A Canadian’s Ignorance of American History and Geography!


It is amazing how little that I knew about American History and Geography before this adventure began.  I have been known to complain about how Americans know nothing about our country…I have been proven just as ignorant…a rather humbling experience.

Today we visited the National Oregon-California Trail Centre in Montpellier Idaho.  It is a recreation of an 1852 Wagon Train trip on the Oregon Trail.  The Oregon trail started in Independence Missouri and ended in Oregon City.  Some people turned southwest and went on to try to strike it rich in the California Gold Rush.  Over 500,000 people made this journey.  1 in 5 people died en-route, many from accidents, violence or from cholera.  One can only imagine what an arduous journey these 2000 miles must have been.  On a good day they might travel 20 miles.  In mud they might make 1 mile.  Rivers had to be forged, and mountain passes had to be conquered.  For many of these people the lure of opportunity and land outweighed personal sacrifices and the risks to their families.

The second part of the day was spent at another wildlife refuge this time Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge.  It was similar to the one we visited a couple of days ago in Utah but smaller.  Birdlife was plentiful as the list will show.

Distance Traveled = 47 km.  Wildlife Sightings = Pied-billed Grebe, American White Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White-faced Ibis, Canada Goose, Gadwall, Canvasback Duck, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, American Coot, Forster’s Tern, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Eastern Kingbird, Black-billed Magpie, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Yellow Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, Bullock’s Oriole, Deer, Skunk, Moose.


Oregon/California Trail Centre


Pied-billed Grebe with babies


American Coot with baby


Ruddy Duck


Moose

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