Calling Cupid: Celebrate Valentine’s Day Year-Round in Valentine, Nebraska
Thousands of letters each year pass through Santa Claus, Indiana, to get a festive, official postmark for Christmas. If you’d like to add an extra kiss to your Valentine’s Day love notes this February, route them through Valentine, Nebraska, a small town in the state’s Sandhills region near the South Dakota border.
A formal “Send a Valentine to Your Valentine from Valentine” program began in 1941 when postmaster Margarete Clare Phelps began stamping holiday cards with a heart-shaped design featuring the town name and date. This “cachet” has changed through the years; new designs created by high school students were introduced in 2009.
The process is simple. Address and stamp your single or multiple Valentine cards so they’re prepped for mailing. Then put them inside a larger envelope, addressed to Cupid’s Mailbox, P.O. Box 201, Valentine, NE 69201. They’ll be stamped with the decorative cachet and mailed from Valentine’s post office.
You’ll need to hurry. Cards must be received in Valentine by February 5 to guarantee delivery to your special someone by February 14.
Sealed with a Kiss Under the Stars
Cute Valentine-themed street murals make Valentine a delightful detour destination. There’s an appeal around the holiday and throughout the year.
Despite having fewer than 3,000 residents, Valentine is home to one of the world’s designated Dark Sky Parks. Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area spans 729 acres and is a popular fishing, boating and camping destination. Why gift a candy bar when you can deliver an awesome Milky Way night sky?
February temps can be brutal, so you might want to put this park on your must-visit list for summer instead. The park hosts the annual Nebraska Star Party in July, an event that draws up to 200 fans each year. Register to receive event information, including the schedule of activities featuring a Beginner’s Field School to get you started with stargazing.
Show Your Devotion
Don’t feel like you have to accept your partner’s ice fishing invitation, but, if you do decide to go:
- wear more clothes than you think you need
- bring at least one thermos full of your hot beverage of choice
- make sure there’s a hot tub waiting for you
I’m NOT an outdoorswoman, but my one (and only) ice fishing adventure resulted in lots of laughs, no fish and an epic adventure ticked off the bucket list.
Valentine has two locations where you can give this “only for the brave” sport a try: Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area and Valentine National Wildlife Refuge. Check the Visit Nebraska site for information about ice fishing in the state’s 400 public waters.