Our day began with a two hour drive to the Scotts Bluff National Monument. The bluff served as an important landmark on the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails. Over 250,000 westward emigrants passed by Scotts Bluff between 1843 and 1869. It was the second-most referred to landmark on the emigrant trails in pioneer journals and diaries. In the 1930s, a road was developed to the top of Bluff. Matt drove to the top while I walked the 1.6 mile Saddle Rock trail which gains 435’ of elevation before meeting Matt at the summit parking lot
That stop was followed another prominent geological rock formation known as Chimney Rock (or a term that meant elk penis by the Dakota Sioux native Americans). Rising over 300 feet above the surrounding North Platte River valley, the formation also served as a landmark for all three emigrant trails mentioned above. By that time is was 95º so we decided it was too hot to walk out to the rock and photographed from the visitor center.
We then stopped for lunch in nearby Gering, NE at the Log Cabin Restaurant and Lounge before learning how to servicing the RV at a dump site - adding fresh water and getting rid of the waste. Then it was off to our destination for the evening, North Platte, NE. Upon arrival we had a surprisingly interesting view of the Union Pacific Bailey Yards, the largest rail classification yard in the world. At 2,850 acres, the Bailey Yard has 17 receiving and 16 departure tracks handling 14,000 rail cars every 24 hours. We started our tour from the outdoor observation platform of the Golden Spike Tower and could not figure out why we were seeing in a distance one, two of three cars with no locomotive slowing proceeding down and sorted into one of the 114 parallel “bowl” tracks. They told us a retired UP yard employee was stationed in the 7th floor displays and he told us classifications are hump yards, where they create 20’-30’ tall gradual mounds at the start of the sorting process. A locomotive pushes the cars from a entering train to be sorted up that side of the hump and each car is separated roll down the backside of the hump and the turnouts (switches) are set to direct the next car in line to one of the tracks in the bowl based on its destination.
Then finally we made a quick stop Fort Cody Trading, touristy chotchke store with the only reason to visit is to see Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show hand carved in Miniature! The narrated diorama, took 12 years to complete and contains over 20,000 pieces many of which are animated.
With only chain hotels in North Platte, we checked into the Hilton Tru, a new Hilton concept appealing to travelers with a “millennial mindsight. Not really us, but it did make it more interesting than a typical stay at a roadside Hilton. Before retiring for a big day tomorrow we ubered downtown for dinner at the Cedar Room where I enjoyed my second chicken fried steak of the trip.