Home, Home on the Range…….

where the deer and the antelope play. Well, they aren’t actually antelope, but that’s what they are called in Colorado. They are actually pronghorns. The name is derived from the forward projection or prong on each horn. They are extraordinarily fast. They can maintain 40 miles an hour for several miles and 60 MPH for short bursts. They are the fastest animal in the Western Hemisphere and the second fastest land mammal in the world, after the cheetah. 

It’s a game management success story. In the 1940s, there were only 5,000 and now there are 85,000 statewide. We saw many of they grazing as we drove south from Wyoming. 

So Much History

September 24

Why did I hate history in school and find it so fascinating now???

We spent the day in the Casper,Wyoming area. The National Historic Trails center is there. Between 1840 and 1869, approximately 500,000 emigrants traveled through Casper on three different trails—the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail and the California Trail. They migrated for different reasons: free land, religious freedom, and free gold. 

They all crossed the North Platte river at this location. We got to sit in a covered wagon and experience crossing the river. What fun!

A fourth trail is also commemorated—the Pony Express which operated from April 1860 through October 1861, becoming obsolete when the telegraph was completed. 

Along the Oregon Trail near Casper is Independence Rock, a large granite monolith. If the wagon trains reached the rock by Independence Day they would likely cross before the first snows. It literally was the half way point on their 2000 mile journey to Oregon. Most of that 2000 miles was done on foot!! Surely hardy, brave people. 

We walked around the entire rock. People climb to the top, but we didn’t risk it. 

Many people carved their names as they passed by and are still visible today. Here’s one from 1852. 

When we got to Laramie, we went to the Friday farmers market. There were native Americans performing. The woman performed the hoop dance. She was wearing a red dress to honor the hundreds of Native American women who had gone missing and who are overlooked. 

So the history part of our trip is behind us—on to golf and hiking. The Aspens should be beautiful. 

Last Stand Hill

Overnighted in Billings, Montana, an interesting city—a casino in every strip mall, in restaurants, in liquor stores, literally everywhere. Perhaps that is why there’s no sales tax in Montana. 

Then on to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.  

On June 25, 1976 the Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought, the last effort of the Northern Plains Indians to preserve their ancestral way of life. It was just one encounter in a centuries long conflict that began with the arrival of the first Europeans. 

We climbed to the top of Last Stand Hill where stands the monument to the 7th Cavalry erected in 1881 and George Armstrong Custer’s grave. 

There is also now a lovely memorial that commemorates the sacrifices of the tribes as they fought to preserve their way of life. 

The Custer National Cemetery, established in 1897, is also at the site. It provides a final resting place for generations of veterans. 

Teddy—what a guy

Heading west from Bismarck we stopped at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Teddy first came to North Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison. A year later he returned while mourning the deaths of his first wife and mother who died on the same day. He wanted to lose himself in the vastness. He became a cattle rancher and found adventure. He retuned many times. Roosevelt credited his experiences as the basis for his preservation efforts. As president 1901-1909, he created 18 national monuments, 5 national parks, and 150 national forests—over 230 million acres of protected land.

His park was created in 1947. It is situated in the rugged badlands of western ND. 

His cabin. 

And a wooden statue. 

Next up, Montana and Little Bighorn. 

Bismarck

Originally called Missouri Crossing because it’s where Louis and Clark crossed the river, it was renamed Edwinton by the Northern Pacific railway in honor of their chief engineer. It was finally renamed Bismarck after the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck in hopes of attracting German immigrants to the area. It is the only U.S, capitol named for a foreign statesman. 

Louis and Clark spent the winter of 1804-05 just north of Bismarck among the friendly Mandan Indian tribe. 

The Fort Abraham Lincoln state park in Mandan (on the west side of the river) has recreated the earth lodges that had once stood there in what was called On-a-Slant Village. 

The park also holds the remnants of the 7th Cavalry Post of which George Armstrong Custer was commanding officer from 1873 to 1876. Obviously, his command ended with the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The site of the battle is on our route to Colorado, so more to come on that. 

The Custer house has been reconstructed. Rick stands where Custer might have stood overlooking the parade ground. 

On the Road Again

It is so good to be blogging again. We are on a road trip to Colorado. We will meet up with Erich and Ashlee in Aspen for some hiking and good dining. Heading north from Milwaukee, we spent a day in Northfield, MN, reacquainting ourselves with Carleton College. Yipes, it’s been 13 years since Erich graduated! 

Then on to North Dakota, thru Fargo to Bismarck, it’s capitol. The building itself is uninspiring, Art Deco built in the 1930s to replace the original which burned down. At 21 stories, it is the tallest building in ND. 

We are back on the trail of Lewis and Clark, and there is a nice statue of Sakakawea at the capital as well as a sculpture of a bison made completely out of rebar. 

More to come on Bismarck. Stay tuned.