The Battle of Little Bighorn

This morning we paid a visit to the National Park Service unit which protects the battlefield where General Custer met his match in the Lakota chief, Sitting Bull.

Grave markers of calvary killed at Last Stand Hill

Custer was sent to force the Indians to go to the Reservation, but Sitting Bull and his followers didn’t want to give up their traditional nomadic lifestye.  Unbeknownst to Custer, he was far outnumbered by the Lakota and Cheyenne warriors.  At the end of the battle, Custer and the five companies under his command lost their lives.  Also on the battlefield were troops under the command of Major Reno and Captain Benteen, but these re-enforcements were unable to get to Custer.  Nearly half of the 600 men of the 7th Cavalry were lost.

The Indian Memorial as seen from Last Stand Hill

The battle was a victory for Sitting Bull and his warriors.  Of his 2,000 warriors, only about 100 were killed.  But the victory was short lived.  Following the battle, the Indians scattered and most ended up doing what General Custer was unable to accomplish--they returned to the reservation.

Grave markers of the Indians killed at Last Stand Hill

After the battle, the fallen warriors were removed from the battlefield and the soldiers were hastily buried where they had fallen.  A few years later, these bodies were reburied   on Last Stand Hill and a memorial erected.  The officers who lost their lives were buried in various cemeteries around the country.  There is a marker near the summit of Last Stand Hill which bears General Custer’s name.  His body has since been buried in the cemetery at West Point.

Memorial to the 7th Calvary

The battlefield covers a fairly large area.  A paved road extends from the Visitor Center along the length of the battlefield to the hillside held by Reno and Benteen.  Around the Indian Memorial, the Memorial to the 7th Cavalry, and Reno-Benteen battlefield are several paved paths which a visitor can walk out for a better view.  We didn’t do that today because it was really too cold and windy to be out of the car.

After our tour of the battlefield we spent the afternoon relaxing at home.  Our plan for tomorrow is to do the same.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

National Historic Trails Interpretive Center

Have I mentioned that we have left spring behind--somewhere in Texas, I think.  Once again, we awoke to snow on the car.  That makes three out of four mornings this week.  As we head farther north and to higher elevations, more and more the weather dictates our movements.

The weather forecast for the Mammoth Campground at 7000 feet in Yellowstone is pretty cold.  Over the next seven days the night time temperatures do not get above 20 with the lowest being 11 degrees.  That’s too cold.  It is especially too cold for a campground without hookups like Mammoth.

The ability to be flexible is a positive trait, especially in this lifestyle.  We have several options and over lunch we discussed which would be the best for us.  I think we have finally decided to leave here tomorrow and drive to Hardin, Montana where we’ll holed up for three or four days.

Hardin is very close to Little Bighorn and right on the route we would take to Yellowstone, but it’s real selling point is its elevation.  At 3000 feet, it’s lower than anything around and thus warmer.  We’re not talking a heat wave here; night time temperatures will only be in the 30s, but above freezing.  That’s a whole lot better than the 20s.

This morning we went to the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center.  There we got a fantastic overview of the four historic trails that passed through this area.  The one that is most familiar to us, of course, is the Oregon Trail, but the Mormon Trail, the California Trail, and the Pony Express all passed through present day Casper to cross the Platte River on their way west.  Those on the Oregon Trail were seeking lands in Oregon to make a new start with their lives.  The Mormons were seeking more religious freedom and ended their journey in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Hundreds were seeking riches in the California gold rush.  The Pony Express provided these pioneers with mail service between east and west.

The Interpretive Center did an outstanding job of presenting the information associated with each group.  A short film at the beginning of our visit set the stage for the interactive displays we saw as we made our way around the center.

The Interpretive Center is under the direction of Bureau of Land Management.  There is a small fee ($6.), but it is covered with the National Park Pass (America the Beautiful) so our visit was free.

Now to catch up with a couple of things.  Our drive yesterday from Fort Laramie was uneventful--just the way we like it.  We were again on I-25 with very little traffic and much the same scenery as on previous days.

We had the opportunity to fill up the gas tank when we got to Casper.  Prices are a little cheaper than they were in Colorado for gasoline.  We paid 3.45 and that was for the mid-grade.  Diesel, however, was higher at 4.13.

My heat hog.  He loves full hook-ups.

I knew our gas milage would be hurt by the wind and uphill climb yesterday.  We only got 6.68 miles per gallon on the last tank of gas.  Of course, that value is skewed because we ran the generator for approximately 1.5 hours on that tank of gas, as well.  

