Day 2- 2016 National Park Tour: Agate & Scott's Bluff National Monuments and Fort Laramie National Historic Site

*No Pictures Note: When transferring all my pictures from my camera to my external hard drive, something went wrong and ALMOST ALL my pictures are gone :( Pictures will be back in future posts!

Wednesday July 6, 2016

The morning was lovely. The sky threatened to rain again but as the sun rose, the clouds dispersed and I was left with a lovely bright sky under which to cook oatmeal for the kids, mix a breakfast shake for me (I planned breakfast shakes on driving days so I don't feel so full and sluggish after a hearty meal and then sitting in the car for what could be hours at a time), and to lay out the rain fly to dry. The kids played at the tiny playground down the drive while I cooked and repacked the car (is there a day in the near future when I don't have to repack the car at the end of a day's drive and right away in the beginning again?!?) until Chuck Roast did something to Pumpkin who thought the playground was boring and they returned to our site to 'help' with breakfast. Pumpkin ate oatmeal like a champ while Chuck Roast wanted something good. Like candy. Oatmeal was not negotiable.

We stopped at Walmart down the road once back in Chadron for toothpaste and vasaline (I have a sore in my nose from allergies that is driving me crazy). We sent a couple quick texts out, finished shopping, and got back on the road. A few bathroom stops on the side of the road, including a pit-stop at a gas station that charged us 50¢ for a small cup of ice (!!!) in Crawford, until we arrived at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. It was lovely. The video gave a great deal of information regarding the site and its history. Pumpkin rocked the Jr. Ranger packet using the displays and the information guide. Chuck Roast was creeped out by the Native American music playing in one of the dark display rooms. After continued reassurances that it was music and describing how the sounds were made, he got used to it and started to enjoy the music in a way only a 4-year-old can, robotic dance-like moves! Once the packets were completed, Ranger Anne swore the kids in as Jr. Rangers with her last line of being “And I swear to never put a baby Bison in the back of my car.” They also got antique Native American postcards that were beautiful.

A quick walk to the wetlands and plenty of discussion regarding the flora of the area, we loaded up again and trucked our way to Scott's Bluff National Monument. Lunch outside was nice, except Chuck Roast refuses to eat anything I have!! The video here was informative and featured the Ranger that was standing at the front desk and who swore the kids in as Jr. Rangers! The Jr. Ranger packet was difficult for Chuck Roast, but Pumpkin sailed right through it. After learning all about the Oregon Trail in the area and the history of the bluffs, we drove up for a view. Compared to other views we've seen on our National Park Tour, it wasn't amazing, but the history inside the Visitor Center was well worth the visit!

A quick drive across the Nebraska/Wyoming border brought us the Fort Laramie National Historical Site. I wasn't too excited for this stop and scheduled us for 30 minutes to finish the Jr. Ranger packet and get back on the road. The was dumb! This was my favorite stop so far! The history, walking the site, visiting the buildings, filling out ALL the pages of the Jr. Ranger packet, asking questions about the garden, and following a baby rabbit into the ruins was amazing! We spent 3 hours there and only left because the skies grew dark and rain could be seen in the distance.

Chuck Roast fell asleep shortly after leaving Fort Laramie so Pumpkin and I chatted and listened to an audio book for about an hour before stopping at a rest stop for a PB & J and Frito Pie :) We chatted with a groundskeeper there who tried to give us a list of neat things to do in the region, none of which I can remember except for Miracle Mile by Mesa Verde. Once on the road again, Pumpkin wanted to keep going to try and reach Wild Horse Road in order to see the wild Mustangs. Nope. After both kids were sleeping, I decided to find the nearest campsite using our handy paper Atlas and Google Maps offline (Nebraska and Wyoming are HORRIBLE for cell service). Found Medicine Bow National Forest. Chuck Roast woke up and helped me find a barely passable road that lead us to a remote, beautiful campsite. For Free. We set up camp and then we all slept hard albeit one night terror that lead to a bathroom break in the pitchest of dark forests!

*Post-sleeping note: This was the quietest night of my life! Not a single sound all night other than my babies sleeping on either side of me. And Pumpkin waking up twice with night terrors and refusing to go outside to relieve themself without me going, too. That is the biggest concern with camping, Pumpkin's night terror screaming is going to get a Ranger called on us one of these nights... But a perk of dispersed camping is the chances of someone hearing Pumpkin's screams, and the quickly followed relieving of self, is greatly reduced.