Anyone who has played The Oregon Trail game knows the dangers of river crossings. How many of us have not lost an axle, supplies, or a “family member” during one of those crossings? Well, that game was probably more accurate than we’d like to think. River crossings were one of the more dangerous and fearedContinueContinue reading “On the Trail: River Crossings”
Tag Archives: Overland Trail
On the Trail: Clothing
Okay, you all know that if I have one favorite aspect of history, fictional or otherwise, it is CLOTHING. So, you’d think that talking about clothing on the trail would be easy for me, right? NO. Actually, this was one of the harder things for me to find because, for some weird reason, people talkContinueContinue reading “On the Trail: Clothing”
On the Trail: Causes of Death
When traveling the Oregon/California Trail, there was one thing that was consistent among all of the plaques and museums and books and guides…and that was how INCONSISTENT they were on the number of people who traveled the trail. Seriously. We saw numbers that ranged all the way from 100,000ish to half a million. Honestly, itContinueContinue reading “On the Trail: Causes of Death”
On the Trail: Wagons
The most common misunderstanding when it comes to wagons is the type. The type of covered wagon used is a misconception that is addressed in almost any book talking about the trail, yet is so widespread that most people still think of Conestoga wagons when thinking about the Oregon/California Trail. I even recently saw anContinueContinue reading “On the Trail: Wagons”
Dinner at 1800: Strawberry Dumplings
For this month’s Dinner at 1800, we are going on the trail! Yup, today’s recipe is from Mary Power’s diary when she was traveling to California in 1856, which means attempting to replicate it was quite an adventure. See the highlights over on Instagram! So many thank yous to my sister, Tianna, without whom, theContinueContinue reading “Dinner at 1800: Strawberry Dumplings”
Grand Canyon: The Final Day
Day 27 (June 23): We left our luxurious hotel room this morning with reluctance, casting final admiring glances about us. We had a four-hour drive ahead of us to reach the The Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon. I have always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. I was so excited to get there, hopefully noContinueContinue reading “Grand Canyon: The Final Day”
Las Vegas
Day 26 (June 22): I’ve been in Las Vegas once before. On a campaign, in college. I would like to note that the experience is extremely different when you are corralling a bunch of high schoolers, directing campaign routes, and making cold calls about your candidate. While we were technically near the strip, my onlyContinueContinue reading “Las Vegas”
Heading to Las Vegas
Day 25 (June 21): Staying at the Joshua Tree National Park was an experience all its own. It was hot and dry, but cooled off nicely as evening fell. Surrounded by Yuccas and Joshua Trees, a hot wind, and the caution to reserve water, I felt like I was in an adventure movie. We wereContinueContinue reading “Heading to Las Vegas”
Following Big Sur
Day 21 (June 17): You think you’re safe. You think everything is great. You think, you are in an Airbnb. You are not camping. There is no way (gulping as you look at the webs surrounding the door) you will have any trouble with spiders or bugs here. Lies. All lies. Okay, so it wasn’tContinueContinue reading “Following Big Sur”
Sacramento: The End of the Trail
Day 19 (June 15): Well, we did it. Can you believe it?? We followed all the way to the end!! But I’m getting ahead of myself. Lake Tahoe yesterday was such an amazing break. We laid on the beach, watched the sun go down, got an appetizer and a couple drinks, and finally meandered backContinueContinue reading “Sacramento: The End of the Trail”
Forest Idylls 