April 7 - High Plains Travel Day

Today was pretty much a travel day.  I slept in until nearly 7:30, and got up to a sunny and breezy day, ate a waffle at the motel breakfast room, and got on the road.  I pretty much just drove on through, stopping to eat lunch at a monument to the Cattle Drives along County Road 20, north of the town of Kit Carson, Colorado.

The plaque on the monument reads:

Old Cattle Trail

The Texas-Montana, Bacon and Potter, and J.S. Chisum Trails, leading from sections of Texas, converged in this vicinity .  Over these routes great herds of Texas Longhorns, scions of hardy stock from Spain, moved northward.  Big Springs, 2.4 miles west, was an important cattle watering place.  Legend says that Billy Comstock, early scout, was killed here by Indians, who left him unscalped in tribute to his courage and ability.

Erected by the State Historical Society of Colorado, and by Highway 59-61 Association and the Mount Pearl Community Club.  1954

There was a small prairie dog town on the ranch near the monument, and I scanned it for Burrowing Owls, but all that I saw were the dogs.

Black-tailed Prairie Dog - Cynomys ludovicianus

I continued east from there, and was graced by a small flock of Wild Turkeys crossing the road near Rush Center.

Run, Turkeys, Run!

I ended up in Lyons, staying at the Lyons Inn for $66.30, and eating at the County Seat Bar & Grill.  I had a pretty good grilled pork chop and a couple pints of local amber ale for $25.

Cattle Trail Monument eBird Checklist is Here