3-State Day

8/7/16

Dear NS,

How has your extra practice been going? Did you finish When You Reach Me yet? I hope reading has been going well for you.

Yesterday was a 3-state day. I spent time in three different states, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Colorado.

I started out in Nebraska. My first stop of the day was Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. This is a site in Nebraska where many mammal fossils from almost 20 million years ago were found.

These are the hills in which so many fossils were found.

Fossils in the visitors' center

After that, I stopped at Scotts Bluff National Monument, also in Nebraska. Scotts Bluff was on the Oregon Trail. Have you learned about the Oregon Trail at school yet? Basically, ti's a path that thousands of people took to get across the land from Missouri to Oregon in the mid-1800s. The people who took this trail were looking for better opportunities out West. Remember that there were no cars, phones, or electricity yet. People spent their life savings on a wagon team of oxen and other supplies to get them to their destination. They had to walk the whole way. The journey was difficult, and people met with many challenges and sometimes death. Walking for a few steps on the Oregon Trail was a powerful experience.

My next destination was Cheyenne, Wyoming. Cheyenne is the capital of Wyoming, and I think it's also one of the least-populated capitals in the United States. Since this is such a small city I didn't stay very long. The big thing I did was go on a horse-drawn wagon tour. The driver, a retired science teacher, drove us around downtown Cheyenne and showed us the sights. He even told us some local history. Did you know that Cheyenne was a really rich city in the 1800s? Cattle barons from Europe came over to Wyoming to raise their cows, and they brought their money with them.

capital building in Cheyenne

downtown Cheyenne

My last stop of the day was Denver, Colorado.  I didn't spend very long there either. I walked by the Colorado State Capital, and then I walked through the downtown area. There is a street in downtown that is mostly pedestrian. Buses and pedicabs are allowed, but no cars. There are many shops and restaurants, too. I stopped for coffee at one shop and looked a a few souvenirs.

Colorado State Capital

downtown Colorado

I think you are on your trip to Tokyo right now, so I hope you are having a good time. I look forward to seeing you next week for session.

Your teacher,

Elaina

Agate Fossil Beds

Dear B-,

Unfortunately, I have not had good Internet on this trip, so I have not been able to write as often as I would like. I have so many things to tell you about my trip.

For now, I will tell you that I went to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Nebraska today. There were fossils of different mammals from the Miocene era. I even saw an ancient camel fossil! This camel lived almost 20 million years ago. Did you know that the ancient camels were only two feet high from the ground all the way to the top of their shoulders?

I will try to write some more as soon as I can. By the way, thank you so much for telling me about the cacti and the bison. You told me some information I did not know!

Your teacher,

Elaina