Day 10 - To Denver

This morning we left Rapid City fairly early since we have a long way to go and a pretty full day ahead.  Leaving we follow Rte 79 out of Rapid City and then headed west on 18.  Turning south we follow 85 and then west on 26 to Fort Laramie.  Continuing west on Rte 26 into Guernsey we stop at the Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site.  Back on the 26 west we drive to I-25 south through Cheyenne and then into Denver.  As we drive, we pass through prairie lands. 

I am surprised that we find so many wind mill watering pumps along the way.  There will be a field that is acres and acres in size and the only thing in it is wind mill.

Our first visiting stop is at Fort Laramie.  It is not quite, as I expected.  Although I have visions of forts as being wood stockades, this fort has no exterior walls.  Barracks and Officer’s quarters surround a parade ground.  The fort sits along the Laramie River next to a passable ford.

The Calvary barracks were still intact as seen  here, but the remains of the infantry barracks were just foundation stones.  The bottom floor contained the kitchens, eating tables and other rooms while the sleeping quarters were upstairs.  You can see everyone waiting for a Ranger to give a talk about the fort and those who passed through.

Upstairs, where the soldiers would live, was set up as if it was still in use.  Beds made (You can see one bunk is turned down to show the slats), clothes and gear set aside and in the center (not in the picture) stacked rifles.

Also they had the solder’s bar recreated where it would be, so I stopped in for a sarsaparilla.  No alcohol at the fort, now or then.  If you are asking what it tastes like, it has a root beer flavor.

Outside the Calvary barracks by the field, is a wagon set up as if ready to load and go.  This is a replica of the wagon and gear that moved along the Oregon Trail. 

Fort Laramie was one of the pass-through points for the Oregon Trail.  On June 12, 1850, one person commented “Crossed the Laramie ford this morning and past through the fort registering our names and found that …16,193 men, women 235, children 242, wagons 4,672, mules 4,461, oxen 7,427, cows 465, pass, besides nearly as many as many more had probably gone without registering.

There are people that provide reenactment of the times (1886) and there is a discussion of the use of the canons then they demonstrate by shooting off one of the canons.

Leaving Fort Laramie, we stopped in Guernsey at the Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site.  This is the trail used by those heading to Oregon in wagon trains.  As you can see, the rock cut for the wagons, shows the rut used to pass along the trail.

Chiseled on the side of the rock in the rut are names of people who passed this way.  Of course, it is difficult to determine if the names in the rock are from 1843-1870 or 1943-1970, but near here is Register cliff, which we did not go to, has documented names carved in the sandstone.

Next, we stopped in Cheyenne where one of the train stops and stations are for the Union Pacific railroad.   Also at the square where the Union Pacific station is, there is also the Wrangler store and the train station.  Carmen was able to find a very nice shirt/jacket.

Crossing into Colorado, we continue following grasslands, farm crops, and hay fields.  With the increase in ranches and farms, it is easy to see that we are getting closer to larger cities, in this case, Denver. 

As we near Denver, there is evidence that there is a very large fire.  We later find out, from the news that the forest fire, just north of Denver, called the High Park Fire.  (As of 6/18/2012, the fire has burned an estimated 58, 046 acres and 182 homes, but is considered only 45 percent contained.) 

We finished the day in Denver at our hotel.  As we drive into Denver, we see the Baseball field framed by the city, and a little later, the football field.  Tired, after our dinner, we are in bed early for our early start time tomorrow.  Later, Bob and Carmen.