Our WAY Big Adventure

I was thinking there would be nothing to post today…but when I talked to Hilary today she said “Mom, post more pictures! I love seeing where you are.” I’ve also heard from a number of sources (e-mail, Facebook and our comment page) that there are some jealous Cabela’s fans out there… So Hilary, and sportsmen, these are for you!

You can click on any photo in this gallery to enlarge it.

Yesterday we traveled a few hundred miles south from the northwestern corner of Nebraska and hunkered down to wait out the winter storm. Shortly after we arrived we learned that interstate 80 heading into Wyoming was going to be closed. Our RV park started filling up, the truck parking filled up, the truck stop filled up, Wal-Mart parking lot filled up…there are semi’s everywhere. We will be here until at least Friday. Thankfully, we are not on a strict time schedule and waiting for us means finding something constructive to do with our time…

We found refuge at Cabela’s world headquarters. Because we are not experienced outdoorsmen or campers (we just pretend to be them on this trip) we didn’t know what we were in for… What an amazing place! There is not only a huge Cabela’s store, but an RV park, corrals for your horses, conference rooms, a deli, a fudge store… The store itself has hundreds of animals inside. It is quite a sight! And with hot showers 10 steps away, laundry, cable and internet for $17.00 a night, it is the right price too! We sent the kids on a scavenger hunt in the massive store the first night and the employees were even helpful; they steered Tyler right to the rattlesnake boots he was searching for. Today they asked if we could do another one…hmm…sounds like science class to me! Their job was to classify all the animals they could in the given time frame (mammals, reptiles, fish, amphibians, and birds). They loved it!

If the video is “choppy,” let it play completely through one time (it is downloading the first time) and replay it.

Oregon! The very word gave them visions of paradise. Between 1840 and 1869, over 500,000 pioneers followed the Oregon trail. This 2000 mile trail went from Missouri to Oregon. Not everybody survived because of sickness, accidentally getting shot, or run over by their wagons. Their shoes got worn out easily from walking so much so they traded some of their things with the indians for new shoes.

This is a picture of Chimney Rock. When Pioneers saw this, they were happy that their journey was 1/3 over but sad that this was a sign of the mountains ahead.

 

(Here is where Tyler ran out of writing steam but had more to say…)

We visited Chimney Rock.  It is in the shape of a chimney and very tall (over 300 feet). We were amazed!  We watched a video and saw real pictures and worked together to load up a wagon. We put in dried apples, lots and lots of flour, salt pork, lots of water, a piece of silver (for money), pots for cooking, silverware, one of those things a blacksmith uses – not a hammer (an anvil), coffee, molasses, a dresser, a cradle and some bed things.  There was no room for us in the wagon.

 PS (from mom) Chimney Rock was an important landmark during other journeys too, like the California Trail and the Mormon Trail.

This is a super quick post. After we set up camp on what I consider a mountain in the northwestern corner of Nebraska, (Scott said, “No honey, these aren’t mountains yet!) I sat down to update our post… and discovered we had no internet. I have plenty of photos from our recent excursions, but those will have to be posted later. I think you might find these just as interesting.

As soon as Amber and Tyler woke up and looked outside they could hardly contain themselves. It was like Christmas!  Dad couldn’t get the “snow-clothes bin” out fast enough. They had a ball working on an igloo, and having a snowball fight while mom and dad packed up, sholved out, closed up, hooked up…needless to say we were on a “school delay” this morning because of snow!

 

 

And, just like at home, they were ready for hot cocoa when they came in. Thanks so much aunt Jill for sending your homemade cocoa! How did you know?

We spent our last afternoon in North Platte visiting the last few “must see” places. After school in the morning we set out to see William Frederick Cody’s (aka Buffalo Bill’s) estate. In his day he was the living symbol of the American west.  He became a Pony Express rider at 14 years old and once rode 322 miles in 21 hours exhausting 20 horses.He was later hired by the railroad to kill buffalo which provided meat for the workers. He killed 4,280 buffalo in 8 months. His wages were a whopping $500.00 per month! He settled in North Platte and started his “Wild West Rodeo Show” eventually joining the Barnum and Bailey Circus. The cost to build this house was $3,900.00 in 1886.

Click on any photo in this post to enlarge it.