year's party. I wonder if the boys will go back there with me this year?
