Wide open skies - drive from Cheyenne to Fort Laramie on US Hwy. 85. A beautiful drive through loosely populated prairie/ranch land, later more farming (corn/alfa-alfa), and, everywhere railroad tracks and big freight trains transporting coal piling up high.
Fort Laramie - that's where many important things happened. Founded in 1834 as a modest trading post, it became a military post, a gathering point of emigrants who took one of the many trails from the East to a new life in the West. Also, it was the place where two peace treaties with the Indians were fixed, in 1851 und 1868.
The location of the fort: in a loop of the Laramie River (photo) on flat, open land, probably in summer very hot, in winter very cold, and, always windy. Some of the buildings are restored, some are ruins, but in total, the complex gives a good idea about the functioning and the construction of such an establishment.
With a stop at the Railroad Museum in Douglas, half-way to Casper, where the Jackalope (sort of a "Wolpertinger") reigns the town we drove towards Casper and first stop was the Trails Interpretive Center. It added to what we learned at Ft. Laramie about the settler trails, which all somehow connected in the Casper area: Oregon Trail, California Trail, Mormon Trail, etc. Nicely and very instructively presented in this museum.
On to a "legend" in downtown Casper: "Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters". Since 1919 this family operation is catering to the needs of cowboys/girls, but also of regular people. Never seen such a boot, hat and jeans selection before!
Checked in at our Holiday Inn - which was a little far out of town - and, all the way back to Gruner Brothers Brewing for a burger and a beer.
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen