LaGrande and Wallowa State Park

June 29-30  La Grande, Oregon

A prosperous looking little town, La Grande has a long history. The first permanent settler was in 1861. There's been a lot of history here since then. The influence of cattle ranching is seen in the really wide streets - nice if you're towing or driving a big RV!

Grande Hot Springs RV park is home base - a new name for the park we stayed in last time. They've added a few new features since we were here last, including an additional laundry facility.
Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area is right across the road, and there's a canal running across the back side of the RV park, so it's a good location for bird watchers.

This is another of those quick stops, laundry, shopping, any needed repairs, and then on to four days at Wallowa State Park.

I could only identify one quilt shop in town, so paid them a brief visit when we ran a couple of errands. The shop in is the older downtown part of LaGrand, and while we weren't really in the market for shopping or browsing at the moment, there are a lot of attractive little specialty shops in the area. The La Grande Quilt Shop has a nice range of fabrics, but my space is limited so I only picked up a few interesting fat quarters.


We visited LaGrande in 2011 for trailer a trailer repair, as the Arctic Fox factory is here. We had no major repairs needed this time, but did develop a problem.

One afternoon we noticed we had no water on the hot water side of all the faucets. A bit of research and a lot of crawling around in tight spaces revealed the problem. It was Sunday, of course, so no parts were available, but as it turns out, we don't really need to replaced the valve. It's unnecessary unless you are planning to use antifreeze in winterizing the water system, which we never do. Problem solved!

Not much has changed in the area since our last visit except the name changes. Our comments on the interesting features of the hotel (now called Hot Springs Lake B&B) and the RV park (now called Grande Hot Springs RV Park) at that came are in this post.


July 31- August 3    Wallowa Lake State Park

They call the Wallowa Mountains the Little Alps, and you can see why.

First views of the mountain range from the highway are breathtaking, and in spite of the hot weather there are still little patches of snow here and there on the mountain peaks.

Steve has had Wallowa Lake State Park on his bucket list for a long time, and we finally made it! . . and it was a close call! When making reservations months ago he found it was already booked up, but put his name on the wait list. A short time before we left Texas he received an email message saying they'd had a cancellation, so he snapped it up.

Considering we had no choice in the matter, we got lucky and really have a great site. It's on an end, so our sitting area is much more spacious than most, and we are only a few steps from the entrance to the nature trail, which is handy for the dogs.

This park is huge ( 209 sites) , and very densely populated ..... the complete opposite of Clyde Holiday.

They've done a great job of working in around huge fir trees though, so there's a lot of shade.

We've never seen such a busy campground! All day and into the evening people there are wandering around, adults talking in groups, kids riding bikes (we've seen some pretty amazing bike helmets), young parents chasing their toddlers, people walking dogs (it seems everyone has at least one dog) and two enterprising young men made several firewood deliveries, pushing the little firewood carts while riding their skateboards. Now THAT was entertaining!

The park has a small but adequate off-leash dog area down by the marina, and it works well for the evening ball games. We also went swimming at one of the day use boat ramp areas. Otherwise, life is fairly restricted for the canine set.

Views of this beautiful lake can be had from the highway and the shore, but the campground isn't really situated in a way to afford that kind of scenery. This is where a boat would be handy, but we've given up hauling our canoes. We enjoyed several short excursions around the park to explore the little trails and views of the lake, and to play ball with the pups of course!


The little town of Joseph is just north of the state park, and the closest place for groceries and other services. Joseph is a beautiful town with a long history. It was established as far back as 1883. Originally a ranching and logging community, the town has now evolved into an art colony and tourism center. Summer visitors come for the beautiful views, fall visitors for the hunting, and winter for the snow sports. If you want to shop the galleries gift shops and eateries, you can do that year round too. And of course, there's a quilt shop!

Cattle Country Quilts didn't disappoint. They have some wonderful fabrics that really fit with the themes of the area. I couldn't resist a winter themed piece, and a license plate of course!

We stopped in to the local museum and chatted with their docents who are well versed in the history and family names. They can fill you in on all the artifacts displayed there, as well as Nez Perce tribe history, and anything else you want to know about the area.

Main street is an art walk every day, featuring several bronzes from local artists, cast in the city's foundry. We had lunch in an outdoor restaurant and really enjoyed the views.

The photo album includes larger versions of each sculpture

We also stopped at Old Chief Joseph's cemetery on the way back to camp. There's so much to do and explore here it's hard to fit it all in.

