BLM NEWS RELEASE
ELKO — The grandeur of America’s west has inspired people to write poetry long before there were cowboys riding the range. Come to the California Trail Center Jan. 31 through Feb. 4from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to find out what the pioneers had to say about the “Great American Desert!” Trail Center staff in authentic 19th century clothing will bring the pioneers’ words to life with hourly readings of poetry, letters, and journal entries from the Overland Trail. On Saturday, Feb. 4 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. staff and volunteers will perform a special program featuring readings and music from the trail.
For those looking for a better understanding of how America’s West became the cultural force it is today, the Trail Center will be showings segments of Ken Burns’ and Stephen Ives’ 11-part documentary “The West” at 10:30 and 12:30 daily. For those who are interested in the Native American perspective on the West selected oral histories from Great Basin College’s Indian Archives will be shown daily at 2:30. On Saturday there will be children’s activities. The California Trail shop will be open all week.
The California Trail Interpretive Center, operated by the Bureau of Land Management, is 8 miles west of Elko at Hunter exit 292. The center is closed for exhibit installation but will be open for Cowboy Poetry and special events, school groups and prearranged tours and meetings. Visit http://on.doi.gov/CTCElko.
