After leaving the Cummins facility in Denver we decided to drive a lengthy distance at highway speed to “test” the repairs. And then to stop for two days to catch our breath after the repairs and to catch up on essentials (ie laundry). After an uneventful drive we arrived at a campground outside of Casper, WY, run by the Izaak Walton League. Turns out the League was one of the first purely environmental and conservation focused groups in the USA, and have been responsible for many pioneering environmental pieces of legislation.http://www.iwla.org/
The next day we learned that Casper is home to the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center. This Center details the history of the emigrants that used the Mormon Trail, California Trail, Oregon Trail & Pony Express. Turns out all these Trails followed the Platte River North and West, until the river could be crossed in the vicinity of Casper. The Center is a unique partnership between the BLM that runs it, the city that donated the land and building, and private citizens that donated many exhibit items.
Many of the exhibits are multi media and/or interactive. Two that we enjoyed were:
---you get inside a replica of a “Prairie Schooner” and cross the Platte. The front of the wagon is movie projection w/surround sound of what is going on in front as others fight their way across the river. Meanwhile the whole wagon is moving up in down over rocks, etc. We expected the water to come up over the floor boards at any minute.
---there is replica of a Mormon hand cart used by many Mormons. Surprisingly even though you would think the carts would have been harder than the journey by wagon pulled by ox or cattle; turns out the Mormons had fewer deaths than the wagon trains. Anyway, you get on a treadmill with your 150 pound cart and pull as the treadmill bucks up and down simulating rocky terrain. There is a meter that tells you that you are going to slow (falling behind); too fast (burning yourself out); or just right. Dan lasted three minutes!
Spread throughout the museum on the walls and floors are quotes taken from emigrant diaries and newspaper of the days, such as:
---Saw one man returning; says he can’t go all the way. Has money enough; loves his wife more than gold.
---I have just washed the dust out of my eyes so that I can see to get supper.
---We might as well attempt to march an army to the moon, as to march one, over-land, to Oregon.
---This wagon train is divided into two parties. One lot fiddles and dances at night and the other party holds prayer services. Mother believes that the fiddle is the invention of the devil, to lure people to hell.
Supposedly the number of emigrants that used the trails was the largest voluntary migration in the history of the world? One in seventeen died on the trip (about 20,000 total); but one in five women were pregnant at the start, got pregnant or delivered on the trip. Gives new meaning to term “human spirit”? We highly recommend checking out if you are ever near Casper!
http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/NHTIC.html
From the Trail Center we headed to Casper to check out downtown. Downtown was pretty quiet even for a business day, so after a brief walk-about it was back to the RV. After lunch Dan decided to check out the Fort Caspar Museum. The Fort is a recreation built by the WPA based on original sketches and the excavated remains. The Museum contained more info on the trails, local prehistoric peoples, Plains Indians, ranching, the energy industry, and the City of Casper as well as the frontier army.
http://www.fortcasparwyoming.com/
Trivia: What is the difference between Fort CaspAr and the town of CaspEr? Who was Izaak Walton?
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