Wednesday we took the Wallowa Mountain Loop to the Hells Canyon Overlook

Photos of these huge mountains and steep valleys covered with trees just wouldn't convey the real message, so I didn't even try. What we did notice as unusual was the extremely tall snags standing far above the obviously younger, and very dense, fir trees.

Checking later I found this is the result of the Canal Fire, where a lightning-caused fire burned 23,000 acres in 1989. The younger trees (28 years since the fire) are so dense that they really need to be thinned, and there are discussions about how to go about that now.

We really enjoyed the drive to Hells Canyon Overlook. It's another one of those amazing, overwhelming scenic views. It's so large it's difficult to convey, a little like the Grand Canyon, and the smoke from forest fires was beginning to creep in.

We really enjoyed the drive, stopping along the way to admire several of the creeks that crisscross the road, visiting the fish weir, and stopping for lunch at a small fishing pond. The dogs seem to enjoy the scenery from the truck as well as getting out to explore each time we stop.

On our last day we drove north to the town of Wallowa to visit the Nez Perce Homeland Interpretive Center. The project office is in an unpretentious little building directly across from the post office, and we almost missed it. The displays aren't extensive, but there are some beautiful artifacts, excellent maps and explanatory displays, and the office is staffed by an enthusiastic and very knowledgeable young woman. The office will provide you with a brochure that includes a map to the nearby Homelands project, where you can walk a trail with interpretive markers along the Wallowa River, visit the dance arbor and longhouse, and enjoy some very special views of the Nez Perce homelands.

We've followed the Nez Perce trail in bits and pieces, starting at the end and now, we've worked our way to the beginning, so we've completed the route. If you are interested in Native American history this is a worthwhile side trip.

On the way back to camp we stopped in to take a look at Wallowa Lake Lodge, which is located right before the entrance to the campground. The lodge was built in 1923, and was really thriving when our daughter's choir performed there (many years ago!) but apparently was about to go under when a small group of investors gathered together to rescue it in 2015. It would have been so sad to see the lodge close. It's a wonderful example of the classic lodge style, beautifully maintained, and exemplifies the gracious feel of the older park lodges throughout the west.

Reception area and main lounge

I said at the beginning the views of the mountains here are amazing, and they really are. Unfortunately, fires in the area began pushing smoke in, and by our third day the mountains were barely visible. I'm glad I didn't wait to take photos. This was taken the morning of the third day, and the smoke got progressively worse. 

Smoke over Wallowa Lake

We really enjoyed our time here, but now we're packing up and heading for a few days in Utah!

Photo Album here 

Custer's Last Stand

June 13-15
This is another of those locals on our bucket list. After touring several other Indian Wars battle sites on our way to the area we were pretty well acquainted with the history of the time.

A visit to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is a solemn experience in many respects.

Custer National Cemetary

Immediately adjacent to the parking area is the Custer National Cemetery, so we look a little time to walk the rows and read a few of the headstones. Originally established in 1879 to protect the graves of soldiers who died in the Little Bighorn battle it was later enlarged and includes burials from veterans and spouses, as well as children, from almost every military action up until the closing in 1978, Only plots already reserved are still available. A small booklet is available for a self guided walking tour. It has some fascinating details about the history of the cemetery as well as many of the individuals interred there.

Only a short distance from the cemetery is the Little Bighorn visitors center. An informative film, nice displays, and a fantastic presentation by a ranger (from Texas!) who has been studying this historic event since he was 18. 'Guess he knows a little about it!

After the ranger's presentation we took a bus tour with the Absaalooka tribal tours (Absaalooka is the true name of the tribe that came to be known as the Crow). Narrated by a member of the tribe, we learned more about the event as well as a little of their culture, and the inter-tribal politics that had an impact on the battle. Specific facts about the battle were discussed as we viewed the actual locations. The guide explained how the terrain impacted the actions of the soldiers and the Indians.

A portion of the Little Bighorn Battlefield

For those unaware of the timeline of events - here's the brief history. (A much more detailed version is available here.) We all know pioneers headed west for free or cheap land. When they came into contact with the Indians (it's ok to call them Indians, they use that term too) there were often conflicts. Sometimes they got along, sometimes not. Usually at issue was the conflict over land to farm (pioneers) and land to hunt (Indians).

A treaty was signed giving most of the Dakota Territory to the Indians, including some land not assigned to a specific tribe, but open for all to hunt. The Black Hills were included in the treaty area. Forts were established along the main travel routes so the military could protect the settlers as well as keeping the settlers from bothering the Indians.

Shortly after the Civil War, when many men were returning home, with no jobs, a financial recession hit the nation hard. At about the same time gold was discovered in the Black Hills. There was no stopping the pioneers from flooding into the areas that were supposed to be off limits to them. President Grant tried various ways of managing the situation, but several Chiefs (Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, primarily) wouldn't go along with his plan and insisted on staying off reservation, in the open area. This was when the military was sent in to "round then all up and get them to the reservation".

Tribal politics were having their own effect on the situation. The Sioux (Lakota) and Cheyenne were trying to push the Crow out of the area. The Crow, thinking that if they could get rid of the Sioux they'd be in good shape, were happy to scout for the Army. It didn't turn out so well for anyone. The Indians knew this was their last stand, and whether Custer knew it was his "last stand" as he went into battle or not, it was a major turning point for the Native American cultures in the area.

Monument on the mass grave on Last Stand Hill

After careful scouting, planning and discussions, Custer divided his troops into three groups, hoping to surround the tepees set up in the valley near the river. Gathered for hunting and a seasonal celebration, the village setting was full of families.  Though the attack was a surprise, the Indians resoundingly defeated the Army. The battle, over two hot June days in 1876, resulted in the deaths of over 260 soldiers and attached personnel. It's hard to say how many Indians were killed, including women and children, but the number is probably under 50.

A mass grave holds many of the remains, and there are markers throughout the park, indicating where it is known that someone fell - white for soldiers, red for Native Americans. A few have names, but most do not.

There is also a peace memorial, dedicated to the Native Americans who were involved in, and perished in, this battle. The memorial has panels around the curved walls with names and etched portraits. It's beautiful, and definately worth the short walk up the hill from the visitor center. There's more information about the Indian Memorial and what happened to those who died in the battle here.

After two days of touring the sites and digesting all the historic information we decided on a lunch out, at the trading post near the entrance to the park. Good souvenir shopping, and the best "Indian Taco" I've ever had. HUGE fry bread heaped with goodies.

7th Ranch RV Park was home for the duration of our visit to the Little Bighorn. There aren't a lot of housing choices in the area, but we were very pleased with our choice. 7th Ranch is named for the 7th Cavalry, Custer's command.

7th Ranch is situated inside a working ranch of several hundred acres. They have a few head of cattle, and some great scenery! Guests are free to take dogs off-leash anywhere outside the immediate fenced campground area, so there's plenty of room to roam and good grass and sagebrush to check out.

The spaces are comfortably large, and some have shade trees. There are also a few tent spaces, and a playground for the little ones. The laundry facilities are pretty small, but seem to be adequate for the needs of visitors. It seems most guests stay only one night so the area really empties out during the day. The owners and camp hosts are all friendly and helpful, and we really enjoyed our stay!

The evening view from our site - a Charlie Russell sky

On the map, the closest town is Garryowen - which turns out to be a one acre, privately owned town (the ownership is too long to discuss, and irrelevant). The name is  unusual so I just had to look it up. 'Turns out, the tune Garryowen is, and has been for many years, the official tune of the 7th Cavalry.  Here's the full history,  along with the music. It seems like a good name for this tiny town near this infamous location so closely connected to the 7th Cavalry.

This little "town" houses a private museum of Native American artifacts. They also have an extensive gift shop with a range of goods from typical souvenirs to high end art work and traditional Indian jewelry as well as art works of rawhide, feathers and beads.

The album is here, and there's more information on each of the individual photos.

North to Montana, and the Indian Wars

Sunday, June 11,

'Time to say goodbye to Devils Tower and wander our way further north.

We hadn't been on the road very long when we dropped down over a little rise to see this view...

 brrrrrrrrrrrrrr, us Texans aren't really ready for that!
Home for the night,  Deer Park, just outside Buffalo, WY.

The park turned out to be perfect for our one night stop. A nice little laundry room, a level site right on their central green area, and a trail along with a huge mowed meadow that worked for our evening ball toss with the dogs.

They really offer a variety of activities and housing choices. They have a few cabins, and there's a small playground for little ones, along with horseshoe pits.

We toured the town of Buffalo in the afternoon and what a nice little town it is.

They've really played up their western heritage. Everything is very clean and it's clear they are proud of their history. A few things really caught our attention.

One such item was this statue of Nate Champion in front of the museum.

This cowboy had the kind of grit it took to ranch in the old west, but big money and big ranching got the best of him in the end.

This article in American Cowboy describing his ordeal is worth a read . . .  The Story of Nate Champion. The situation described in the article was apparently pretty common at the time as we found the Nate Champion story referenced in several museums as an example of the situation that existed for small cattle ranchers at the time.

As usual, we're going to miss a big local event - the annual Longmire Days celebration. Anyone who's read Craig Johnson's series about Sheriff Longmire, or watched the series (now on Netflix) will get the picture. The little town in the stories is modeled after Buffalo. Their annual celebration brings the cast of the show and fans together for a week of activities. It sounds like fun! . . but we'll be in Nevada by then! If anyone's interested, here's the Chamber of Commerce's page with the key info.

In the morning we loaded up the wagon and headed for the freeway heading north toward Sheridan to find the on-ramp was being patrolled by a wild turkey! What a rare sight! We've gotten used to all the rolling green grassland dotted with cattle and antelope, but this is the first turkey sentry we've seen, and right in town!

Monday, June 12
On our way north to Sheridan, WY, we stopped first at a monument recalling the Fetterman Fight.

To put this in perspective historically, a full ten years before the infamous Battle at Little Big Horn the settlers and U.S. Army were engaging in armed battle with local tribes across the northern plains.

The Fetterman Fight was one such battle. In December of 1866, Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors engaged a force commanded by Capt. William J. Fetterman. The soldiers had been sent out to rescue a wagon train.

Using a decoy plan, something the Indians weren't noted for doing before, they lured the soldiers into an ambush. All 81 men in Fetterman's command were killed within 30 minutes. Only The Battle of the Little Big horn stands as a worse defeat for the U.S. Army, and victory for the Plains Indians.  The monument noting the details of the battle overlooks beautiful rolling grass covered hills. It's hard to envision the shooting, yelling smoke and chaos that must have taken place.

Unfortunately The Fetterman Fight was not the only incident of its kind. A treaty had been signed that allotted certain lands to the Indians and left a corridor open for settlers to travel, as well as for hunting. The idea at the time was that the military would be responsible for keeping the settlers out of the agreed upon Indian lands, then GOLD was discovered in the Black Hills of South Dakota, a large piece of the land deeded to the tribes, and that turned the agreement upside down.

In 1866 Fort Phil Kearny was established at the forks of Big and Little Piney Creeks. One of three forts along the trail, the mission of the post was three-fold - protect travelers along the Bozeman trail, prevent inter-tribal warfare among the Native Americans, and to draw the Indian forces away from the development of the railroad line that was under construction in southern Wyoming.

Site of Fort Phil Kearney

By 1868 the Union Pacific Railroad had reached a point to the west where travelers could bypass the trail forts and all the risk, and in the Treaty of 1868 the U.S. government agreed to close the forts. Fort Phil Kearny was burned shortly thereafter. It was in terrible shape by then anyway, having been built from green logs and green lumber. After drying for only a year the wood had shrunk so badly the walls all had huge cracks, and many structures were deemed unsafe for occupancy.

Shiner and a wagon box

The current buildings and structures on the site of the original fort are reconstructions, and do help to give visitors a feel for the place. Frequent sighting devices around the perimeter of the site make it easy to identify specific landmarks and the sites of specific events.

A short gravel road from the site of the fort leads visitors to the Wagon Box fight. Here, soldiers took refuge in a corral made of wagon boxes - Shiner lends scale - not a very large shelter as you can see, and though this was high ground, they had no shelter other than the boxes.

The Connor Battlefield State Historic Site, only a short distance north, is another memorial to the events of those days.

This was the site of the Battle of Tongue River, between the Army and the Arapaho.
This was the single most important military engagement of the Powder River Expedition of 1865 because this particular battle caused the Arapaho to ally with the Sioux and the Cheyenne. The alliance thereby creating the large force that overcame the Army in the Fetterman Fight, a year later.

The Conner Battlefield site is located along the tongue river, and has been developed into a very nice park and campground. One of those hidden jewels we really enjoy.

