Effigy Mounds National Monument

Elkader: Keystone double arch bridge
1889 - on National Register
of Historic Places

Our next stay was in Elkader, Iowa which is a nice little historic town in northeast Iowa. The afternoon that we arrived gave us a break from the rain so we walked from our RV park to town on the river walk and then walked around town to see some of the historic buildings. It was a nice little walk. 

Elkader: County Courthouse - half
built 1868, second half completed 1878

Elkader: 1891 Hardware Store on left
owned and operated by same family;
Opera House 1903 on right with
tiny City Hall between

The next day we waited for the morning storms to subside and then headed to Effigy Mounds National Monument about 30 miles away. This monument protects earthen mounds built between 2,500 and 850 years ago. Dome-shaped conical mounds began to be built 2,500 years ago by people now known as Woodland Indians. They were usually burial mounds. By 1,400 years ago area Indians began to build effigy mounds in the shapes of animals. These were possibly religious sites or clan symbols used in seasonal ceremonies.  

Effigy Mounds - aerial
light and radar photo

Most mounds are only 3-4 feet high and it is hard to identify the shapes standing at ground level, much less get a good picture. They do mow around the effigy mounts to make it easier to make them out but with all of the rain this hadn’t been done for a long time so we didn’t get that benefit.

Linear mound

Great Bear mound

Little Bear mound

Series of conical mounds

Large burial mounds

Traveling on in Kansas and Nebraska

Our next stop was almost straight east to Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in eastern Kansas. This is pretty much the last Tallgrass Prairie in the country as compared to its natural state when the prairie covered 1/3 of North America. At almost 11,000 acres, this preserve protects the last of the great grass land as well as ranch buildings built between 1880 and 1882. We didn’t choose a very good

Tallgrass Prairie NP - ranch house

time of year to visit as the grass was just getting started after the winter, and to add to that, we arrived after a day of pounding rain that would smash any grass patch. We were still able to learn about the prairie in the visitor center and we were able to tour the grand ranch house and buildings.

Tallgrass Prairie NP - ranch stone barn

We traveled up the Flint Hills Scenic Byway (KS 177) to Council Grove. This little community on the Santa Fe Trail is steeped in history. The name stems from a meeting in an oak grove between a US Commissioner and Osage chiefs where a treaty was signed granting passage through Osage territory on the Santa Fe Trail. Follow the link above to find more historic sites in the area. If I would have known there was this much to see I would have planned to spend a day or more here. As it was, we saw the remains of the Council Oak and Post Office Oak and then had lunch at Trail Days Café &Museum which was a great, unique experience. 

Remains of Council Oak

This is a museum that serves food and you get a history lesson from the owner as his time allows (we were the only ones in there at 2:15 so we got his full attention and story). He is passionate about his restored building and history, not only of Council Grove, but any history. We got a kick out of his enthusiasm and the food was good too. The history of the building was very interesting (follow the link above).

Trail Days House - 1861

The visit to Council Grove wrapped up our travel along the Santa Fe Trail. We started in Santa Fe, of all places, and followed the trail's mountain route over the Raton Pass to Trinidad, CO. As we drove northeast from Trinidad on US 350 and then east on US 50 over the next week, it follows the trail very closely and there are interpretive signs and visitor's centers to learn from as you go. Of course the forts we visited were the highlights. I just love traveling over the routes of the historic trails to see the type of travel they endured without the comforts that we enjoy. FYI - back a few years ago we had stopped at Fort Union National Monument in New Mexico, just north of Las Vegas, which was on the Santa Fe Trail and another excellent site to see. You can see trail ruts when driving to Fort Union from I-25. We could have seen trail ruts in a couple places this past week as well but they all required driving down dirt roads which seemed too risky with all of the rain and flooding everywhere.

We dodged a tornado (I actually saw it as we were driving) and spent the night in Junction City before heading north into Nebraska where we went to the Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice. This is on the site of the very first Homestead claim, filed on the first day the Homestead Act of 1862 went into effect on January 1, 1863. They don’t cover just Nebraska or plains homesteading, but the entire homesteading story including the last approved homestead in Alaska in 1979 (deed received in 1988). There is a homestead cabin on site and a little patch of prairie but the main attractions are the film and exhibits. Click here for the Wiki link to the Homestead Act.