Okay, I think that about does it for today.  Tomorrow, we heading to Hardin.  Thanks for tagging along.

Fort Laramie National Historic Site

After a surprisingly peaceful night at the city park in Fort Laramie (I only heard the train seven times), we got an early start and arrived in Casper just about lunch time.  It was up hill and into the wind for most of the drive so our gas milage suffered, I’m sure.

I want to back up a day and tell the story of our visit to Fort Laramie National Historic Site.  A whole lot of history took place at this location.

This “fort” got its start as a trading post.  In the early 1830 it opened as Fort William and mountainmen spread the word to the local Indian tribes--the Sioux and Cheyenne--that they were willing to buy buffalo hides.  After a couple of years in which business wasn’t all that great, the “fort” was sold to the American Fur Company.  Business was really good for a few years until a competing trading post was built down the street (or maybe it was a path).  In order to out do the new guys in town, the American Fur Company torn down the wooden structures and put up adobe type structures and changed the name to Fort John, but every body just called it Fort Laramie.

Administration building

Because it was near the trappers’ trail, there were always visitors stopping in, but in the 1840s Fort Laramie became a major stopping point for the Oregon Trail wagon trains.  This was great for business and the fort began selling supplies to the travelers.

Since the Fort was in the middle of Indian country, as more and more travelers poured into the area, their safety became an issue for the government.  In 1849, the Army stepped in, bought the Fort and converted it to a military post.

Captain's Quarters

The Army, of course, added on with barracks and officers’ quarters.  As a military outpost, Fort Laramie was instrumental in treaty councils with the Indians.  As the Oregon Trail became the major overland route during the westward expansion, the Fort also played a major role in protecting those emigrants.

Calvary Barracks

Fort Laramie was also a major stop on the Pony Express for a couple years in the early 1860s.

By the late 1860s, travel along the Oregon Trail had slowed and by the late 1880s even Indian hostilities had quieted down.  There wasn’t much need for a military post any longer.  The Army packed up and moved out in 1890.

Today, several of the old structures have been restored to the time when Fort Laramie was a military outpost and there are still a few walls still standing of the old adobe buildings.

We stopped in the Visitor Center, which is located in the old commissary storehouse, watched the movie and looked at the small display.  Then we walked around the grounds looking at all the old buildings.  Gene was very happy that all the restored buildings had also been furnished with period items.  It is so much more realistic and informative than just seeing an empty room.

We had to hurry along at the end because of the dark, threatening skies and loud claps of thunder rumbling overhead.  Didn’t want to get caught out in that storm.

I have added the photos of our quick shopping trip at Sierra Trading Post to Sunday’s post.  This store in Cheyenne is the flagship store for Sierra Trading Post.  Gene and I both agree that we like flagship REI in Seattle and the flagship LL Bean in Maine much better than this Sierra Trading Post store.  We were a little disappointed.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.  We woke up to a light snow on the ground with temperatures just below freezing.  I was not fast enough to get a picture of the snow plow at the rest area.  We could see evidence of their work, however.  All the bridges and overpasses had been sanded.

We hung around the Welcome Center until temperatures were in the mid 30s.  We were not the only ones there overnight.  We had two other neighbors in RVs and apparently someone pulling a utility trailer slept in their car.  Hope they weren’t too cold.  We were warm and comfy under our down comforter.  The furnace was set of 55 and it ran off and on all night.

The Wyoming Welcome Center at I-25 mile marker 7 allows overnight parking according to Day’s End.  The lot is posted with a 4 hour limit, but, if you ask, they always say “yes”.  However, we got there after the attendant had already left for the day.  We were a little unsure of what to do since it was clearly posted with a time limit.  We got out Day’s End Directory and reread their comments and decided to stay.  Just about dark, an employee drove around the lot, even spoke with one of the RVers.  When he left without telling us we had to leave, we felt assured it would be fine to stay.  Thank you, Wyoming.

This morning we moved over to Sierra Trading Post.  They also allow overnight parking and as long as you don’t block the trucks, you’re fine.  The sign out front and on the door says they’re open on Sunday from 10 til 4, but apparently not today.  Not sure whether it’s because it’s Easter or if it’s because it’s still winter here.  They’ll be open in the morning.  Surely, we can wait to do our shopping until then.

This is a very large complex with the huge retail store and the mail order distribution center separated by a large truck and RV parking lot.

