August 7, Colby KS to Evergreen CO to Estes Park CO

Up and going early. One pleasure of early rising in the mid-west is the beautiful sunrises, each are so different.  This morning the sun rose right next to a large grain elevator.  Interesting  effect here on the western plains.

Into Colorado and then a turn to the far south-eastern corner for another stop on our Japanese internment camp tour.  As we drove the sight of yet another camp, we were struck by how isolated this camp was.  Amache Internment Camp, was another of the ten main camps the War Relocation Authority set up to incarcerate Japanese Americans, mostly US citizens from the West Coast.  This site was serious in the middle of nowhere.  We had hoped to make a visit to a small museum being curated by local high school students, but were unable to reach anyone to open it for us.  http://www.amache.org/

We were very pleased though at the fine interpretation done at the site of the camp itself.  They had the best brochure filled with excellent photos and descriptions.  This camp had the highest level of young men who volunteered and fought in WWII.  The resourcefulness of these people under incarceration is astounding, and at Amache they formed a cooperative store that did $40,000 a month in sales providing to one another essential items. 

We were again moved at the total injustice of the situation, and the importance that these people who suffered must not be forgotten.

As we were headed to the Denver area, we were following the route of the Old Santa Fe Trail, and discovered that we would be passing close by Bent’s Old Fort, a national historic site.  Dick quickly advocated that we should add that to our itinerary.  One unique aspect to this fort was that it was not a military fort, but rather a commercial fort.  It was in operation in the 1833s to 1849, where they outfitted trappers and traded for furs, especially with the Southern Cheyenne Indians.  This fort was in a critical location being about two months down the trail from Independence Missouri and so travelers were thrilled to have this island for civilization at the outer limits of the US territories, on the border of what was then Mexico. http://www.nps.gov/beol/index.htm

Another one of the unique features of this fort was that it was made out of abode, not the stereotypical wooden stockade.  It fell into disuse after a Calera epidemic decimated the Southern Cheyenne and there was no one to trace furs with.  Once not being maintained, the abode simply washed away.

Once the National Park Service took control over the land, they debated whether to try to rebuild the fort.  They were able to fine some details measurements and drawings that had been done when the fort was in its prime.  The fort was rebuilt and opened to the public in 1976?  Because it is not an original structure, but a living history site, visitors are able to touch things and see craftspeople and workers in action, without risking the archeological artifacts.  Again, we found the Park Service ranger and volunteers to be excellent in their knowledge and ability to present information in an accurate and interesting manner.  They were dressed in period clothing and were acting, as they would have at that time, but interpreted things to us.  We had a delightful conversation with a woman who was busily cooking beef tongue in a clay crock over coals on a hearth.  Yum, yum.  It was a fascinating visit.

As we drove further west the clouds built and threatened rain.  We only had a little fall on us but we did get a spectacular view of Pike's Peak with the storms moving over it. Then we drove through the rush hour traffic through Colorado Springs and Denver.  So many cars, moving slowly.  We climbed out of Denver through the foothills of the Rockies to Evergreen Colorado.  The road followed a narrow canyon that wound its way between steep cliffs.  It was breathtaking. 

In Evergreen, we were so pleased to see dear friends, Jenny and Bo who have a great home in the mountains there.  We were touched by their gracious hospitality, including Jenny’s triumphant new dishes she learned in gourmet chef classes.  We were feasting on am amazing food in a fabulous setting.  It was wonderful to reconnect and catch up on our lives and travels.  We were pleased to leave with an autographed copy of Jenny’s latest book.

The evening passed too quickly and it was rather late when we made the final drive of the day through the mountains northwest of Boulder to Estes Park CO where we would spend a couple of nights, next to Rocky Mountain National Park.