Rinker gives an in-depth look into the history of major components that were required for the passage. Makes you think about the women who crossed the trail in covered wagons had to endure! We had four kids in the car ranging from 15 months to 6 years, plenty of snacks, the A/C cranked up and they still got cranky in that short range. It took us over an hour to drive the 8 or 9 miles to the mouth of the canyon and I worried about the tires with each rock the SUV climbed. It was part of the Applegate Cutoff (of the California Trail) that required a block and tackle to raise and lower wagons. One of the highlights of the Soldier Meadows trip was visiting Fly Canyon. The loneliness of traveling dirt roads through the remote environment, two kids asleep in the back, and no cell service, put self-reliance into perspective. My husband spent seven years of his childhood there, so I knew stories and history about it. I was contacted about taking photos and building a website for them.

One of these opportunities came in the way of Soldier Meadows Lodge and Ranch. The easier things became, morale increased, and the cycle of positive attitude made another revolution in my favor. As I found ways to make my family and my business function better despite challenges, things got easier. It is funny how a little bit of an attitude change leads to big rewards. As author, Rinker Buck, shares excerpts from the diaries of those that made the trek, as well as worked through the struggles of their modern passage, I was reminded who I was and what I was capable of. I have honestly been struggling with a few “injustices” in my life but there is something about the pioneer’s hardships that weakened any “woe is me” feelings down to size. There are books that just come at the right time and this was one of them.

The oregon trail book review