Day 20 - Good morning officer and $8.99 all you can eat Chinese

We started today in Colorado and headed North towards South Dakoto, via Wyoming.

We'd only been in Wyoming for a short while when I had my second experience of US Law Enforcement - and again it was pleasant and informative. In fact, Highway Patrol is becoming an information service for us.

After seeing the Dodge Charger come screaming up behind me with lights flashing and siren blaring I slowed down from the 95 or so and pulled over. The conversation followed the now standard pattern.

"Sir, license and registration please"

"Sorry officer, I think I was going a little over 75"

"Yes you were - where Y'all from?"

We then had a coversation about the route we should take, how he liked Fort Laramie (See below) and how we should be wary of Deer who were "jumping in front of a lot of cars this week."

The warning we received gave the kids something to write about in their journals. I refrained from asking for a photo - although his Dodge Charger looked brand new and very cool.

On we went at the 75 mph speed limit to Fort Laramie. This Fort was an imporant part of American history. It seems to be the place that American politicians first learned to break promises - for example:

1. Sign a treaty with the Indians, invite 10,000 indians to the ceremony to celebrate the occasion....a while later tell them Congress did not agree so all bets are off again.
2. Sign another treaty, agree to give the Black Hills to the Indians....oh, but then discover the Black Hills have Gold, so sorry, treaty ripped up.
3. Decide Indians are just too hard to deal with so organise an infantry to go out and kill them all..

Quite a tragic place really. Important as some real and lasting agreements were reached here with Chief Sitting Bull and other Indian leaders. Important as most Wagon trains came through Fort Laramie on route to the West. It had been restored so you could see what the houses/shops were like. The kids enjoyed it and got another badge.

Next off to Hot Springs for the night. We stayed the night in a kinda weird bed and breakfast. We were in the Cowboy Suite - the decoration was all Cowboy memorabilia......quaint or weird....it was a tough call.

It was comfortable though.

We walked a 10 yards to the Chinese next door for dinner. $8.99 all you cna eat buffet, $4.99 for the kids. It was pretty good and a nice end to a long day.

350 mile today - one of our longest driving days.....

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Ken