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Oregon Trail
  • Plata Panacea
  • Plata Panacea

Oregon Trail

We're joining about 20 other Airstreams for our first caravan as we follow the Oregon Trail from Kansas City, Missouri to Mount Hood, Oregon. Les mer
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  • Reisens start
    28. mai 2026
    Plata PanaceaOregon TrailPlata Panacea

    Prepping

    18. mai, Forente stater ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    We’ve been planning and prepping (buying stuff) for this trip for a couple months! I’m sure we’ve overthought some things and overlooked many others… Knowing Walmarts are everywhere and next day shipping to campgrounds is available, I’m sure we’ll be covered!Les mer

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  • Plata PanaceaOregon TrailPlata Panacea

    Plata Panacea

    28. mai, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Today is day one of a pretty epic adventure. Over the next 35 nights we’ll be joining 20 other Airstream travelers as we make our way along what remains of the Oregon trail.

    I didn’t really know much about the Oregon trail until we started planning for this.

    The Oregon Trail was a 2,170-mile wagon route stretching from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon. Active from the 1840s to the 1880s, it served as a vital gateway for hundreds of thousands of pioneers migrating westward, fundamentally changing the American West.

    Route & Geography
    Total Distance: Roughly 2,170 miles across prairies, deserts, and the Rocky Mountains.
    The Path: The route passed through six modern-day states: Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon.
    High Point: The trail crossed the Rockies at South Pass, Wyoming, at an elevation of 7,550 feet.
    Travel Time: The journey typically took about five months, averaging just 15 miles per day.

    We wanted to give our Airstream Classic a name with a tip of the hat to the pharmacy and all it has provided us over the years. We started with “Silver Cure-All” but wanted it to have a better ring… we ended up with “Plata Panacea”. Plata is spanish for silver with a double meaning for money. So Plata Panacea it is.

    We’re happy to have a young newlywed couple watch over things while we’re gone so I think everything is set!    Les mer

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    Kansas City, Worlds of Fun Campground

    29. mai, Forente stater ⋅ 🌧 23 °C

    Friday’s highlight after our first group picture in Independence Missouri was visiting the Harry Truman Presidential museum. It was very inspiring to watch and read and learn about our 33rd president. Following in Roosevelt’s footsteps who had died in the heat of WWII, the pressure on Truman must have been immense. Thankfully he had a strong foundation and civilization didn’t destroy itself!

    We also checked out Boulevard Brewing with our new friends Monica and Craig!

    Next stop, Pony Express Campground!    Les mer

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    Stop #2 Pony Express Campground

    29. mai, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Another easy drive day. We found our way to the Pony Express Campground. This is probably going to be the most "rustic" of our locations (I hope). Lots of loose gravel and mud from a morning downpour kinda made things a bit messy but we had a dry space and were ready for a quick drive into St. Joe for some hat shopping at the Stetson hat store.Les mer

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    St. Joe and the Pony Express

    31. mai, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Today was nice and relaxing.Drove a short distance to St. Joseph and checked out the Pony Express museum. I almost remember coming here when I was a kid but I think (I hope) I will remember more about the riders, the trail and all it took to coordinate nearly 80 riders, over 150 stations and over 400 horses.Les mer

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    Homestead National Historical Park

    1. juni, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Located near the town of Beatrice, Nebraska the Homestead National Historical Park commemorates passage of the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed any qualified person to claim up to 160 acres of federally owned land in exchange for five years of residence and the cultivation and improvement of the property. The information and display of artifacts from that period were quite interesting.

    Also available was a 20 minute film that was exceptional in it's handling of the removal of the native Americans and taking of their lands. One of the key points that stuck with me was that France sold the Louisiana Purchase to the United States in 1803. The native American's already living here for centuries pointed out that France had no legitimate ownership of the lands and the sale of those lands was illegitimate.

    Its easy to see how Americans were sold the Manifest Destiny ideology which held that the United States was divinely ordained by God to expand its democratic institutions and civilization across the entire North American continent.

