On the Road Again

Small towns make up the heartland of America.We have traveled through many small towns on the road again through Kansas and Nebraska. Many of these towns showcase their claim to fame. I am incuding pictures of some of the ones that were interesting.

One of those was Cawker City, Ks , it's claim to fame being the biggest ball of twine. In Norton, Ks where we spent two days to visit Don's folks, they have a pony express station there called Station 15. The pony express started in 1860, and was a mail route from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. The relay of riders rode on horses to get mail to the pararie, mountains, and coast for a total of 1,966 miles and reduced the time to California to ten days. Each rider rode hard for 75 to 100 miles. We have seen several of these pony express stations throughout Kansas and Nebraska.

We are now in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska. They have a sugar refinery here. I think they get the sugar from beets. There is also a Scotts Bluff national monument. Scotts Bluff has served as a landmark for people making their way across the Great Plains for hundreds of years, including American Indians following buffalo, fur traders and trappers, and immigrants bound for Oregon, Utah, and California. This trail you might have heard of ....it's called the Oregon Trail. The Oregon Trail stretched 2000 miles and for pioneers, some in their covered wagons, the journey across Western Nebraska required weeks of danger and hardship. Now you can drive the Western Trails Historic and Scenic Byway in a matter of hours.

Today we will hike up to Scotts Bluff and take more pictures. We will also get to see and walk on the Oregon Trail. Then in the afternoon we will be on the road again... destination, Salt Lake/Park City, Utah to visit Don's brother Jim and his wife Tina.