Blogs from Rawlins, Wyoming, United States, North America

Today was a rather unremarkable day. I rode 45 miles including a 3 mile detour to the the historic Fort Steele. Fort Steele was built on the North Platte River in 1868 to protect the large Sheep Ranches that were located in this part of Wyoming. The Fort was under frequent attack by the Ute Indians. The location below the bluffs was strategically impossible to defend and it was dicommisioned via a treaty in 1886. Fort Steele then became a sheep shearing settlement where 800,000 lbs of wool was shipped East via the Union Pacific Railroad every year. The railroad still operates today. There is very little left of the Fort except a few signs. It certainly was not worth the detour. Today was also the first time since I left Virginia that the published route ... read more

Jennifer: We are in Rawlins, Wyoming and have been on the wagon for hours. Dad has been telling Jason and I stories about when our great great great grandparents went on this journey. Amy has been really quiet, which is unlike her. I think it’s because of the argument with mom. Still, I see her quietly listening to dad. He told us the names of our great great great grandparents. He told us that they went to Oregon because they were farmers and they heard about the land in Oregon being great for farming. My great great great grandmother’s name was Emily and my great great great grandfather's name was Lewis. Emily and Lewis took the same route we’re taking about 108 years ago in 1836. They were one of the first migrants to leave for ... read more

SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 I spent Labor Day Weekend with my dear niece Glenda Schierwagen and them in Riverton, WY. It was jolly good visit. We went out for a steak dinner on Saturday evening. Folks in Wyoming are dang particular about their beefsteak and will not tolerate anything but the best. Jinny’s did not disappoint us. On Sunday me and Glenda went sightseeing, we had Taco John’s for lunch in Lander, and then burgers for supper. On Monday I helped her husband, Ernie, pick some plums for a batch of wine he is hoping to make. The granddaughter, Arika, washed my filthy Jeep and Ernie’s filthy pickup and we had pizza for supper. Ernie and I each gave her twenty dollars for her trouble. She worked hard and did a good job. Arika is twelve and ... read more

August 22, 2013 Leave at 9 a.m. and a sunny 55 degrees. Got into Wyoming at 10:00 and the topography starts looking like the Painted Desert and the Badlands! A lot more windmills too. We’re up 7,000 feet in the High Desert and there are miles and miles and acres and acres of vast, empty land. Checked into our campground at 1:45, a nice early day. No trees at all. Starts raining shortly after we arrive, but we’ll just relax for the rest of the day since we get moving again tomorrow. We’ll be in Fort Collins, CO tomorrow.... read more

Sorry, I am behind, so let me catch up. My last entry was Aug 16th from San Pedro. We drove back to Lodi and spent the next 10 days helping Donna's Mother and also her Aunt Betty with all kinds of things. We left Lodi on Thursday Aug 26th and drove to Pine Grove,Ca. We spent the evening there with my Uncle Curtis. We left Friday morning and drove to Elko, Nevada. We spent the night in a hotel room, because we were too tired to do much. I gambled some at the Stockmen's casino, won a little money and tonight we are in Rawlins, Wyoming at the Western Hills Campground. We head back to Denver tomorrow so we can get ready for me to go fishing in Canada and Donna is flying to Mass to ... read more