With a lousy weather forecast for tomorrow, we decided to alter our plan a little.  The state capitol is only open during the week and we had originally planned to park at a campground and hang around until Monday to do our sightseeing.  Weather for Monday doesn’t look good, so we decided to walk around downtown this afternoon and head out in the morning.

I must say, it was a very pleasurable experience downtown without people or traffic.  We had all kinds of parking along the street; even would have been room for our motor home.  We could drive very slowly and look at everything without someone being right on our bumper. The down side, of course, was that everything was closed.

After walking around the capitol complex, we drove up and down several blocks in the historic district.  We parked again down by the old trail depot and walked around a couple blocks down there.  The depot is now the Visitor Center and also houses a couple of restaurants.

We filled up the motor home this morning at Flying J.  Had to pay 3.62 for gas.  Their diesel prices were 4.03 (cash) and 4.09 (credit).  It’s high, but we waited until today because it is cheaper in Wyoming than in Colorado.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

Old Colorado City

Yesterday afternoon we took a little drive over to the west side of the interstate to check out a section of Colorado Springs called “Old Colorado City”.

Way back yonder, gold was discovered in this section of the country.  Prospectors hoping to get rich flocked to what eventually became Colorado.  What is today called Old Colorado City, at the base of Pikes Peak, became the first territorial capitol.  That claim to fame didn’t last long because the legislators were unhappy with their accommodations in Colorado City and after only four days moved to Denver.  So much for being the “territorial capitol”.

Today, “Old Colorado City” consists of an area about 2 blocks wide and 4 blocks long where you can get your tattoo, see into your future, and be cured of what ails you with various potions, herbal compresses, and other alternative medicines.  There are also the obligatory souvenir shops, a few eateries, and an antique shop.  Old Colorado City’s redeeming quality were the art galleries.  There were several up scale galleries featuring the work of local artists.  Very nice.

We wandered up one side of Colorado Street and down the other stopping in at several shops to browse and windowing shopping at all the others.  For a little break (and to get in out of the cold) we stepped into the French bakery for a pastry.  Yummy.

A few years later Colorado Springs sprang up a couple miles east of Old Colorado City.   The city was founded shortly after the Civil War by General Palmer.  Colorado Springs is the second largest city in the state with a population of almost a half million.

 A statue of the good General atop his horse occupies the middle of the intersection of Platte and Nevada.  This statue had become one of our primary navigation tools as we make our way around the city.

With bright blue skies and warmer temperatures this afternoon, we decided to make another visit to Garden of the Gods.  It was so much better today with fewer visitors and less traffic.  We pulled into the main parking lot and had our choice of several spaces.  We enjoyed wandering about among those towering rock formations.  I’m going to save the photos I made this afternoon for tomorrow’s post.

Tomorrow morning is my appointment with the Cardiologist.  I still have not heard from my Nashville doctor.  My shortness of breath has disappeared and I feel fine.  Just for a little test to satisfy my curiosity, I did a lap around Wal-mart this morning when we went in to pick up some milk and bread.  I zipped around as fast as I could without breaking out into a jog.  When I got back around to the blood pressure machine my blood pressure was normal.

What I expect to happen tomorrow will be that the cardiologist will ask me how I feel and I’ll say I feel fine.  Then he’ll ask if I’m still feeling short of breath and I’ll say no.  Then he’ll send me on my merry way.  End of story.  At least, that is what I’m hoping will happen.

That’s it for today. Thanks for tagging along.

Colorado's Capitol at Denver

We thought we’d do something different today.  Another state capitol was within day trip distance, so we headed north to Denver.  Besides a great opportunity to get out of the house, we also saw it as an opportunity to save a couple days later on.  We had planned to stop in Denver, but with this delay in Colorado Springs, we may not have the time later on.  So, in order to bypass Denver and still take in the capitol, we went today.

What a marvelous building.  It’s design is, like so many other state capitols, similar to our nation’s capitol.  The inside is very ornate, though perhaps not as much so as Oklahoma City.  There is a lot of brass, stained glass, and Colorado rose onyx marble.  The dome is covered with gold leaf on the outside, so there’s no stained glass.  However, the builders made up for it by putting stained glass in nearly every window on the second and third floors.

We signed up for the tour, of course, but were a little disappointed.  Tours start every hour on the hour and we were there for the 11 o’clock tour.  As is the case in most capitols, the tours are led by volunteers.  Some guides are better than others.  Initially, we were excited about our guide.  He was an elderly gentleman with eleven years experience as a capitol guide.  We were all set for a very knowledgeable presentation.

