Back Roads

*Critters we’ve seen on our 2012 trip so far: prairie dog, bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, llama, white tail deer, elk, grizzly, coyote, badger, Uinta ground squirrel, black bear, yellow-bellied marmot, wolf, bullsnake, moose, wild turkey

*Birds we’ve seen on our 2012 trip so far: Western meadowlark, magpie, wild turkey, killdeer, osprey, red-naped sapsucker, sandhill crane, bald eagle, mountain bluebird

*National Parks/Monuments visited on 2012 trip so far: 3
*State Parks visited on 2012 trip so far: 1

[Click on any photo to enlarge for better viewing.]

Staying off the interstates and taking the back roads is something we try to do whenever possible.  As we made our way east towards Missouri, we traveled along some roads on which we’d never been before including U.S. Hwy. 20 which took us through the Wind River Canyon…34 miles of scenic

beauty.  In spots the canyon is nearly 2,500 feet deep, sheer walls reaching skyward, and train tunnels cutting through the sheer rock on the other side of the river, some of them appearing to be quite old. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get a decent picture out the front window of the long and winding road on which we traveled through this canyon.

The next day we decided on a brief stop at Fort Laramie National Historic Site (FortLaramie), passing the hospital ruins up on the hill just past the entrance (at left).  We started in the Visitor Center which is housed in the original commissary storehouse that was

built in 1884 and watched the 15 min. introductory movie on the fort.  Originally founded in 1834 as a trading post and called Fort William, it was renamed Fort John in 1841 when it was purchased by the American Fur Company.  It became a military fort in 1849 and was a primary stopping point on the Oregon and Mormon

Trails eventually taking on the name Fort Laramie.  After the completion of the transcontinental railroad, the fort lost its importance and was decommissioned in 1890.  There is a self-guided walking tour of the grounds, buildings, and ruins, but we opted against it, instead wanting to get back on the

road.  However, we spotted a ranger dressed in period military garb getting ready to lead a school group on a tour.   As we watched, he was “training” them on about face, right face, etc….very cute.  On the way back to the car, we

        passed through the Post Trader’s Store and Lt. Colonel’s quarters though each room could only be viewed through plexiglas.

      On the way to and from the Fort, we passed the North Platte River Bridge which was built by the Army in 1875.  This iron bridge is believed to be the oldest existing military bridge west of the Mississippi River and was last used in 1958.

Not long after crossing over into Nebraska, we passed one of the most famous sights in the state known as Chimney Rock (ChimneyRock).  It was an easily recognizable landmark for pioneers traveling on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails.  Just recently this National Historic Site was designated a National Monument by President Obama.

Back on the interstate, we continued heading east, spending a couple more nights in Walmart parking lots before finally arriving at our destination, Finger Lakes State Park in Columbia, MO (FingerLakes).  Located just a few miles from the University of Missouri, it was the ideal spot for

      us to camp the next 3 nights as we were planning to tailgate and attend Saturday night’s game against Vanderbilt, the second home conference game since Mizzou had joined the SEC (Southeastern Conference).  We

      were meeting up with several friends for the tailgate right on campus and looking forward to a Missouri win.  The day was chilly, as you can see in the photos…perfect football weather.  Truman the Tiger made the rounds in a golf cart, and there was plenty to and drink.

     Dressed in our black and gold, we headed into the stadium ready to cheer our Tigers on to victory!  Well, guess we didn’t cheer enough because the Tigers lost the game, 19-15.  Obviously the knee injury to our quarterback in the 1st quar-

             ter didn’t help as he was done for the rest of the game.  It was a disappointing loss, but we enjoyed hangin’ with our friends, and the peace and beauty of a lovely state park tucked away off the main road.