Hidden Gem in Nebraska. Our trip to western Nebraska has been enlightening. We never knew!
Scottsbluff / Agate Fossil Beds
The road from Cheyenne to Scottsbluff was as expected, prairie and ranches. We stayed in the city park in Scottsbluff and made day trips to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument and Scottsbluff National Monument. Both are very nice. I immediately saw the potential of Agate Fossil Beds for a friend who has a telescope that he sets up at night and gives shows to folks who are interested.
Agate Fossil Beds are at least 25 miles from the nearest city. I bet the night sky gets super dark at Agate Fossil Beds. The main attraction is the fossils. Dinosaurs gathered at the same watering hole and died by the hundreds perhaps thousands. After a few hundred million years of erosion, the watering hole is now at the top of a hill and the surrounding terrain is all gone. This exposed the fossils, all to the delight of my grandchildren and paleontologists from around the globe.
Also to my grandchildren’s delight, there was a fishing pond in the park. I spent each evening baiting hooks, untangling the rods, fishing rods off the bottom of the pond and unhooking so many fish that I lost count and gave up washing my hands.
Fort Robinson
Also in western Nebraska is Fort Robinson State Park. Sarah and the boys set off for Kansas yesterday morning and we went north from Scottsbluff to Fort Robinson. Fort Robinson is stunning! Our spot is directly under a huge tree, which is great given the near 100-degree temperature yesterday. The branches however needed trimming and maintenance was there in ten minutes. Our RV looked out of place (and huge) backed up to the branches. Ten minutes later and we fit right in. Now we have full protection from the sun, all afternoon.
We are right on the fort. The picture of a reconstructed log barracks is less than one hundred yards away. The Army established the fort in 1873 to try to control the Lakota and Cheyenne population who at that time was still quite hostile to settlement in this area. Chief Crazy Horse (Lakota) was killed here at the fort after surrendering in 1877.
Playing
The best part of this stop isn’t the history even though period buildings are still being used by Nebraska State Parks for daily operations. This state park is the most resort-like place we have stayed at. Activities for families are everywhere. Kayaking, fishing, jeep trails, mountain bike trails, horse rides, indoor swimming pool, tonight there is a rodeo, and this weekend there will be a play, perhaps more than one.
Nebraska operates the fort as a full-time – year-round ranch, as well as a recreation site. We have seen the ranch gear, horses, and longhorn cattle. Hay is being bailed on many of the fields and the ranch crew is pushing cattle from pasture to pasture. Bison are rumored to be up the hill and Pronghorn antelope wander through, however, we haven’t seen either yet.
Remote — rural, rules the day in Crawford, a town in western Nebraska the town three miles down the road. Don’t expect fancy dining anywhere in this part of the state. It is just not that kind of place.
Continuing North
We’re looking forward to our trip through South Dakota and are starting to see others heading toward the FMCA rally in Minot North Dakota.
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Links
Agate Fossil Beds National Monuments
Here is a link to the google map for the area.
Link to our 2019 Route.
Link to our route Colorado to Minot North Dakota
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This is so cool, what is your secret?
Thanks for the updates.
to Ted: My biggest secret is that I didn’t buy the RV to drive it. We try to go less than one hundred miles and stay for about a week.
Fort Robinson was picked to be about halfway between Hot Springs SD and Scottsbluff, I was thinking “stop-over” for three nights. This place is worth a week or more. The only thing lacking for a long stay is not much grocery shopping.
Scott
These one Fuji and one cell phone.
Beautiful pics again. Are these using the Fuji you bought years ago?