Sandhills

Bring your clubs and golf at The Prairie Club in Valentine, join a guided hunt led by Nebraska Outdoor Experience in Arthur or fish for rainbow trout at Keller Park State Recreation Area in Ainsworth. When you’re ready to explore indoors, uncover local history at the Seven Valleys Museum in Callaway and seek out the Taylor Villagers. These life-sized paintings represent the Taylor townsfolk of a bygone era, from lone cowboys to mothers in bustled dresses walking with their children.

Rent a rural cabin at Pine Valley Resort and ask about hunting and fishing in this richly forested area of Sargent. Hunters are also welcome at Comstock Premier Lodge nearby; anticipate rustic charm and the chance to hunt pheasant, red sheep, elk and other game. (The lodge welcomes all outside of hunting season.) Or, plan a stay with Calamus Outfitters in Burwell. By day, enjoy eco-tours through the Calamus River Valley; by night, gather for bonfires and stargazing outside of your cabin or lodge— perfect for a family reunion.

For Nebraska beef brisket and slow-smoked pulled pork doused in homemade BBQ sauce, try Bulldoggers BBQ in Valentine. If you’re in Loup City, don’t pass up Loup City Diner’s all-American comfort food. Satisfy sweet and savory cravings at the Sweet Shoppe in St. Paul, serving breakfast, lunch and dessert. Go for nicely executed salads, sammies, burgers and dinner plates at Sandstone Grill in Burwell. In Bassett, let the Bassett Lodge & Range Cafe feed you the way it has fed diners since mid-century cattlemen frequented the spot.

At Double T Bar in Halsey, order up a cold one and listen as locals swap stories. When it comes to wine, Nebraska boasts some of the nation’s most unique blends—born of necessity due to the grapes’ short growing season. See the vines and taste the wines at Niobrara Valley Vineyards in Nenzel and Miletta Vista Winery. This St. Paul winery features a restaurant serving lunch, dinner and award-winning Miletta wines such as the Prairie Rose blush.