WAS THIS THE ORIGINAL RV?

My ancestors traveled the Oregon Trail around 1878 on their way to Union County, Oregon in a covered wagon similar to the one pictured above. Their trip was neither smooth nor easy. Wagons were oxen or mule powered instead of driven by diesel or gas engines like modern day RVs. And it took six months of numerous perils and untold tragedies before the more than 300,000 pioneers that included my great-grandmother, reached their destination.

The above photo was taken at one of the interpretive museums along the Oregon Trail in Northeast Oregon. It offers a wonderful contrast to glossy photos of modern RVs that are found in magazines today. Aren't we lucky to be able to travel as far and as often as we like in air-conditioned, padded comfort? Or, are we unfortunate not to have been part of that great adventure in the 1800s?