On to Colorado and Kansas along the Santa Fe Trail

Bent's Old Fort NHS

Bent's Old Fort - pano as you
walk in gate

We continued north, following the route of the Santa Fe Trail mountain route, into Colorado and headed across the southeast corner of the state to Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site near La Junta. This National Park Service site has a precise replica of the Trading Fort built by Charles and William Bent and their partner Ceran St. Vrain in 1833. It is very precise because of drawings, including measurements, done by an army engineer (Lieutenant James Abert) while at the fort recuperating from illness in 1845-46. The fort thrived for approximately 18 years in its strategic location that attracted trappers from the Rockies, furs from the natives throughout the plains, and Mexicans from the south.

Bent's Old Fort from upper level
looking toward back of the fort

Because of their effectiveness with working with the natives, the fort was used as the headquarters for the Indian Agency. It also later became a military staging point for the U.S. invasion of Mexico. Not only is the history of the fort amazing, this re-creation is, as well. The Park Service did an outstanding job in the reconstruction including furnishings to give you a real feel for the life in the fort. They have an excellent film that provides the requisite lesson before touring the fort. We highly recommend a visit here. Note: the insides of the rooms throughout the fort are very well done with furnishings but I didn't get any good pictures.

Bent's Old Fort looking down from
upper level to gate

Boot Hill Museum
boardwalk

We continued on to Dodge City, Kansas so we could get some history of the famous town from the Boot Hill Museum. This museum is privately owned and operated and is nicely done. It does a good job giving the history of the town including a lot of artifacts from the area. The main old part of the town burned long ago but they have built era accurate buildings (can’t call them replicas) and filled them with period furnishings and artifacts from the area to give you a sense of life in Dodge. The museum has both a traditional type exhibit building and a street of buildings, complete with boardwalk, that you walk through.

Fort Larned

Fort Larned - some buildings
across parade grounds

From Dodge City we angled northeast along the Santa Fe Trail to Fort Larned National Historic Site. This fort was first established in 1860 with rough wood and adobe structures and in 1866-68 civilian contractors built ten permanent stone structures of which nine still exist and are preserved at this site. This fort was established to protect travelers on the Santa Fe Trail as well as to establish peace with the natives. The latter failed miserably. Once again, the NPS has done a great job shoring up the buildings and furnishing them so you can walk around and get a sense of what life was like for the people that lived at the fort. The visitor center also has a good film that gives the history lesson for the fort. Another place worth a visit.

Fort Larned - Officers Quarters
across parade grounds

Fort Larned

Fort Larned Officer's Quarter

On to the Wichita, KS area. Another historical town (I read a lot of western history books so these two stops are big for me) on the Arkansas River steeped with history of the cattle drives and cowboys. This is not on the Santa Fe Trail, we had to drop south to Wichita to go to the Old Cowtown Museum, which isn’t a traditional museum, but a little western town with a mix of 27 original mid to late 1800 buildings and another 27 replicas setup for you to enjoy the western town experience. It is yet another very well-done place to visit. We also got lucky and went on Sunday when it has free admission (although it would have been worth it to pay).

Fort Larned inside Barracks

We are on a roll – what a bunch of fantastic history and we are only 12 days out on this road trip. Seven NPS sites and two wonderful private museums that have been great. Stay tuned for more travels.

Old Cowtown Museum - Munger
house (1868) on left and Trapper
cabin on right (1865)

Old Cowtown Museum street

Old Cowtown Museum - inside
General Store (1884)

Old Cowtown Museum street

Old Cowtown Museum - Murdock
house (1874)

Old Cowtown Museum - Murdock house

More New Mexico sites

We left Albuquerque and headed north on I-25. We’ve driven this route many times and always wanted to stop at Pecos National Historical Park but with our big rig we were afraid of what we might get into but now that we are small (relatively) and nimble we made the stop. 

Pueblo boundary wall

Looking across the mound with ruins
under it to the church on far end

What's left of the latest church

This site is more of a history lesson than actually seeing a lot of ruins. It is the site of a community that dates back hundreds of years. The Pecos Pueblo was a thriving, powerful community that traded goods with both the Plains Indians and those to the west in the Rio Grande Valley. Its location on the trade route through Glorieta Pass was strategic. 

The Spaniards and Franciscan friars came along in the early 1600's and brought unwanted change which resulted in a rebellion. Years later the Spaniards came back, the Comanches  started raiding, the Santa Fe Trail passed through, and if that’s not enough, there was a Civil War battle nearby. Lots of history here! 