Conner Battlefield monument

The Tongue River curves around the park, which is beautifully maintained. Lots of trees, a few graveled pull-through sites and some tent sites and picnic spaces. $11 a night for a pull-through right on the river. No hook-ups. The park does have restrooms and water is available.

This area is dripping in history - one could do a tour here focusing on military history, another on the Native American aspect, and another focusing on the pioneer perspective.

To view them all at once is of course more realistic, but hard to process as there is so much information to digest. . . so many brave and hardworking individuals. No good guys and bad guys, just everyone trying to do what they thought was best at the time.

Aug 4-5 Forts along the Missouri River

Aug. 4
When you've grown up on the west coast, as we have, you don't think too much about commerce on the rivers. Here on the plains, surrounded by evidence of how important the Missouri river was to the westward movement, it is clear that river traffic and in later years the railroad, were essential to the development of towns and industry.

Where the boats could dock, towns sprung up, and later, any railroad stop, even if it was just a water stop in the days of steam engines, a little settlement would be

established.  Now, the river boats are done, trains no longer need water for their boilers, so along the river and the tracks we see many of those little settlements long abandoned.

This section of the Missouri was particularly critical is it was the end of the navigable section so supplies had to be off loaded and moved from the boats to another form of transportation. That lead to the formation of the settlement of the area.

Forts too, were established along those routes. Most were military forts, for the protection of westward moving citizens from the east, but many of the so-called forts were really commercial enterprises. The term "fort" in the historical sense means a trading post, and of course, as it had walls, warmth and food would have also been a refuge in time of need.

Leaving Great Falls, heading toward Havre (pronounced Hay-ver), we stopped to visit the Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument visitor center. A short movie highlighted the importance of this river in the development of the west, touching on Lewis and Clark, the westward movement in general, the unique geology of the area, and the modes of travel necessitated by the river's character and the terrain. We don't think much about riverboats these days, but they were pretty essential at the time, as the river was very shallow in several places. A new riverboat design, with very little draft, had to be invented, which reminds me of the jet boats that now operate on the Rogue river in Oregon.

We spent the night at a great little campground on Fresno Reservoir, just a bit west of Havre. It's operated by the local chapter of Walleyes Unlimited (a walleye is a fish, for the uninitiated!)

Great, friendly folks. The campground asks for donations, but there's no set fee. We enjoyed visiting with the other campers and the hosts, and the doggies enjoyed a bit of freedom to play in the water.

Aug 5 - Friday
We pulled up stakes and headed east, still on hwy. 2. Our first stop was  Fort Benton , which bills itself as the "birthplace of Montana."

The actual fort is right in the center of town and surrounded by park area. It's restored and open for visitors.



In the middle of town, a block from the fort, next to the bridge, is this statue. It's titled "Rider of the Purple Sage".

It was donated to the town by the actor George Montgomery, who starred in many western movies.
He actually created it, as we was not only an actor but a sculptor and furniture maker, and a Montana native.


The museum in Fort Benton is a delightful blend of relics, memorabilia and historic items of all kinds that local people, and those with past connections to the area, have donated.

They are artfully displayed, and the topics range from the Indian wars to domestic issues like clothing and household goods. One of their prize items is the rifle Chief Joseph relinquished when he surrendered to the Army in 1877. Definitely worth a visit, and admission is free.

From town we followed signs to the Bear Paw Battlefield. This is the site of the last battle of the four month long Nez Perce War of 1877. The battlefield is part of the Nez Perce National Historic Park and the Nez Perce National Historic Trail.

We followed much of this trail in 2013 (in reverse order, due to where we started. You can read those posts here.) The trail follows the path of Chief Joseph and his band as they were driven from the Wallowa Mountains in eastern Oregon. Chief Joseph was an excellent tactician, and he outwitted the US Army at every turn, but in the long run, at the time of this final battle in the fall, the women, children and elders of his band were suffering.

This battle took place at the end of September, when snow had already come to this region. Looking and the windswept prairie, one can see there is little shelter available. With no food, no shelter, and little clothing, there was no way they could hold out any longer.

Chief Joseph sent most of his band north, to Canada, where they joined other tribes in safety, while he stayed here with the remainder and surrendered. They were all sent to Oklahoma, and were allowed to be "free" as long as they never went to Idaho or Oregon again.

The trail at the battlefield site is well marked with notations of events at each location, including survey tags marking the sites where several individuals perished.

