Ogallala & then back to my Home on the Range

I LOVE NEBRASKA! I have never been so happy to cross a state line in my entire life! Don't get me wrong, the entire country is beautiful ....but I'd had my fill of trees to last for awhile! SO EXCITED to reach the wide open spaces & some rolling hills! I LOVED IT!

We made our way to Ogallala to stay with my friend Claire :)

Hmmm.....Let's just say I think Ogallala has changed a little bit since Claire lived there & the boys from Lonesome Dove trailed thru :)

Ogallala was a main route for Texas nerds to the northern plains from 1875 - 1888. During the summer months of trail driving season there could be 10 - 12 herds of 2,500 cattle south of town while the town bustled with 100's of trail hands.
They figure 100,000 - 125,000 rolled thru Ogallala in a year.

Ogallala, The Gomorrah of the Plains
"Gomorrah of the cattle trail"
That is how Andy Adams described early Ogallala in his book
"Log of a Cowboy", Adams who 1st came up the trail in 1875 said:
"We finally scaled the last divide and there below in the valley of South Platte, nestled Ogallala, the Gomorrah of the cattle trail. From amongst the its half hundred bulidings, no church spire pointed upward, but instead three- fourths of its business houses were dance halls, gambling houses, and saloons."
(Clip from a travel guide at the hotel, Ogallala 2010 Area Travel Guide)

We made a few stops in historic Ogallala that morning. The following are pictures from
BOOT HILL. This was quite possibly my favorite stop. Standing on top of the hill over looking the town I was reminded of our pioneers trek across the country. I couldn't image what it would be like to have to stop along the trail & leave a loved one in the middle of unknown country that you would probably never pass thru again.

Mrs. Lillie Miller

WYOMING ~ Getting close to home!
(that being said, I still wasn't that excited to see Cheyenne)

"Life in the great cattle country was a life of variety, and yet of sameness.
Hardships, lonilness, and peril were the cowboys constant companion.
No weakling long survived, no coward ever endured.

~ Randall Parrish, The Great Plains, 1907

Enjoyed a lil' Wyoming history at a nice rest stop & put the hammer down to get home before dark! Melina & I made our way to the amazing Bob & Michelle Marriott home
( because all great road trips have to pass thru there :) and there we parted ways.
Idaho bound for me!

What an amazing trip! THANK YOU so much to Melina for making it possible! I enjoyed getting to see a small glimpse of our country's rich history & country side!

The Road Goes on Forever & the Party never ends :)
Thanks for taking this lil' trip with me.

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