Oregon Trail Ruts

After Fort Laramie we stopped to see the Oregon Trail Ruts.  I have seen the Santa Fe Trail Ruts and expected this to be similar.  Boy, was I wrong!

The ruts are in soft sandstone that wore away quite easily making a sunken road of sorts.

They were quite deep in some places.

Past the stone they could be seen a slight depressions or sunken roads once again.  Don't look at the path, look where it intersects what appears to be a depression a little to the right of the center of the picture.

Fort Laramie

We visited Fort Laramie.

Fort Laramie has a long history.  It was established in the era of fur traders and mountain men.  It was used then as a fort to resupply the traders and host fur rendezvous.   

The American Indians were a constant presence at the fort, visiting for trading. 

The soldier's barracks. 

Inside the barracks. 

Fort Laramie is best known as a stopping point on the Oregon Trail.  The fort is the last stop before heading up into the mountains and crossing South Pass.  Many of the Indian Wars had ties to Fort Laramie, it was where the soldiers were stationed and peace treaties signed.

Thought out it's history, many buildings came and went.  First there were actual forts and then eventually it became like military bases are today, small cities unto themselves.  The current fort is not fortified by any walls or stockades.  It is a spread out group of buildings mostly surrounding the parade grounds.

Some of the houses had furnished rooms with glassed off doors allowing us to look in, but not walk through.

A mercantile or general store.

Military Convoy

The beginning of our 3 week trip through Wyoming and on to Colorado!

In route to Wyoming we passed a military convoy.  At first I didn't think much of it, we have seen them before.  But then I noticed the helicopter hovering overhead and the trucks blocking off the entrance ramps to the highway.  The HUMVEs had guns in their turrets and the helicopter had it's doors open and guns pointed out as it flew up and down the highway.

They were spread out for a couple of miles but they seemed to be protecting a semi.

We pulled over at a gas station and Nathaniel filmed their passing.  See the helicopter?  Shortly after this picture they (with a 50 cal hanging out the side) hovered a couple of hundred yards off and watched Nathaniel to see what he was doing.  I was to scared to take a picture!  I couldn't even look at them!  I half expected them to come convicate his tablet!