2010 Oregon Trail Field Trip Through the Blue Mtns.

Our local Christian homeschool group has been busy getting in field trips before our weather changes. Let me tell you, fall is in the air! Last year, I did this same field trip, but we were a much smaller group then and only one other family was able to join me. This year, we had six families come along. We had a great time! The field trip was even better because I discovered two more places where we could see the wagon ruts and a wagon master's grave. How cool is that?!!! I don't have these pictures in any particular order, so bear with me. Here are the die-hards who made it for all the stops. This is a display wagon at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Park at Spring Creek. They have an awesome little camp that the kids got to play in as well as wagon ruts to look at. Love that place!This was the set of wagon ruts we looked at on Deadman's Pass. This was pretty much the whole group, with a few us taking pictures. As you can see we welcome all ages. The youngest member of our expedition was only a month and a half. The oldest (not including us moms) was nearly 17. More ruts on Deadman's Pass.This picture cracks me up. The kids thought they had found some real furniture that had been dropped off by weary pioneers on the Old Oregon Trail! It was an old recliner, LOL.Here is the wagon master's grave. I guess they did some tests and were able to see that there was indeed a skeleton under this pile of rocks and vegetation. Local history claims it was a wagon master buried there. Can you imagine losing your wagon master? Yikes! The kids are standing over what is left of Emigrant Spring. This was a major camping spot for tired pioneers who had just climbed over the summit of the Blue Mountains, one of the most treacherous legs of the journey.This viewpoint shows the terrain pioneers were trying to skirt around. Gorgeous view from this spot!This is a tea brick. It is made of packed dried tea leaves from China. The front is stamped with a beautiful oriental design and the back is gridded like this. One of those small squares was enough tea for a family during the entire journey. Pioneers would often use these small squares as trade items. 

I took many more pictures, but didn't want to overwhelm everybody. I paired them down to the best. Hope all you homeschoolers out there are getting in lots of great field trips before the snow starts flying!

Blessings,
Jackie