First off, we got a late start.  The guide had run late returning from his previous tour and needed a break.  Then, it turned out that we were to be accompanied by a group of Nepalese, one of whom was somewhat of a dignitary.  The guide felt compelled to wait for this group of men who were late for this tour.  They finally arrived and we got started.

As it turned out, the guide was very knowledgeable, but he was also very slow--of walk and of speech.  The Nepalese got distracted and eventually left the group, but the guide didn’t realize they were completely gone.  He thought they had been delayed or taken a wrong turn between the second and third floors.  We waited forever for them to show up, which, of course, they never did.

Our late start and delays resulted in being off “tract” in relationship to the other tours being conducted at the same time.  There were no less than 9 elementary school groups touring the capitol today.  With all those school children and the legislature being in session, the capitol was one busy place today.

In addition to the regular capitol tour, there is also a dome tour.  One of my readers highly recommended this tour and it was my intention to do it.  However, I thought it best, in my delicate condition, to pass on that one today.  As it turned out, the dome was closed.  They didn’t offer an explanation, but we had seen scaffolding on the outside and perhaps there is come construction, repairs, or cleaning going on.

We have now visited 23 of the state capitols.  If we ever do get to leave here, we’ll bypass Denver.  We’ll be back, I’m sure.  It’s on the way to a whole lot of great hiking.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

Garden of the Gods

As per doctor’s orders, we tried to take it easy today.  I’m not sure we achieved what the doctor had in mind, but we certainly didn’t over exert ourselves.

Our big outing for the day was a visit to Garden of the Gods, a 1350 acre city park in Colorado Springs.  Our first stop was the Visitor and Nature Center where I found a new coffee mug.

From there we headed across the street and into the park.  The road makes a loop around the huge red sandstone rock formations.  To get up close and personal with the rock, there are numerous multi-use trails for hikers, bicyclists, and horses.  From the main parking lot there is a paved trail which meanders amongst the largest rock formations.

We knew I wouldn’t be able to do any hiking today, but a short walk along the paved trail seemed harmless enough.  We didn’t go very far and we spent more time making pictures than we spent walking.

Our only regret was that we went on the weekend.  This was a beautiful spring day in Colorado and, like this type day anywhere else, folks wanted to be outside.  Over the course of the afternoon, we drove around the loop road four times and never found a parking spot at the main parking lot.  We pulled off the road at a couple of pull-outs and we were able to find parking spaces at Balanced Rock and at the South Parking Lot, but traffic was unbelievable.  We even saw a couple tour buses.

We really wanted to get to the paved trail so we could walk around in the big rocks.  We finally found a spot large enough for our little car at a pull-out near one of the dirt trails.  That dirt trail led to the paved trail within a short distance.  Once on the paved trail, we were able to get a much better perspective of just how huge these rock formations are.

On the southwestern side of the park is Garden of the Gods Trading Post.  This original trading post built in the Pueblo style was established in 1900.  During the 1950s Native American artisans worked at the Trading Post creating and selling their pottery, jewelry, and baskets. Over the years, the building has been expanded several times and it now claims to be Colorado’s largest gift shop.

Without question, it’s a very large gift shop including a small snack bar with outdoor seating.  For the most part, the gift shop is a typical souvenir shop with t-shirts, polished rocks, and shot glasses, but if you wade through all that stuff and make your way to the back of the store, there is a large area of high quality handcrafted items.

If we have the opportunity, we’ll go back to Garden of the Gods during the week.   It is definitely worth a visit if you’re in the neighborhood.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

Garden of the Gods

As per doctor’s orders, we tried to take it easy today.  I’m not sure we achieved what the doctor had in mind, but we certainly didn’t over exert ourselves.

Our big outing for the day was a visit to Garden of the Gods, a 1350 acre city park in Colorado Springs.  Our first stop was the Visitor and Nature Center where I found a new coffee mug.

From there we headed across the street and into the park.  The road makes a loop around the huge red sandstone rock formations.  To get up close and personal with the rock, there are numerous multi-use trails for hikers, bicyclists, and horses.  From the main parking lot there is a paved trail which meanders amongst the largest rock formations.

We knew I wouldn’t be able to do any hiking today, but a short walk along the paved trail seemed harmless enough.  We didn’t go very far and we spent more time making pictures than we spent walking.

