Well, I certainly have a knack for picking out terrible hotels. Last night's shower went from freezing to scalding, the tv didn't work, and the toilet didn't flush.
Today was a wonderful and busy day! My first stop was Scott's Bluff National Monument, where I learned a lot about the Oregon Trail, such as:
-People left things they couldn't carry along the trail. One guy said it was like a library, and he would borrow and return books along the trail.
-Someone said you didn't even need a compass. You could just follow your nose because of all the carcasses along the trail. Lots of dead animals.
-There were problems with pioneers getting bored- Nebraska was awful even back then. And they only went 15 miles a day! Scott's Bluff was their first sign of a changing landscape.
-As we know from the game, cholera and other diseases were a problem. The pioneers were eager to get into the mountains, because there didn't seem to be as many healthy problems there. So they dug shallow graves, which would get dug up by animals. As a result, you would sometimes see body parts spread across the trail.
It really wasn't as cute as it seems in our history books!
I loved this spot because you get to hike on a section of the original trail, and I had it all to myself.
My next stop was Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. I'm not even going to write about it, because honestly, it was pretty lame.
From there I took a gravel road through Oglala National Grassland into South Dakota. It was absolutely gorgeous, and I was mostly alone on the road. Great driving.
I headed to Wind Cave National Park. Caves really aren't my thing. I could appreciate that it was really cool, but now I don't feel like I need to see any more caves on this trip. One of the most interesting things about this cave was the role the CCC played in its history. All of the stairs in the cave and the elevator shaft are still the original ones they put in. And they built the steps by putting the cement in inner tubes that weighed up to 80 pounds and carrying them down into the cave. Each inner tube only made 1/3 of a step! I also like how the ranger described the cave system- like a bowl of spaghetti. It's hard to tell where each passage goes and where it will end.
While driving away from Wind Cave, I encountered a herd of buffalo hanging out next to the road. Two of them seemed to be posing by the sign.
Finally, I stopped at Mount Rushmore. It seemed small... I remember it being bigger when I was a kid. Fun to see and remember being there with my family 20 years ago.
Now, I am camping in Black Hills National Forest. There are a few other people at the campground, but they're all far away, so I feel like I've got the place to myself. Love it. I'm right next to a creek, and I hear water rushing and birds chirping and smell pine trees. I couldn't be happier right now.
Today was a wonderful and busy day! My first stop was Scott's Bluff National Monument, where I learned a lot about the Oregon Trail, such as:
-People left things they couldn't carry along the trail. One guy said it was like a library, and he would borrow and return books along the trail.
-Someone said you didn't even need a compass. You could just follow your nose because of all the carcasses along the trail. Lots of dead animals.
-There were problems with pioneers getting bored- Nebraska was awful even back then. And they only went 15 miles a day! Scott's Bluff was their first sign of a changing landscape.
-As we know from the game, cholera and other diseases were a problem. The pioneers were eager to get into the mountains, because there didn't seem to be as many healthy problems there. So they dug shallow graves, which would get dug up by animals. As a result, you would sometimes see body parts spread across the trail.
It really wasn't as cute as it seems in our history books!
I loved this spot because you get to hike on a section of the original trail, and I had it all to myself.
My next stop was Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. I'm not even going to write about it, because honestly, it was pretty lame.
From there I took a gravel road through Oglala National Grassland into South Dakota. It was absolutely gorgeous, and I was mostly alone on the road. Great driving.
I headed to Wind Cave National Park. Caves really aren't my thing. I could appreciate that it was really cool, but now I don't feel like I need to see any more caves on this trip. One of the most interesting things about this cave was the role the CCC played in its history. All of the stairs in the cave and the elevator shaft are still the original ones they put in. And they built the steps by putting the cement in inner tubes that weighed up to 80 pounds and carrying them down into the cave. Each inner tube only made 1/3 of a step! I also like how the ranger described the cave system- like a bowl of spaghetti. It's hard to tell where each passage goes and where it will end.
While driving away from Wind Cave, I encountered a herd of buffalo hanging out next to the road. Two of them seemed to be posing by the sign.
Finally, I stopped at Mount Rushmore. It seemed small... I remember it being bigger when I was a kid. Fun to see and remember being there with my family 20 years ago.
Now, I am camping in Black Hills National Forest. There are a few other people at the campground, but they're all far away, so I feel like I've got the place to myself. Love it. I'm right next to a creek, and I hear water rushing and birds chirping and smell pine trees. I couldn't be happier right now.
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