toadstool park in Nebraska

Day 240 – Nebraska Heartland (Part 2)

Day 240 of Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways
Fort Robinson

Another enjoyable day in Nebraska…though most of the interesting sites I’ve seen have been within 100 miles of each other, and I have driven over 600 miles over a few days to see them!

We started out today at Fort Robinson where I camped last night.  The campground is the site of one of the most tragic events at the fort, the Cheyenne Outbreak.  Forcibly sent to Indian Territory in Oklahoma, a band of Northern Cheyenne, led by Dull Knife, escaped and fled across the plains of Kansas and Nebraska. The 149 men, women, and children were finally captured by troops from the fort in October 1878. 

Told they would have to return to the Indian Territory, they tried escaping again on January 9, 1879. The men opened fire on the guards with the few guns they had hidden away as the women and children fled toward the White River.  Many of the Cheyenne fell in the battle, one of the last of the Indian War.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
jefferson city capitol building

Day 235 – Missouri and Kansas

Day 235 of Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

Jefferson City, Missouri

It was impossible to miss the capitol building in Jefferson City.  It dominates the skyline of Missouri’s quaint capital.  I spent a little time poking around, both inside and outside, and came up with another type of restroom available to me – government buildings.  Parks, Wal-Mart, restaurants, rest areas, and gas stations generally serve the purpose, but churches and government buildings have recently been added to the list!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
devils tower

Day 210 – Devils Tower Loop

Day 210 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

Devils Tower National Monument

After a slow start to the morning, VANilla, Petey, and I drove past miles of prairies and pasture lands before eventually arriving at Devils Tower National Monument.  The towering rock formation stands 1,265 feet above the river level and dwarfs everything around it including ponderosa pines that surround its base.

According to scientists, the tower was formed when a mass of molten rock welled up within the earth’s crust, then cooled, and was later exposed by erosion.  The mass looks as though it is made up of several columns.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!