As we were looking at the dreaded Great Plains states looming wide and desolate between us and our family we’re headed to visit in the Midwest, the ‘uuuuughs’ easily set in.

The mind envisions hours and hours of driving through flat, featureless plains, dustbowls, and cornfields.

Since we like to go-see-do, even on trips that are just for family visits, we threw a bunch of possible pushpins in our travel map and decided to alter our route to hit some of them.

Scotts Bluff National Monument, in Western Nebraska is first on the list. A major landmark along the Oregon Trail, looking at the plains stretching in both directions really makes you think about the hardy emigrants seeing those bluffs rising out of of the distance and what that must have been like.

A Hard Life

I can’t imagine bundling my family and all my worldly belongings in this rig in hopes of finding a better life in the West. Different people, different times.

Note the jet contrail headed eastbound overhead, we sure have it easy nowadays!

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The Wheels On The Bus

… Go round and round

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Welcome Landmark

A welcome landmark to have on the starboard side of your Prairie Schooner.

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This Way

Colette heads up the Saddle Trail to Scotts Bluff. Lots of dry prairie scrub like this, then amazing pockets of of lush green forest and water make Nebraska a crazy place.

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Visions of Nebraska

Now this is what I think of Nebraska – flatlands to the horizon!

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You Can Keep Your Hat On

Crazy, crazy wind up here on the bluff!

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Where’s Waldo?

Can you spot Colette trail running in this shot?

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The Bluffs

The Oregon Trail runs through the pass between the bluffs.

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Scotts Bluff

Proof that Nebraska isn’t all flatlands and cornfields!

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Scotts Bluff Google Earth

Google Earth track from Scotts Bluff National Monument Saddle Rock Trail

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