Day 22, Monday, September 5, La Junta, Manhattan

We got up and had a nice breakfast at the hotel. We packed and arrived at Bent's Old Fort at the stroke of 9:00 am. We were not the first there, but there were not many so we had a good tour of the fort. We believe this is our third visit to the fort. The first was about 30 years ago with our kids. The second was about 15 years ago. They have really improved the fort and the presentation. There were living history people in dress and they had a 20 orientation film. T had thought about taking the guided tour which started at 10:30 am, but the self-guided tour information provided convinced her the guided tour was not needed.

The present fort is a recreation of the original which burned down and otherwise went back to nature. The current forts' reconstruction was possible due to very meticulous drawings and measurements made by a visiting engineer back in 1846. The fort was originally built in 1833 on, what was at the time, the US/Mexican border as defined by the Arkansas River.

What is really neat about the fort today is that you can go everywhere and touch everything. You can go behind the bar and examine the brandy bottles in the pool room and you can pick up the hammers and pump the forge bellows (which I did) in the blacksmiths shop.

Cemetery

Parade Ground with Hide Press in the center

Interior of Front Gate

Trade Room

Counsel Room

Officer's Dinning Room

Cook's Quarters with one of the living historians

Indoor Kitchen

Blacksmith shop

Carpenter's Shop

Pool Room

Corral

One of two turret embattlements

Prickly Pear along the wall of the corral to discourage intruders

We left the fort around 11:00 am and headed toward Manhattan, KS. We arrived at 7:00 pm (lost one hour to Central Time). We have checked into our hotel and tomorrow morning we will tour our old stomping grounds before heading home. Tonight is our last night away. We are anxious to get home.