V5N4B

Bent's Old Fort N.H.S.

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site is located in LaJunta, CO in the Southwest corner of the State. The building was burned in the middle 1800's but has been restored to its original condition. It was a Trading Fort as opposed to a Military Fort, trading with the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians in the North and also with the Mexicans through Santa Fe in the South. The Fort was built to be able to deliver the merchandise more efficiently that was purchased in St. Louis and transported westward with wagons.

The Fort itself is an adobe structure made of straw and mud and built originally by the Bent brothers, William and Charles. They ran the fort along with a partner, Ceran St. Vrain, a Frenchman who was also an uncanny trader of goods. They were very successful for many years turning over huge profits on the goods that were traded.

One of the more amazing sites we observed while at the fort, was the NEW half-million dollar bathrooms being erected near the double-wide mobile home that serves as the Visitor's Center. We are always amazed when we hear how the National Park Service must have more money.

Nicodemus N.H.S.

Nicodemus National Historic Site is located in Kansas, in the town of the same name. The site preserves the first Black Settlement west of the Mississippi. At this time the 5 historic buildings are in shambles and need rebuilding, and the National Park Service is at this time restoring the town. The Visitor's Center was closed the day we visited, but we did manage to find a ranger to get the cancellation stamp. It was basically "blind stupid luck" that we did find someone, but the town was so small we drove around it several times just taking pictures. We drove through a blistering wind to get to the site. A Kansas wind.

WOW !!

Northeast of Apache Junction is the Salt River Canyon which we had been warned about. "It was a long ways down" and I wouldn't take my motorhome there, was the warning. I baby my rig for 4 months for just such occasions. I figure one day out of 160 it should perform for me. And perform it did, and we were treated to some spectacular views of the canyon. The hills were 6% up and down, but there was no reason that once in a while it shouldn't matter. It didn't seem like a strain to me. If I thought it was, I would have unhooked the car, and I didn't.

Joshua Tree National Park Redux

Because we were in 29 Palms, CA for a week this year, we decided to revisit Johsua Tree National Park. Our original visit a couple of years ago, took us from the south entrance to the town of Joshua Tree. We didn't get much of a chance to veer off the main road to see what the entire park would be like. This year we had the time to see it all.

The first day we went from the 29 palms entrance to the main intersection and turned toward Keys View with the intent to finish at that point. On the way we took the sideroads, and the first road led us to some very interesting geology. Gigantic boulders which seemed like they had been divided in half and then put back together with a rock spacer in between. All of the geology in the park is absolutely stunning, but this development was a surprise to say the least. Continuing on, the next stop saw us stop at Split Rock. A huge boulder that the light shines right through, displaying the crack which runs through the boulder. It is at least 3 stories tall and immense. Cap Rock was next on the agenda. High above the desert floor, and perched upon another boulder, was probably a hundred ton rock that appears to be ready to fall at any time. It is also much like the rock in one of the campgrounds that appears to be standing on it's pointed edge, until you view it from behind. Cap Rock does not have a "rear secret" however. About an hour before the sun went down we reached Keys View. It was cold and the wind was howling. I was in shorts, and with no jacket. 5000 feet high and looking down the entire Coachella Valley, (Palm Springs, Indio, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs and of course the Salton Sea) the view extends to Signal Mountain which is just inside the Mexican Border. We left the park that day vowing to return in the morning when the view would be better. Our second day took us directly to Keys View and the trip was well worth it. The weather was warm. and today Signal Mountain was very clear, and we had brought binoculars this time. The entire view was just spectacular. We stayed for about a half hour. On the way back we ate our picnic lunch at Cap Rock, still amazed at how it stays up there. Our last stop for the day was the Cholla Cactus Garden. The perfect elevation in the park where the "Teddy Bear" cactus grows in a virtual forest. A beautiful sight.