Around Omaha

We spent the day around Omaha today and visited several interesting places.

The Western Historic Trails Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa has a number of exhibits concerning the several trails, and how travel then compares with travel now.

They also have a beautiful model of the keel boat.

We don't know why we always  pick a place for lunch that caters to bikers.

But it didn't make any differene, because we all were too late for lunch.

 On July 30th Clark journaled;

"Proceeded on to a clear open prairie...formed a camp...From the bluff...above our camp, the most beautiful prospect of the river, up and down...which I ever beheld..."

This is that view today.

The state of Iowa has placed a beautiful monument at that place 

With description engraved in the stone.

Further up river, actually at the place the council in "Council Bluffs" was held, is Fort Atkinson. The museum has the most interesting exhibit I have seen, and that is a replica of the famous "air rifle" which could fire 30 shots on a charge with the impact of the percussion cap muskets they used, but which made no noise. This example of the superior technology (or magic) of the white men went a long way toward avoiding armed conflict.

The fort itself was, for many years, the largest military installation in the United States, although it was hundreds of miles from any other activities.





We plan to proceed on to Yankton, SD tomorrow, unless we get involved in other interesting places along the way. We are learning to be flexible.