September 4, 2020

Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock Pioneer Crossing Campground Bayard, Nebraska

Last night we were still in a quandary about where we were headed.  We thought about staying out west and even thought about going to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.  As we have discovered, the national parks are not fully functional.  Rocky Mountain is no exception.  Their solution to the Coronavirus regulations is a timed entry system where advanced tickets are required.  We have decided to come back when things are less complicated.  So, we have decided to slowly head east.  We crossed back into Nebraska and found a campground at Chimney Rock.  We had full hookups here so I was able to do laundry.

Chimney Rock was another landmark on the Oregon Trail. The peak used to be taller according to sketches done by early settlers. It has been diminished by both erosion and lightning strikes.

Here is another resting place for both pioneers and more recent local residents.

The owner of the campground, Joe, recommended a dirt road into the valley. 

We had to pull over for the hay truck.

We had passed a sugar beet processing plant on our way here. We stopped to watch the sugar beets being harvested. Sugar beets grow well here in this temperate climate. They thrive in the dusty sandy soil. The warm days and cooler nights make for sweeter beets with a higher sugar content.

Sunset walk.

The rock illuminated this evening.