Our only regret was that we went on the weekend.  This was a beautiful spring day in Colorado and, like this type day anywhere else, folks wanted to be outside.  Over the course of the afternoon, we drove around the loop road four times and never found a parking spot at the main parking lot.  We pulled off the road at a couple of pull-outs and we were able to find parking spaces at Balanced Rock and at the South Parking Lot, but traffic was unbelievable.  We even saw a couple tour buses.

We really wanted to get to the paved trail so we could walk around in the big rocks.  We finally found a spot large enough for our little car at a pull-out near one of the dirt trails.  That dirt trail led to the paved trail within a short distance.  Once on the paved trail, we were able to get a much better perspective of just how huge these rock formations are.

On the southwestern side of the park is Garden of the Gods Trading Post.  This original trading post built in the Pueblo style was established in 1900.  During the 1950s Native American artisans worked at the Trading Post creating and selling their pottery, jewelry, and baskets. Over the years, the building has been expanded several times and it now claims to be Colorado’s largest gift shop.

Without question, it’s a very large gift shop including a small snack bar with outdoor seating.  For the most part, the gift shop is a typical souvenir shop with t-shirts, polished rocks, and shot glasses, but if you wade through all that stuff and make your way to the back of the store, there is a large area of high quality handcrafted items.

If we have the opportunity, we’ll go back to Garden of the Gods during the week.   It is definitely worth a visit if you’re in the neighborhood.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

United States Air Force Academy

Today dawned cold and windy.  Since we arrived in Colorado Springs, we’ve had cold nights with temperatures in the low 30s.  The sun is bright so the daytime temperatures warm up quickly, but it’s still only in the 50s.  We may have left spring behind in Oklahoma.  I’m sure now being at 6000 feet has something to do with it.

Another thing we’re having difficulty adjusting to is the change to mountain time.  Peanut may be the only one still trying to get adjusted, but his problem has spread throughout the family unit.  He’s wanting somebody to get out of bed at 4 AM to get his breakfast in the bowl.  That disrupts our sleep, then we start looking toward the bed about 7:30 PM.

Speaking of the Peanut, this morning was his turn for annual maintenance.  Gene picked out a vet from the internet.  Every spring we do this; sometimes we get lucky and sometimes we don’t.  Today, we found a real jewel.  In fact, I commented we might have to come to Colorado Springs every spring just to bring Peanut to the East Springs Veterinary Hospital.

Peanut does not like to go to the vet.  His record is filled with comments like, “extremely aggressive cat” and “unable to do physical exam”.   The assistant, John, was wonderful with Peanut.  He held him with a firm but gentle grip while the vet did her thing.  We were calling him the cat whisperer.  The vet wouldn’t come close without John telling her from which angle to approach.  When it came time for the shots, John slid Peanut along the length of the examining table with Peanut facing away from the vet.  The vet gave the shot while Peanut was sliding along the table.  It worked great.  Peanut was focused on John and the slide along the table and I don’t think he even knew he was getting a shot. It was the best vet visit we’ve ever had.

Peanut got a clean bill of health, almost.  Everything is fine except his eyesight.  The vet thought perhaps he wasn’t able to see as well as he should.  He may be developing a cataract on one eye.  We’ll just wait and see how that progresses.  

This afternoon, we drove north of town to visit the United States Air Force Academy.  We had tried to visit the Academy in 2003 when we were in the area.  However, at that time the national security level was high enough to keep all visitors off the base.  We were glad to get the go ahead when we called the Visitor Center yesterday.

The Air Force Academy is a military instillation so we had to pass through the check point with photo ID and answer a couple questions.  Our car was also minimally searched.

At the Visitor Center, we watched a short film about cadet life at the Academy and toured the exhibit hall.  Yes, we also checked out the gift shop.  I was actually looking to buy a coffee mug.  They had several, but all the ones which were the size I wanted I didn’t like the design.  The ones that I found pretty, were all huge.  I got to save my money.

The Cadet Chapel is the focal point of the campus.  We parked at a small parking lot and walked down a short trail for a great view down on the Chapel as well as the cadet area.  From the Visitor Center there is another short paved trail which leads to the Chapel.  Since the Chapel is within the secure Cadet area, we were not allowed to park in the Chapel parking lot.

We toured the Chapel on our own, visiting first the Protestant and largest chapel, then downstairs to the Catholic chapel, the Jewish “chapel”, and the Buddhist chapel.  It’s an incredible structure.  The photos taken inside do not capture the true effect of the stained glass.  It’s one of those places best appreciated in person.

Tomorrow, we’re hoping to do a little hiking at Garden of the Gods.  So I guess that’s all I have for today.  Thanks for tagging along.