Our first stop was historic Fort Laramie, where we took a tour, spoke with the docents and enjoyed bottles of root beer and birch beer in an old-time saloon. As you can see, the Midwest sky was threatening.
Driving away from Fort Laramie on a desolate, two-lane highway, we suddenly came upon on a bison bull near the road - reminding us of some of the original inhabitants of the great plains. After driving for a couple of hours, we arrived in the middle of nowhere -- Manville, Wyoming (population 97), the first home where John remembers living.
Little had changed with the house where John lived next door to the church.
John's dad was the pastor of this little church that seemed to be experiencing a special visitation as we looked on.
After an overnight stay in nearby Lusk, Wyoming, we drove to Fort Robinson, Nebraska, where Lauren's great grandfather, Jacob Simon, had been stationed in 1876.
Lauren met with the curator of the Fort Robinson Museum and author of this book and was able to learn more about her great grandfather's service there.
While Fort Robinson was a fascinating place, we could not help but look back and feel the absence of the original inhabitants who had been driven from this beautiful landscape.
