The Santa Fe Trail was the most important national westward route which traversed from the Missouri River near the modern day city of Kansas City, Missouri to Santa Fe, Mexico, which trail predated the building of the railroads along a nearby route. It was used extensively by freighters, Mexican and American traders, those headed to Pikes Peak, and the military from Fort Leavenworth in 1846 to invade Mexico. After the Mexican-American war, the trail became a national road connecting the more settled areas of the US with the southwest territories. Commercial freighting on the trail increased substantially, including military supply hauling to the forts. The trail was used by stagecoach lines, adventurers, gold seekers on their way to the gold fields in California and Colorado, as well emigrants, missionaries, and wealthy families of New Mexico.

Of its approximate 900 miles, there are 481 miles found in the state of Kansas. It also passed through portions of what is now Missouri, Colorado, and New Mexico. The alternate route which is called the Cimarron Cutoff crosses portions of what is now Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, traverses just less than 400 miles.

Numerous segments of the trail were considered much safer to travel than others. Those posing greater risks to the traveler and a liability to traders with their cargoes were found on the central and southwestern parts of the trail.

One such area was known as the Jornado portion, which was located on the "dry routes" to Santa Fe. It lay on what was known as the Cimarron cut-off. This "uninhabitable desert region," as it was known to the early caravans and travelers, encompassed an area bounded on the north by the present-day city of Cimarron to the Cimarron River on the south.

I have been driving through Oklahoma on US 56, and in doing so, have been following the route of the old Santa Fe Trail on the southern most route, known as the Cimarron Cutoff.

After driving for less than an hour, I come upon the Kansas state line. I continue on US 56 through Kansas and notice that this highway continues to follow the old Cimarron trail toward Dodge City. When I stop for fuel, I also google the Santa Fe trail for a map and find out the there is a major crossover from Garden City on the Santa Fe Trail to the Cimarron Trail coming south out of Dodge City. So, when I get to Sublet, Kansas, I drive north to Garden City so that I can try to connect with an old friend of mine named Craig. After trying, I do not have any success in my effort to contact him, so instead, I search for a w-mart nearby.

However, what I find is that the closest one is in Dodge City, Kansas. Since it is already late in this day, I instead locate a d-mart, drive there and find a good location to park for the night.

Awake, dress in my fall blues, drive to the w-mart, take my bag inside and set up for another day of work on my computer. However, I pack out a little early today, so that I can explore the downtown area of Dodge City. I notice first that all of the older areas of downtown have streets paved with red brick and I find several murals depicting the history of Dodge city painted on the walls of buildings. I also drive to the railroad to see a couple of train cars on display there.