As far as what you can see, there has been archaeological digging going on for a hundred years but most of it has been back filled to protect what was found. That being said, the old Pueblos are pretty much underground but the relatively more recent Spanish church has a little bit of wall standing and covered with protective adobe. If you go it is important to see the film provided because it is very informative and gives the history lesson.

We continued on to Raton, NM where we stayed two nights so we would have a day in between to visit Capulin Volcano National Monument. This site was declared a National Monument in 1916 because it is such a perfect specimen of an extinct North American volcano. It also is a rare volcano in that it is covered with vegetation. After spending a couple hours walking on the top and over the flows at the bottom, we agree it is unique compared to the several other protected volcanic sites we’ve visited. 

Capulin Volcano from distance

Looking into crater from upper
parking lot

Looking into crater from rim trail

Two squeeze-ups (bubbles) in the
lava flow - on the Lava Flow loop
trail

Albuquerque, NM

We stayed near Albuquerque a few days to visit Petroglyph National Monument and Old Town Albuquerque.

We named this one Steve Martin -
it has both the King Tut hat and the
arrow through his head

Petroglyph National Monument has several sections on the west outskirts of Albuquerque with hiking trails at each, but, you can't hike right from the visitor center. You want to go to the visitor center first to get details of the various trails and directions to them.  You must hike to see the petroglyphs but you are rewarded with seeing hundreds of them. This Monument protects over 24,000 petroglyphs and the trails take you to the best clusters of them. We chose to do the Piedras Marcadas Canyon hike and it was great. We saw a lot of drawings unlike any we’ve seen before at the many places we’ve seen petroglyphs. Plus, it was a very pleasant, peaceful hike. We highly recommend a visit here.

The next day we spent a few hours wandering around Old Town Albuquerque and having a nice meal. There are lots of shops, of course, and quite a few restaurants and cafés to choose from. We got there late morning and it was enjoyable walking round the old streets before it was crowded. The San Felipe de Neri Church is the oldest church in Albuquerque and has continuously served the community without interruption since 1706. It stands on the north end of the plaza which, by the time we left early afternoon, was buzzing with activity with live music and tents with vendors. 

San Felipe de Neri Church

Add caption

Plaza

Road Trip 2019 begins

The watering hole that started it all

We headed out of the Phoenix area on May 8 and angled northeast to Springerville, AZ for our first day. We choose US 60 through the Salt River Canyon because it is beautiful and we hadn’t been on it in for probably 15 years. We were welcomed with cold, wind, and rain followed by a heavy frost the next morning. The good old high elevation life. We headed out in the sun the next morning and headed north on US 191 and then east on AZ 61/NM 53 to El Morro National Monument.  

Inscription dating to 1709

Guide info for the 1709
inscription

El Morro National Monument protects Puebloan ruins and Inscription Rock. The history revolves around a pool of water that was for centuries the only source of water for travelers within 100 miles. Puebloan people, Zuni people, Spanish Explorers and finally Anglo travelers all lived near, or stopped at, this water hole as a matter of survival. While there, thousands of these people carved into the sandstone cliff nearby. Today you can still see ancient petroglyphs mixed with inscriptions by Spaniards dating back as far as 1626 and Anglo travelers in the 1800s. It is a wonderful time capsule that will eventually erode away and be lost. The visitor center has a self guided tour aid that tells the history and gives details on some of the people who left inscriptions. Obviously, some historian(s) did a lot of research for our benefit. It is fascinating and worth a visit.

Mix of ancient petroglyphs and
Spanish inscription from 1639

Guide text for picture to left

After a quick lunch we drove on to El Malpais NationalMonument near Grants, NM. This national monument’s main features are lava flows, cinder cones and tubes. There is a natural arch on the edge where lava meets sandstone. There are hiking trails that lead to the lava features but the arch is a short walk from the road.

From here we went on to the west side of Albuquerque to spend a few days waiting out some rain and seeing more sites.

You may have noticed the picture change at the top. We have downsized. Since we are no longer full-timers we didn't need to be hauling around a 40 foot fifth wheel and we wanted to be more nimble to go places we couldn't with such a big rig. We'll test our ability to live in a tiny place. No, our other ones were not tiny, they were easy to live in full-time. Just for fun, here are some pictures of our RV history starting in 2010 when this blog started.

2008 Holiday Rambler Ambassador
at Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks

2015 Mobile Suites pulled by 2015
Ford F350 Dually at Yellowstone
National Park

2019 Host Mammoth Camper on 2015 Ford F350 dually
at El Morro National Monument, New Mexico