After reaching Kansas City, we went upstate along the Missouri river, shortly passing through Iowa towards Omaha, in Nebraska. There, we visited the very interesting Durham museum, showcasing the Pacific Union railroad (joining the eastern States with the coast of Pacific in 1860’s), as well as the history of settlement westward from the city.

We followed westward and got caught in a Tornado Watch alert in central Nebraska. Fortunately, the tornados passed around 50 miles south of where we were, and we only spent two hours hiding on a gas station in the pleasant town of Pleasanton (around 300 souls) from hardcore thunderstorms rolling over the Midwest prairies. No photos of tornados :/

In western Nebraska, we visited the Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff - rock formations that dominate the grassland landscape. They both used to be important landmarks for the pioneers who crossed these lands on their way to gold-bearing California or searching for Zion in what later became Salt Lake City.

Nebraska is also abundant in intriguing fossil sites, of which we visited Agate Springs and the Trailside Museum in Fort Robinson. The first one presents the fauna of Nebraska from 20 milions years ago, including some puzzling horse-like mammals, whereas the second is a unique excavation of two mammooths that died while battling each other, with their tusks intertwined.

Fort Robinson was an important post on the western outskirts of the US in 19th century, from where fights with Indians were coordinated. The chief Crazy Horse, who led the Indian resistance, was killed here. The fort was strategically located in grass-abundant plains (for the horses) surrouded by nice sandstone cliffs.

Crossing the vast prairies where cattle and cornfields replaced the buffaloes and Indians, we moved on to South Dakota.