Now it's time to start their trip on the Oregon Trail. Little red wagons have been outfitted with canvas tops to look like covered wagons. They don their hats and pull each other (or are pulled by costumed pioneers) through Beaver Creek, otherwise known as "Avalanche Pass," while "boulders" made out of paper bags hung on string pulleys come crashing down around them. This ride ends at "Sutter's Mill," where children meet Captain Sutter himself and hear him tell of his adventures. They "pan for gold" with aluminum pans in a real stream (made from water tables, sliding boards and a water pump). They mine gold in a cave made out of refrigerator boxes. Children then take their gold nuggets over to the "Assayer's Office" where they weigh it on real scales, plot their claim on a map, and receive a certificate and pouch for their riches. The Assayer's Office is connected to a jail, saloon and little homestead. From there, children visit the livery and corral. They get onto horses made of straw, shoe wooden horse feet, sit on real saddles, or rope a steer. Some take a trip on the Pony Express (horses on sticks) all around the room in order to deliver the mail. Costumed guides deliver explanations and information and ask children to share what they already know about a variety of topics based on their year-long study. Next stop is "Miss Kitty's Saloon," a full-fledged dancing hall where children wear western gear, play cards and checker, play banjos and dance in real "yee-haw" fashion. (The costumes have been made by Sundance's own 87-year-old "Granny" who is a full-time employee). Everyone snacks on trail mix and sarsaparilla. The party stops when "Sherrif Dave" comes to take Miss Kitty and the children to jail for breaking the peace. The older children are thrilled when they are rounded up and thrown behind bars, but easily escape by singing "Rock a Bye Baby," putting Sheriff Dave into a snoring sleep and allowing them to grab his keys with a cane.