At these sites one finds offerings made by Native Americans, who often visit as they consider this a sacred place. The offerings range from toys to favored items and "sweet grass".

The site has several memorials, all with historical information, and names important in the history of the battle.


Home for the night was an absolutely delightful, "free range" camping area on the shores of Nelson Reservoir, near Malta. It's a "pack it in, pack it out", low maintenance kind of camping area.

Drive up and pick a spot.... so we did. Very few neighbors, and the few that were there were spread out, and quiet.  The dogs enjoyed the water, and we enjoyed the view.

There were plenty of birds to watch - pelicans and seagulls primarily.

The water level must have dropped considerably in recent days, as there were clams of all sizes sticking out of the sand, as if they'd suddenly been left high and dry.

Leaving the campground we stopped at the Sleeping Buffalo, a historic stone placed near the road in the settlement of Saco.

The buffalo stone has incised markings that resemble the ribs, spine, and nostrils. This stone, and others like it, often were mistaken for real buffalo on the plains, and were believed to have moved on occasion. Similar stories exist regarding powerful stones in England.

The smaller, buffalo stone, is accompanied by a larger medicine stone. It is covered with symbols of all kinds, and visitors often leave offerings at both these powerful stones.

The Buffalo stone

Offerings left on the medicine stone, with carved symbols

Sky City, Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico

Wednesday, June 17

(You may notice, we're getting caught up all at once. We anticipate not having much connection for the next few days, and we haven't had much in the past, so we're taking advantage of the wi-fi we have at the moment. It may be a few days before you hear from us again.)

Today we visited Sky City - Acoma Pueblo is more than just a tourist destination, it's considered the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the United States.This is a rare opportunity to witness a culture that is little known, and has been in danger of disappearing.

The name “Acoma” translates in local dialects to a “place that always was” and legend tells that the Acoma people have lived on the mesa forever. The pueblo is an important part of New Mexico's cultural heritage and Acoma is recognized as the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America. It was the 28th Historic Site designated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Cultural Center courtyard

We started our day at the Sky City Cultural Center.  On our way to the Cultural Center we passed a view point along the highway and it was packed with cars and tour buses. Aware that the day was already getting warm (at 9:00 A.M.) and seeing all those people heading the same way we were encouraged us to go directly to the center.

The Cultural Center contains a museum, vendor displays, a cafe, and gift shop. You obtain your tour pass here, as well as a permit for your camera. There are strict limitations on what can be photographed, so it's important to pay attention to their protocols. It's also where the tours of the pueblo begin.

A tour group was leaving soon, so we gathered in the courtyard at the back of the center and boarded a small bus. Our tour guide narrated the short drive up to the mesa top, and then directed us to unload.

On Acoma Pueblo mesa

For about an hour and a half we wandered the short "streets" between rows of homes, listening to her explain the significance of various buildings and symbols and browsed the wares offered by a variety of vendors. Unless one obtains specific permission from the vendor, photographing them or their beautiful pottery offerings is against etiquette. There were 6 areas in the pueblo, with 2-6 vendors in each area, so our shopping opportunities were quite extensive. The traditional Acoma Pueblo designs as well as modern adaptation were available, as well as some jewelery and a few other hand crafted items.

As we walked our guide explained the historical as well as the practical significance of features of the housing and village life that have become tradition, and how necessity often impacted design.

For instance, if one looks closely at the structures (small mounds)  around the cemetery walls you see that they have noses and ears. They appear at a distance as people, constantly on guard and intimidating the aggressors below. This was very important in the old days when other tribes were trying to take food and slaves from the pueblo.  (You can get a larger version of any of these photos by clicking on the photo.)

Cemetery guardians in the distance

The mission church is at the heart of the pueblo's cultural activities. Though it was constructed at the direction of the Catholic church it is now completely managed by the Acoma elders. It is used for a variety of traditional tribal celebrations and events.

San Estevan del Rey

Construction of the Acoma Pueblo mission church, San Estevan del Rey, was a 12-year project, begun shortly after the Spanish founded the mission in 1629 and completed in 1642. The church was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1970.  Photographing the inside of the church and the cemetery is not allowed, but there are photos available on the web that were taken with tribal approval.

