/ FAMILY / GO PLAY OUTSIDE Make the most of Nebraska’s natural playgrounds on these family-friendly adventures. There’s almost no better way to get out there than on your own two feet, so hike the trail to Smith Falls State Park in Valentine. The path is easy enough for young hikers to follow and the sight and sound of the cascading falls, Nebraska’s tallest at 70 feet, make an impression at any age. HASTINGS MUSEUM, HASTINGS Discover Two Quirky Museums Hastings Museum, Hastings You can catch a show in the planetarium or 3D digital theater here, but don’t miss exhibits on Hastings’ natural and cultural history—you’re in the birthplace of Kool-Aid! In the museum’s “Discover the Dream” exhibit, learn how local Edwin Perkins’ home experiments inspired the creation of one of America’s sweetest drinks. SMITH FALLS, VALENTINE BISON, NIOBRARA STATE PARK “ WE ENDED UP SPENDING A FEW HOURS AT SMITH FALLS STATE PARK IN VALENTINE. SO BEAUTIFUL, AND MY KIDS HAD SO MUCH FUN EXPLORING THE WATERFALL AND THE SURROUNDING PARK. —Misty P., via TripAdvisor In summer, head to Niobrara State Park (located in Niobrara) for family adventures. Wranglers lead horseback rides through the trails of the park, where the Niobrara and Missouri rivers meet. In the evenings, the park hosts bison cookouts with cowboy poets, storytellers, sizzling buffalo burgers and frosty ice cream. You’ve explored on foot and horseback—now pack the family into a Jeep. In summer, Fort Robinson State Park in Crawford will take you. It’s a thrill plunging through the park’s Pine Ridge scenery and surrounding buttes in the back of one of these vehicles engineered for off-roading. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ROLLER SKATING, LINCOLN Actual, Factual Nebraska National Museum of Roller Skating, Lincoln While powwows are an important tradition for Nebraska’s Native American tribes, they can also help educate visitors about Native American culture. Different tribes host these social and competitive gatherings at different times of year, and families are always welcome. Northeast Nebraska’s Winnebago Powwow is a favorite—the state’s largest powwow dates to 1866 and attracts tribes and spectators each July. WINNEBAGO POWWOW, WINNEBAGO Ever wonder what roller skates looked like 200 years ago? Find out at this museum, boasting the world’s largest collection of roller skates and related memorabilia. From antiques to pairs designed for artistic, inline and speed skating, plus roller derby and roller hockey, you’ll see it all—including spectacular costumes and trophies dating as far back as 1819. 28 VisitNebraska.com
Nebraska Official State Travel Guide The Official 2019 Not-At-All What You Thought State Travel Guide: Page 32
