We got up this morning and decided to forgo our Yellowstone/Grand Teton NP side trip on the way home. After looking at our schedule for the rest of June and early July and the list of things we need to do after getting home, we felt it would be best to just head home. The weather forecast in the Yellowstone area also didn't look so good and we have driven a lot of miles this year.
So, we adjusted our reservations and headed west on I-80 to Ogallala, NE. We did decide however, to spend two nights there. We wanted to see Lake McConaughy and Kingsley Dam, just north of Ogallala on the North Platte River. Kingsley Dam is one of the largest earthen dams in the world forming Lake McConaughy that is 22 miles long and 4 miles wide at its widest point.
After arriving at the Country View Campground in Ogallala and having a late lunch in the RV we noticed in the county area travel guide a historical pageant was scheduled for this weekend at a nearby state park. It looked interesting so we decided to check it out.
The pageant was the 25th Annual Ash Hollow Historical Pageant - Heading West: A Journey Through Nebraska. Ash Hollow is a State Historical Park and was an important stop on the Oregon/California Emigrant Trail between Fort Kearney and Scottsbluff, NE. The first emigrant wagon train passed along the trail in 1841, following the North Platte River. The park became a protected area in 1962 and a National Historic Landmark in 1964.
The first Ash Hollow Pageant was held in 1967 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Nebraska's statehood. Over 800 local volunteers put on a extravaganza that included Native dancers, a cattle drive, dance hall girls and much more. Since then, local volunteers have put on a local pageant every year, each with a different theme with theatrics, period dress and music.
We arrived at the park about 4:30 pm. It was a 25 mile drive bordering the south shore of Lake McConaughy across open space farmland and rolling prairie. The pageant was held in the park picnic area beneath rocky bluffs. The event was free but also included a chuck wagon dinner for $10.00. We had the dinner - it was delicious - slow cooked chuck roast beef, beans, salad and the best fry bread we have ever eaten. We also met and talked to others at our picnic table. It was a great group of people, mostly local farmers and ranchers as well as others who traveled over 150 miles to attend the event. It really is a regional big deal.
The pageant was performed on an outdoor stage with the audience setting up lawn chairs to watch. The cast included about 25 people with 4 musicians. This year's pageant told the story of travel along the emigrant trail in three parts: telling the story to two tourists by a guide with period performers reenacting the era through stories and music, explaining history to young visitors, and a park guide teaching school children about travel and living along the trail. There was a lot of music and singing, story telling and humorous interaction between the performers.
This event was another example of something you never expect to find as you travel but occasionally encounter in unexpected places. It was truly a piece of Americana with real, down-home people that most Americans will probably never meet or know. It was certainly worth the visit.
We are planning to visit Lake McConaughy and the Kingsley Dam tomorrow and possibly find something else we were not expecting in our travels.
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