Acoma Pueblo is built atop a sheer-walled, 367-foot sandstone bluff in a valley studded with sacred, towering monoliths. In ancient times messengers traveled the area testing locations for settlement. When they heard the appropriate echo from the mesa here they knew this was the place to settle. High atop the mesa they were safe from marauding Navajo and other tribes, and later, the Spanish invaders. At its peak the pueblo had a population of several hundred, now the permanent residents number 20 - 30, with others using their family homes on weekends and feast days. As their is no running water or electricity on the mesa, the smaller numbers of permanent residents balance the little naturally available water. Lights and other amenities are kerosene or gas powered.

The were traditionally entered through the roof, with access via very long ladders.

Kiva ladders

The ladders traditionally extended far above the roof tops, so if an attack happened while the men were away working in the fields the women could raise the ladders by leaning on the very tall ends (good use of leverage!) Nowadays that is not needed for security so the ladders pretty much stop at the roof level. The ladders leading to the kivas are special - more ornate, and painted white.

Unlike the round Hopi kivas which are below ground level, the Acoma kivas are square, with no windows, and at street level. This is the biproduct of persecution by Spanish priests and soldiers who destroyed  kivas as meetings were in progress. By building them to resemble a standard house along the street they avoided detection.

The Pueblo's  web site is full of information and great photographs. The photo album on Acoma Pueblo's site includes a few vintage shots too, which lends a bit of recent historical perspective.  There is more info at the NPS site.  Our photo album also has a few additional shots.

Blood and Thunder - a book review

Blood and Thunder; Hampton Sides (2007)

This title was in the bookstore when we visited Bosque Redondo (see the post on that trip), so we purchased the Kindle version and have been reading it "on the trail", so to speak. What an amazing story, and so much of it buried or long forgotten. This is the kind of history we must not forget!

Though the famous mountain man Kit Carson is the central figure in this book, he is set in context, surrounded by many others who were so integral to the rapidly unfolding history of the time.

Stephen Watts Kearny, John Fremont, Henry Sibley, General James Henry Carleton, the Navajo warrior Narbona, and Senator Thomas Benton. Others, equally important but whose names are lesser known, rise to importance as the story unfolds. The conflicts with Mexico, the interactions between the various tribes, and the interests of the pioneers in their movement west, all play a part in the drama, and Sides does well at allowing the reader to understand each perspective.

Kit Carson

Though Kit Carson was illiterate and left no writings of any kind, the story of his life has been gleaned from interviews held during his lifetime, as well as the reminiscences of those who knew him well. His strong friendship with the explorer John Fremont is explored, as well as his connections to the Bent family, famous for the establishment of Bent's Fort.

A fascinating man who spoke many languages and understood the many Native American cultures he encountered, he also worked for the US Army,  killing these same Indians and acting at the Army's direction in removing them from their homelands and onto dismal reservations.

The author is as objective as one could be, I think, in describing the times, the reasoning behind the actions and plans, and weaving together the strands of politics, culture, the interactions of our government with Mexico, and western movement, over-layed with the strong personalities who played such important roles in the early history of our country.

I've read a lot of history set in this time period, but never have I encountered such a masterful collage of events and personalities.

Gen James Carleton

In many ways this book could be considered a guidebook to the history of the southwest, particularly the history of the Navajo Nation, as they were rounded up, sent to the reservation at Bosque Redondo (Fort Sumner, NM), and in the end, finally allowed to return to their native land. Many of the battles and other events occurred in locations we have recently visited. The battle between the Navajo and the US Army in Canyon de Chelly at Fortress Rock becomes horribly real when you've been there and seen the harsh environment. The narrow shelf high up in the canyon known as The Place Where Two Fell Off, where a Navajo woman threw herself over the cliff, taking a soldier with her, becomes a war memorial.

A sad but fascinating tale, and one that is a must-read for anyone visiting the area, or interested at all in the impact of the policies growing out of the belief in Manifest Destiny.

A bonus for the true history buff, this book will lead to many others, as sources are not only sited, they are briefly analyzed in a notes section.

Pink House campground and Nez Perce battlefields

Leaving the  Missoula area and moving west into Idaho we made a  one-night stopover in the Wilderness Gateway campground, located on the Lochsa River (pronounced "Lock-saw").

The campground was practically empty, so we had a nice, quiet afternoon enjoying the dense forest around us. My goodness but this is good bear country! There were ripe salmon berries, service berries,

and other delectable items all through the campground.

This area is rich in history. The Nez Perce roamed this area for generations, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled the Lolo Trail, which flows through the Lochsa Gorge.

