Now in Douglas, Wyoming --- At the Half Way Point???

Hello Fellow Wayward Travelers!!!

Today, I Left Lander, Wyoming with a list of Oregon Trail sites that I hoped to see as I drove the highways to Douglas, Wyoming. Since the highways don’t follow the Oregon Trail, but they cross each other and even occupy the same area at times, not all sites are in an area that I can pull a travel trailer. So, I had to be satisfied with what I got to see. And, that ended up being a lot of interesting places and some beautiful country!!! (I’ll save the scenic photos for last!!)

 As I am driving along, I came to a sign pointing out “The Split Rock”! This is an item on my list of things to see, so I stopped. It turns out that this is a rock formation that the pioneers looked for as a way of knowing they were on the correct trail and about six days from South Pass (The gateway to Oregon, California, and Salt Lake). As you can see from its photo, the rock is split and it can be seen for miles, so it was an important landmark.

 

 While I was here, I stopped to smell the roses, or rather look at the pretty flowers (as you can see, purple ones, my favorite color) ---

 

As a reminder that this was a high desert country, I also saw a few cactus plants ---

 

My next stop was a place called Devils Gate!!! The name comes from an Indian legend about how it was formed not the type of place it was. The pioneers saw it as a milestone in their travels where they could stop and rest and get good water and feed for their animals. Here’s a few photos of it!!!

 

The next place I stopped was a place called Independence Rock. Many things are said about it: 1. You are travelling at the correct pace if you get to Independence rock before July 4^th; 2. You are half way to Oregon when you get to Independence Rock; 3. The first pioneers to name the rock, arrived at the place on July 4^th and so named this immense rock, Independence Rock. And the rock is immense – it is about a mile around it. The pioneers also used it as another place to carve their names in the rock. Here are a few photos of it ---

 

While I was at Independence Rock, I noticed some movement and took this photo of a Pronghorn. I have always believed they were Pronghorn Antelope, but they are not in the antelope family and are in fact a family by themselves. Their horns are more like a goat except they shed and grow new ones each year. A deer does too, but a deer’s horns are bone where a pronghorn has fibrous horns. Anyway here’s the photo ---

 

I was starting to run out of time and needed to be in Casper, Wyoming before 3:00 PM. I wanted to visit the Oregon Trail National Historic Trails Interpretive Center for Wyoming. I am trying to see each of these centers in each state the Oregon Trail travels through. So far, I’m 3 for 3! The centers are all different and this one was no exception. It had one room full of life size exhibits of scenes of the Oregon Trail which would light up as movie and narrative would go through travelling the Oregon Trail. Here is a photo of that room.

 

Now thousands of pioneers – mainly those Mormons going to Salt Lake – didn’t use a wagon, but put all their supplies on handcarts which they pushed or pulled all the way. Here’s a photo of one of those carts (now that was a tough trip if you asked me!!!) ---

 

 With that I drove the rest of the way into Douglas, Wyoming. Now here are some photos of the country side that I promised you ---

 

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