I went from Wyoming to Nebraska

Hello Fellow Wayward Travelers!!!

Well, today, I got right up and got moving!! I do that when the sun is shining in my eyes and the trailer is warming up and I can’t sleep because I caught a slight cold!! Anyway, I went right down to the old Fort Laramie. Since the Fort hasn’t been used for about 100 years, many buildings are (and have) falling down. But a number of buildings have been rebuilt to the original plans. Because it was a very large fort, I decided to get the audio tour of the grounds. It told the history of the fort and of the buildings and of the people who worked here. Fort Laramie was instrumental in protecting the pioneers, keeping the peace, getting treaties with the Indians, and breaking a lot of those treaties. All in all, it and its people played a major role in settling this part of the country. Anyway, no more history lessons – I’m usually not that correct, anyway!!!???

Here are some photos of the fort ---

 The Calvary Barracks:

 
The local Grocery Store:
 

 
The Commanding Officer's House:
 

 
The officers houses:
 

 

 
The Parade Grounds opposite officers row:
 

From here I drove to a site called Scotts Bluff. This is an area the wagons from the Oregon Trail went by as it traveled west. The bluff is about 500 feet tall and can be seen from a distance, so it became one of those places the pioneers looked forward to seeing. It also meant that the pioneers had traveled about 1/3^rd of the total distance at this point.

Here is how the Pioneers saw it:

 

 

 

How I saw it from the top (The Ranger drove a group of us up there because we couldn't take our RVs) ---

 

From here, I traveled about 20 miles to another significant site. This one is called Chimney Rock. Many of the pioneers mention this formation in their diaries and writings. It was visible to the pioneers for many days because it stood in the air like a smoke stack to a height of about 400 feet. Here is a photo of what the pioneers saw ---

 

Well, I am getting tired, so, with that, I will go for now, but I will see you all again tomorrow. Again, to quote that great comedian, Red Skelton, "Good Night and May God Bless!"

Happy Trails ---- Jon