West by Southwest 2025: Week 1
The big picture My brain likes exercise way more than my body does. Fortunately, this trip is providing plenty for both. In addition to the beautiful hikes we are taking every day – often multiple times a day – we have had ample opportunities to learn new things. We've learned history: we traveled through reservations in Oklahoma where Indians from across the Eastern U.S. were relocated in the 19th Century; visited the town of Nicodemus, founded by African Americans fleeing white violence in Kentucky in 1877; drove along the old Oregon Trail and read exerpts from journals written by women who made the journey west; and seen some of the amazing artwork of Plains Indians from South Dakota and Nebraska. We drove through forests blackened by fire and visited fossil beds and fascinating geological formations to learn how volcanic activity, glacial movement, drought, and erosion have changed the landscape – and those who live on it – over time. We live in an amazing world, and it's ...