There are historic signboards at pull-outs all along the highway, and when we stopped at the Lolo Pass Visitor's Center we were given a set of CD's with historic information to listen to along the road. Per instructions, we turned them in to another visitor center when we reached the next area. I took a little time to admire a quilt they center had hanging in a little room off to the side. It was a cooperative effort, constructed by several quilt guilds in the state.

One of the first historic stops along the highway featured this replica emplacement, used (unsuccessfully) by Army soldiers to protect themselves from Nez Perce bullets. It might have been a useful idea in different terrain. Here, the Indians simply climbed the hills on the opposite side of the canyon and fired down on the soldiers. The Nez Perce leader, Looking  Glass, thought the whole idea was rather amusing and dubbed them "soldier corrals". The whole endeavor was so ineffective that residents began calling the area "Fort Fizzle". It's still known by that name on maps today.


The Pink House campground, Orfino, Idaho, was our next stop, and home for five days. It was an accidental discovery, as we were actually headed to a place a few miles further on down the road. Steve spied the sign "Pink House Recreation Area" and pulled in to check it out, and we decided to stay!What a funny name for a  boating, fishing and camping area!

Though there's no pink house in site now, there once was. Charles and June McCollister lived here and she, being an artist decided the area needed some color, so they painted the house PINK. 

View of the Clearwater river from our site

Fishermen floating the river saw the pink house (and the shed painted to match) and began calling the nearby fishing hole "the Pink House Hole." It was so well known in the area that when the BLM established the recreation site, and the campground, the name Pink House was used.

The house was burned by vandals many years ago so there's no sign of it now, but the campground is wonderful. Jim, the host, keeps everything in tip-top shape shape, and knows the area well so he can offer tips on any services needed. We were lucky enough to arrive early so most spaces were empty and we grabbed #12, right on the river. We enjoyed the view, and the peace and quiet, so much that we stayed five days. That hasn't happened in awhile!

The dogs-on-leash rule is enforced, but there's a vacant lot adjacent to the campground, and river access out of the park boundaries, and Jim (the host) taught Shiner how to battle the rain-birds, so she had plenty of fun too!

It's a good location for exploring more of the Nez Pierce history. We took a day to drive the historic loop, east on hwy. 12 to the first stop on the loop, Canoe Camp, then dipping south to Grangeville, then back north on hwy 95 and then east, back to camp. This route includes not only Lewis and Clark related historic sites, but many of the locations so important in the Nez Perce War.

Another stop along the highway provides a dramatic overlook of the valley where the  Battle of White Bird took place.

White Bird battlefield

A little further on the loop drive, located on the banks of the Clearwater River south of Kamiah, you can see the Heart of the Monster. This formation is the legendary birthplace of the Nez Perce Tribe, where Coyote defeated a monster and, in turn, created the Nez Perce people.

Nearing the end of the loop is the  Nez Perce Historical Park Visitor's Center . The center has an amazing collection of artifacts - beaded clothing, weapons, jewelry, and other items. Displays and a short movie enhance a visitor's understanding of the tribe's history and struggles. We have actually been following the Nez Perce Historic Trail in reverse, as we started from the east, near the middle of the trail. The tribe lived here, in Idaho and Oregon, and when the conflict began, it was here the battles began, so the visitor's center marks the actual beginning of the events that led to the tribe's eventual banishment from their homelands. The remaining part of the Nez Perce Trail runs up through Yellowstone and Montana, s we'll visit those areas on another trip.

There are many layers of history here. Additional historic signboards along the way have information on more recent events in the area, including railroad development. The hillside are peppered with huge trestles and tunnels, all necessary to lay tracks in this hilly country.

Logging was also a major industry in the area. Many of the older pieces of equipment can still be seen, parked in empty fields, and some still in use. One afternoon we heard what we thought was an old steam driven locomotive in the afternoons, and it turned out it was a steam powered tractor! Charles McCollister's daughter helped him publish memories and photographs of the area's logging history before his death in 2011. A brief article about their project ran in a local paper.

Pink House Campground is a good location for regrouping before moving on either east or west. There are services close at hand in Orofino, including groceries, hardware and anything else one might need. We spent the last day doing just that - shopping for groceries, bits of hardware, hitting a couple of quilt shops (of course!) and catching up on household chores.

There are a few more photos in the album. 

We'll be continuing to creep west. No telling where we'll light next!