Tracking down National Monuments

I saved this until we started traveling again:)

Besides just sightseeing and traveling we’ve been tracking down National Monuments for Mary’s Passport Book, since we left Oregon.

July 17, 2021 Lamar CO elevation 3666 , it sure was HOT today.

We pulled out of Sundance High Plains RV Park in Lamar Colorado this morning around 7:00.  The GPS had us traveling north for 40+ miles through pretty flat land with nothing to see, while the land looked flat you were either on a  gradual incline of decline. One direction your could see for many miles a different direction, while the top of the rise might be a few miles away you couldn’t see beyond the top of the hill. Then we turned east where it was more of the same for over 100 miles, the only difference was we were following a rail road track. Then we got on the expressway for another 50-60 miles. All total, we traveled 234 miles with very little to see, once we got closer to Ellis KS the hills were slightly steeper and shorter.

At the Colorado Kansas border the time zone change had us loosing an hour.

It was HOT when we arrived in Ellis KS, around 11:45, even with our spot being in the shade of several large Cottonwood trees. It was still HOT and we ended up running the AC until early morning.

July 18, 2021 Ellis Kansas Elevation 2112

Woke up this morning to very foggy conditions. With an oh so slight breeze we headed north, in the Jeep to the town of Nicodemus, about 40 miles away, along the way we couldn’t see the tops of the wind mills.

 

The Nicodemus National Historical Site isn’t much, back in 1877 it was a town founded for and by people of color. A few years later they were unable to attract the train tracks, so the town slowly died, now a few of the remaining buildings are part of the National Monument.

After we got back from Nicodemus a strong storm rolled through. We were setting outside eating lunch when the wind arrived, literally seconds later, the rain began we barley managed to grab our things and get inside mostly dry.

The storm came barreling in hitting the back of the coach, the back has no windows, so all we could do is look out the side windows and feel the coach rocking.

Every now and then an extra strong gust would come along and durning a couple of those, I was kinda was wishing we weren’t parked under those big ole cottonwood trees.

Then all of a sudden there was a big bang, something hitting the coach, after the storm we couldn’t find what hit us……………… I know it wasn’t my imagination, something did hit us.

Thankfully no hail, which was mentioned in the storm warning and no trees blew over.

After a while, the sun came out and we played Dominos on the picnic table. Mary, the score keeper, won 2 of 3 games………….the score keeper won…………. HUM?????

July 19, 2021 Beatrice Nebraska Elevation 1248

Chasing another National Monument we drove 242 miles, we arrived here around noon and while the temperature is only 82 (HOT & MUGGY) we’re needing to run the A/C. BECAUSE IT’S HOT & MUGGY!

July 20, 2021 Beatrice NE

It was a warm and muggy evening, so we went to bed with the A/C on, I turned it off about 1:00 AM and opened the windows, we’ll see if we need to turn it back on today, probably. UGH.

This morning before it became toooooo unbearable HOT we went to the Homestead National Historical Park, it’s the site where on January 1, 1863, Daniel Freeman became the first person to file for free land under the Homestead Act. He filed for and received 160 acres which he farmed and homesteaded for the rest of his life, I think, I know he and his wife are buried on the site.

They have moved and rebuilt his original 1 room cabin near the Visitors Center, they also have a few different pieces of farm equipment to look at. Inside the Visitors Center they have a really good display with several old photographs blown up on the walls. From there we walked to the Education Center, which is at the other end of the property, where they had another inside display of early farm equipment. We did mention to one of the Rangers we met on the trail that they need some more plaques describing the equipment, sitting outside.

By the time we left it was getting HOT & MUGGY, the A/C in the jeep sure felt nice. According to Mary’s app thing we walked a little over 2 miles.

This small piece of ground has never been plowed, it was mowed regularly for the school playground, best guess this is what the area looked like in 1863.

Back home we didn’t need to turn on the A/C until around 3:00 when it started getting warm inside.

Reminder: this may be the last post until after Dr appointments in mid August when we start traveling again.

The End