    BTW - fortunately the site wasn't very busy yesterday and we were able to get quite a few of our rigs in the parking lot!    Les mer

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    Trouble at the Double Nickel camground.

    1. juni, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    UGH!!! After a pleasant drive from the homestead museum we get to our next destination in Waco, Nebraska. Parked, leveled, electric and water all set up. Then because it's a 90 degree day, I power up the two air conditioners and POOF. Nothing. Double ugh!

    After resetting and scratching my head for a bit the camp owner joined me in troubleshooting our issues. Hats off to him for sticking with me for an hour or more as we reset breakers and checked connections and tried various options. Finally, one of our neighbors offered some suggestions and POOF again we had cool air blowing!

    Jackie was able to *try* and relax with neighbors while I scrambled around for nearly two hours with this issue. Dinner was graciously shared by neighbors as they saw our issues and frustration... and that is why traveling with the caravan has huge upsides. If you need spare parts or tools or advice, there are collectively hundreds of years of traveling experience in this group!

    Fingers crossed we don't have that issue again.    Les mer

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    Giving back

    2. juni, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    After a restful night we woke up to some rainy skies but it cleared up for a bit and I decided to make a short video for the Double Nickel folks who were so helpful last night.

    A quick interview with the owner and a few short drone shots and voilà!

    Edit to add: I was very impressed with the huge storm shelter that was here at the campground. Large enough to hold everyone from all 50 campsites!    Les mer

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    Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer

    3. juni, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    This was a fantastic site. It hosts a huge museum dedicated to the pioneer experience through the early 20th century. It had a different building mostly dedicated to native Americans. THEN they had a full early American settlement which included everything building and service you could imagine. AND it had early working farm displays AS WELL AS a Native American dugout and teepee.

    We stopped here not realizing how large and extensive the site was so we had to keep moving in order to get to our next camp before the registration window closed. I’ll have to do more research to leave enough time for our own side trips along the way!    Les mer

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    A tour of the rig.

    3. juni, Forente stater ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    That’s what the cool kids seem to call the truck and trailer :) Ours is a 28 foot long 2025 Airstream Classic pulled by a 2026 Ford F-250 SuperDuty truck.

    I took a few interior shots yesterday once we were set up in Kearney, Nebraska.

    To have a place for everything and to have everything in its place is a challenge but I think we achieved that goal. The dog kennel doubles for a coffee bar and the ice machine.

    A simple tray on the kitchen table helps contain fresh fruit and bread.

    The pantry pull out is packed with just enough of everything to keep the cook happy and the refrigerator is absolutely packed as tight as possible with the help of clear trays.

    The bathroom is just spacious enough for what you need to do and I like the separate shower.

    Fortunately we have tons of extra storage in the truck. I have eight 27 gallon bins packed with extra clothes, gallon water jugs, camera gear, tools, fire pit and so much more!

    Inside the truck I added a new mounting system for phones and the trailer’s rear view camera doesn’t obscure the forward view.

    That’s about it. You’d think we were headed alone across the Serengeti with so much stuff…. but the idea is simply to be comfortable on the road in our home away from home and I think we've achieve that goal!    Les mer

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    Great Platte River Road Archway Monument

    4. juni, Forente stater ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    This was another very nice location and one that, if we were here on our own we might have overlooked!

    The huge exibit space houses a historical experience that tells the story of Nebraska and the Platte River Valley in the development of America.

    As you pass through the exhibits, the displays of different time periods feature a prairie schooner wagon on the Oregon Trail, a buffalo stampede, the Mormon Handcart Expedition, a 49er's campsite, the Pony Express, the Transcontinental Telegraph, a stagecoach, the Transcontinental Railroad, the first transcontinental highway, the Lincoln Highway, and today's transcontinental highway, I-80. LOTS of stuff!

