We all slept late this morning again. Had flap-jacks for breakfast and took our time packing up to leave. The urgency has left us since we are homeward bound. All of our expectations lay behind us now….we stopped in Scotts Bluff to look at their museum and see what they had to offer. There was an abundance of information about early covered wagon trains from the Mormon and Oregon Trail days. After leaving there we saw Rachel Pattisons grave on the Oregon Trail and also the old landmark….Chimney Rock.

The historical road sign we stopped to read said the “chimney” used to be much taller but there were accounts of Custer and his men riding their horses around it in a foray of victorious excitement (after Indian raids) and shooting the top of it so many times it had crumbled drastically. Of course the weather after all those years had taken a toll as well. We also saw landmarks of Jail House Rock and Court House Rock, all of which were beacons to guide the wagon trains across the prairie.

We kept running into small showers when we wanted to stop for lunch but had to keep driving until 2:00pm where we pulled off the road and ate a bite at Lisco, Nebraska. Dad got to looking at our trailer tires and noticed one was bad, so he and George changed the tire before we left. Between Lewellen and Ogallala we saw the Windless Hill were the wagons were let down the steep hillside by a windless. It cut a deep gash in the hill that is still visible today.
 
We stopped in Ogallala to see the Sioux Indian Trading Post and I bought a Nebraska charm there….an Indian head-dress in honor of Black Elk whom we were privileged to meet on our stop in the Black Hills. We’ve been seeing corn fields again today…..a sure sign that we are entering our own domain once more and our thoughts are beginning to turn towards home.

We camped at North Platte at Cody Park and after cleaning up, went to town for supper as a treat from Aunt Beulah. After a mighty satisfying meal we drove over to Buffalo Bill Cody’s Souvenir Shop and looked around before going back to the campsite. We soon got our beds made out and everybody called it a day.

Monday, August 14th
 
We were up and got our chores taken care of by 9:30am and hit the trail. It’s bright and sunny and a beautiful morning. We drove to Minden to see the Pioneer Village and when we pulled into the parking lot……………..there was uncle Alfred’s pick-up. The whole family jumped out of our vehicles with big grins on our faces. It was really good to ‘hook up’ with him again. He had dancing eyes (they always spoke more than his few words ever did) and a smile for us in return.

We ate a sandwich together and bought our tickets. This was something dad had talked about many times. He and mom had been here before and dad loved looking at all of the old time farm equipment, barbed wire collections (which was news to me)…….I would have never guessed they made so many different kinds. There were displays of rope (again, I could not have imagined the varieties) all kinds of nails…….from spikes they built the railroad with to handmade four-cornered kind used for the smallest of needs.

Dad and uncle Alfred were in heaven. We went through huge garages of vehicles from the first Ford to current day……all kinds…and for all types of services. There were fire-trucks, delivery trucks, hearses….you name it…they were there. Of course dad and uncle Alfred hung on the ones they first owned as young men and we gathered around as they laughed and told stories of wild chases and races they ran against each other and anyone else they thought they could out-run. I would give a lot to see and hear them talking about those “good old days” again.

There were wagons of every kind from the wagons going west to very fancy ones that were horse-drawn for wealthy people….even some from distinguished people of the area. If you enjoy old items from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s Warp’s Pioneer Village is where to go. I can imagine it is a Mecca for men like my dad and all the men who have lived and farmed off the Nebraska soil. They spent their youth doing so and lived to see great advances that made their early years laughable. I am thankful for their heritage of bringing forth the “good” and the humor of those years. They came through some unimaginably hard times and chose to remember it with fondness.

Aunt Beulah, mom and I enjoyed the dishes and furniture…..all the stuff that a woman would need to keep house with. Collections of water buckets, dippers, tubs, baskets, barrels…..the pots, pans and stoves. How those women managed to do what they did shows some real sense of purpose. Can you imagine rumbling along the prairies about to birth a child? Their only luxury was if it was safe enough to stop the wagon train for the child to be born. Many times they had to give birth in the back of the wagon while it was moving…..too dangerous to stop a whole train.

Did I mention airplanes? Yes, they were there as well. After we literally wore ourselves out walking and looking we set up camp and fixed a good supper. Later, uncle Alfred, mom, aunt Beulah and Becky worked in a game of cards and the rest of us just pushed back and relaxed each in his own way.

A big rain cloud threatened us from the west but went around with barely a sprinkle. We have been very fortunate with good weather….as the rain bypassed us we were treated to a beautiful rainbow as the storm moved easterly. Dad, George and I went up town to buy ice-cream for our daily root-beer floats. It has been the treat of choice on the whole trip. Our camping area is very nice ….grassy for a change instead of dirt and dust and providing nice showers and toilet facilities. Most of our fellow campers sat out and visited with each other and enjoyed the nice evening.

This is the first time in ages we haven’t been chased in by mosquitoes……and as they say in books…….the sun sank slowly in the West……….

Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther