Day 63 - Oshkosh to Bridgeport - Two Far 2021 - Sooo... Far

June 10, 2021

Day 63 - Oshkosh to Bridgeport

On the trail

Heart

Comment

It was a great ride today until the heat got pretty uncomfortable the last half hour. We began with a brisk tailwind and were cruising along at 16-18 mph. The Nebraska scenery was something different for us and we enjoyed the views.

It's haying time here, as we've seen the last few days.

Getting ready to load newly rolled bales

We had a decent shoulder from the beginning, but a few miles in, we got a newly paved shoulder, which apparently took precedence over the traffic lanes. We we very happy!

One of the good things about today's route was that we had stops along the way. At sixteen miles, we came to the town of Lisco. We knew there wasn't much there, but a bank showed up on Google maps.

Points West Community Bank. It was the only open business we could find in Lisco

We stopped at the bank and found a sign on the front door proclaiming No Public Restrooms. We thought we might at least rest in the lobby and enjoy some air conditioning. The folks inside were very nice, welcomed us in, gave us bottled water - and let us use the restroom. We appreciated their kindness very much.

The warm and friendly bank staff - Brittany, Michael and Jean

Our route today followed the north shore of the North Platte River. It is the route of the Oregon Trail and the Mormon Pioneer Trail.

This is a landmark on the trail. I'm going to give you a chance to guess what's it's called before I post the interpretive marker.

I thought it really resembled a frog's head. If you scroll in, you can read this marker.

A view of the North Platte River. We will be following the river until we reach Casper, Wyoming.

The actual formations are well in the distance, but visible.

The second stop on our route was at the Broadwater Country Store. It is a nice convenience store with a great owner. He is working hard to keep this business open in the tiny town of Broadwater.

Another historical marker we passed today.

We asked Donnie about bluffs and buttes and he said they just call them all hills.

At Bridgeport, we visited the Pioneer Trails Museum. It is a small place with local artifacts and a terrific docent, Billie. She gave us a tour and shared local and personal stories about some of the items.

This beautiful desk belonged to a local mapmaker.

Billie wasn't sure how it worked. Why is there a hole on the side?

This is a "boot" for a mule, to protect their feet from sharp rocks.

This is a very interesting item, used to wean calves. It fits over a calf's head to prevent it's mother from nursing it.

This is a corn shucker. This one was completely new to both of us.

And this gorgeous little item is a dinner bell. It looks like something that should be used to summon the queen to dinner, not the family of a plains settler.

Today's ride: 45 miles (72 km)
Total: 2,477 miles (3,986 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	5
Comment on this entry	Comment	0