Yellowstone or Bust! Day 14

Friday, July 5, 2013. We awoke in North Platte, Nebraska on our last day of vacation. We had arrived late last night, so when we got on the road the change in scenery from previous days' was quite a surprise. Once again, I could see green – green grass, green fields, green trees. Though it didn’t look exactly like home, the countryside was starting to look a bit more familiar.

At 9:00 am sharp, we rolled into the parking lot of The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument. All of us that had passed this way before had seen the giant arch directly over I-80 just east of Kearney, Nebraska but had never fit it into our travel plans. We didn’t want to miss it this time.

The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument is a museum of the Platte River valley's role in westward expansion. To enter the museum, an escalator leads up and through a moving video display of the prairie and into a multi-media experience designed by a Disney team. Interactive displays and dioramas tell the stories of the exploration and settlement of the west. History unfolds before you in chronological order, from the white man’s first exploration to the pioneers in wagon trains struggling across this vast land; from the California Gold Rush to the overland stage coach; from the coming of the transcontinental railroad to the era of the highway and car travel along the Lincoln Highway, now I-80.

The displays are very professionally done and portray the stories so well you are taken back into the past. One of the most poignant scenes depicted the extreme difficulty of the wagon trail, as emigrants left their belongings by the side of the road to lighten their load and buried family members lost to accidents and disease. One of the most fun scenes portrays an early auto camp, as highways became an easy way for families to travel to see the wonders of the west. There are also windows facing directly over I-80, where you can watch traffic speed under the arch.

We were all happy we took the time to visit this fascinating museum. It was to be our last stop except for gas, food and bathroom breaks for the next 7 hours. Everyone passed the time in their own way; Gin read, Deb and I listened to audio books, Sierra and Dane had their electronic devices to play with, Deb also wrote a letter to the van rental company about our tire problems, Dane and I played some golf and disc golf on his I-Pod, and we all napped while the men drove. For long periods of time we were quiet, which prompted Deb to ask if we had finally run out of stuff to talk about!

Sleeping!

Who knows?

At Gin and Tim’s house we unloaded the van for the last time, and got everything sorted and back to its rightful owners. Hugs were shared all around, and we went our separate ways – back to our homes, our lives, our families. These past two weeks have given us many unforgettable memories and left us both exhilarated and exhausted.  But we are all immeasurably richer from the amazing experiences we shared on our “Yellowstone or Bust!” vacation.