    The exhibit ends with a replica drive-in and 1950s-style cafe with windows providing views over the interstate. Hats off to our tour leaders! With their experience on previous caravans they have been curating a very nice series of locations.    Les mer

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    Pioneer village - Minden, Nebraska

    5. juni, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    IT’S LARGE!
    NO.
    IT’S BIG!!
    NOPE.
    IT’S HUGE!!!!

    We spent over 3 hours strolling through WAGONS and CARS and AIRPLANES and TRACTORS and EVERYTHING that was EVER invented in the 19th and 20th centuries!

    Seriously this place had so much stuff… and it was mostly all laid out in extremenly logical order. Kitchens from pioneer times to the late 1800s through several decades of the 1900s. Offices, manufacturing, black smithing, chapples, diners and music! It’s just unimaginable how much stuff they actually have!

    After a couple hours strolling we made it to the “diner” where we had a sandwiches and chips. Just enough to keep us going. Then another hour plus strolling through trucks and motorcycles and tractors.

    WHEW! Did I mention the Minden Pioneer Village is HUGE???    Les mer

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    The Upper Room

    5. juni, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    This little group has been named the "renegades". I'll let your imagination fill in a reason why. Today we were directed to the Upper Room for some relaxation, spirts and plenty of laughs!

    Pubs and steak houses have been researched all the way to Oregon!

    The Renegades: Ted & Brit, Juan & Jovie, Doug & Jackie, Craig and Monica.    Les mer

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    Golden Spike: Union Pacific rail yard

    6. juni, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    This was actually pretty neat. The location of the "golden spike" which connected the east and west rail lines on May 10, 1869. The actual spike ain't there no more but the rail yard for Union Pacific is HUGE! I counted over 100 engines alone!

    For a few bucks you can go up the elevator to the top of an 8 floor tower for a nice high view of the train yards and watch them work.    Les mer

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    Good morning from the Nebraska prairie!

    7. juni, Forente stater ⋅ 🌬 30 °C

    After yesterday's drive into a new timezone it was easy to wake up before the sun and what a treat it was! I grabbed a few drone shots nearby, then took a quick drive to a couple spots I noticed on the way to the park here at Ogallala State Park. It didn't take long for the sky to turn overcast so I headed back for a cup of coffee and some quick edits :)Les mer

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    Sunrise. Almost.

    9. juni, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    The light was a mixed bag today. No clear sunrise to start the day. A milky sky with no clear direction of light… but after walking a mile, driving a few miles, finally about to give up the sun made an appearance to add her special touch. The first image is just an iPhone snap but I was reminded again that patience is sometimes just as important as the lens selection.

    Scott’s Bluff, Nebraska.    Les mer

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    Walking the Scott's Bluff trail

    9. juni, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Today we drove to the top of Scott's Bluff mountain, through 3 tunnels and parked at Scott's Bluff overlook which was pretty cool. THEN we walked DOWN the trail along switch backs all the way down. Fortunately we had a friend at the bottom who offered a ride back to our truck! That saved us a very steep 2 mile hike back to the top!

    OH! And I found my first RATTLE SNAKE in the wild!

    AND the last photo of this set is a trail which was originally created by the pioneer wagon wheels back in the 1850s!    Les mer

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    Good morning!

    10. juni, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    I used to think I didn’t sleep well because often times I wake up rather early. I think instead, I may be sleeping exceptionally well. When I awaken at 4 or 5am I am wide awake and ready to start my day… These early summer sunrises are certainly worth waking for!

    Today we’re leaving Nebraska and headed into the Cowboy State: Wyoming!    Les mer

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    Fort Laramie, Wyoming

    10. juni, Forente stater ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    This is a very well curated site! Built originally as a fur trading outpost the US Army built it up to 22 buildings and staffed it with nearly 400 soldiers. Many of these buildings have been very well rebuilt or preserved with many ruins still worth touring.

    The largest building is a well appointed barracks displaying how 120 men would live together.

    I’ll include photos of many of the informational signs I captured so I can read them later.    Les mer

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