Scotts Bluff National Monument

Sept. 7th & 8th- We left St. Louis in overcast weather, thanks to remnants of Gordon.  We assumed we would drive out of it as we headed West, but drove in drizzly rain most of the day. The views of corn fields, soy bean fields, and beautiful sunflowers were still enjoyable.  After an overnight stay just west of Lincoln, NE, we headed to the western border to see Scotts Bluff National Monument.  We also intended to see Agate Fossil NM, but did not get there.  Why?  Well, file this under "lessons learned". 

We recently purchased a new vehicle, and opted to go with the latest technology, which was to use the navigation feature of our smart phones with the blue tooth technology of the vehicle, allowing it to be viewed on the vehicles' screen.  We had played with it at home, using it to drive to Florida and other local areas without too many problems.  It was limited in terms of finding hotels, restaurants, etc, which we did not like, but the navigation to addresses seemed fine.  However- and we should have thought of this, having traveled out West in the past and experienced the spotty cell service in some areas- if you have weak or no cell service, you have no navigation!  Even with enough signal to make calls, the signal may not be strong enough to allow data transmission.  Scotts Bluff area was where this first reared its ugly head.  We did find the monument, after some driving around, arriving mid-afternoon. 

On the way to the bluff, we passed another interesting feature, known as Chimney Rock.  We did not go in to the site, but it can be seen for miles around.

Imagine you are traveling West back in the early 1800's, traveling in caravans of oxen-drawn wagons, on horseback and on foot.  You are following the North Platte River, which has carved a pathway through the plains that has been used for at least 10,000 years, known as the Oregon Trail. In the distance, you spot a huge bluff, over 800 feet high, in the distance.  It had been known for years by trappers and the American Indians as "hill that is hard to go around".  The large formations were able to be seen days before the caravans reached them, and often appeared as castles or fortresses in the distance.  By 1867, much of the emigrant traffic had waned, and the trail was no longer used for the Pony Express.  Telegraph and railroads took their place.

This part of the Great Plains used to stand hundreds of feet higher than it does now.  Erosion of the materials making up the plain occurred faster than new material was deposited.  Some of the land was protected from erosion by cap rocks of harder material- these areas eventually towered over the plains.  In the Visitor Center, we watched a very well made film of the history associated with the monument.  Unfortunately, many of the displays of tools, etc. from the time of the emigration were in process of renovation, so not much to be seen. 

We drove the scenic road to the top of the bluff area, where there were several walks with great views of the surrounding plains and the bluffs themselves.  As you can see by the photos, we enjoyed a sunny day with temps in the 70's- very nice! 

We opted out of trying to find the other monument in the area, as it was getting late.  We also had concerns about the next hurricane heading for the Carolina coast, so opted to head for my sister's in Colorado sooner than planned.  We headed for Fort Collins.