It's obvious we're not in the south anymore. Familiar sightings of Menard's, Kohl's, Lutheran churches, black dirt (instead of red), Pizza Ranch, and lilacs in bloom tell us we're back in the midwest. After sitting in one place for so long, we've forgotten how bad roads can be (Memphis, and 1-29 through Omaha), how much dust gets raised, and how something always comes up. So far we've had to check out the check engine warning light on the car (it's fine), and we now have a cracked windshield on the RV. 😒 That will have to wait until we are in one place for a while before we can get it replaced.
Then there's the first time stuff- we called 911 to report a truck driver who was all over the highway with his driving. As we passed him, Andy sounded the air horn and the guy didn't even flinch. We're assuming he was either drunk or on drugs - never did find out. You always have to be on alert! And the absurd - we call this the redneck sun roof- it's black plastic with a white plastic center.
Our route took us through Kansas City on our way to Pender, NE for Blue Ox service (our hitch supplier). While in KC we were able to visit with Dawn K., a friend from Luverne, MN. Dawn treated us with tickets to the Trevor Noah show. Thanks again, Dawn!
Outdoor Venue where Trevor Noah performed
After Pender, we headed to North Platte, NE. The attraction there was the Golden Spike Tower, a railroad hub for Union Pacific. Bailey Yard is 2,850 acres, 8 miles long, has 2 hump yards, and a diesel shop to repair train engines. Their slogan is "With two hump yards, it's always hump day at the world's largest rail yard". This yard operates 24/7. A hump yard is where the cars are pushed to the top of the hill (hump), where they are sorted and then go downhill to the train they need to be on.
Me at the tower with the trains in the background
More trains, diesel service center is at the left of the picture
It was hard to get a picture that showed the actual size of Bailey Yard and a closeup of how many railroad cars that are there. As we were leaving the area in the RV, the road we were on got us close enough to get a good look of one of the humps and the cars getting sorted and loaded.
Our next stop was Fort Collins, CO. After calling several campgrounds and finding out parts of Rocky Mountain National Park were still closed, we choose a campground in Fort Collins and decided to do sightseeing by car. Hwy 34 was closed to Estes Park so we took an alternate route and drove as far as we could in the park before we had to turn around.
Mountain brook where we stopped to take a hike-yes, there is still snow
(This is actually a recording. This is the first time I've tried including a recording in the blog. Feedback would be appreciated.)
Lookout where several people had stopped
Love the snow capped mountains!
One of our challenges is choosing routes. We tend to favor more scenic drives (as opposed to freeway driving). So, when leaving CO we decided to take the northern route using State Hwy 14 and US 40. (This was after vetting it to make sure the roads were safe to drive a 40 ft. RV on, and determining that the tunnel height was high enough for us to go through.) Andy did a great job doing all of the curves and switchbacks. At one point we were high enough that rain drops were snow flakes. This is the first we've done "mountain" driving and we've been pleased at how the RV has handled the inclines and heights.
After CO, we headed west towards ID along I-80 in Wyoming. At the last minute, we decided to take a detour to see a dam in the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. As I already said in a Facebook post, sometimes the best route is the unplanned route! While the dam was interesting, we didn't realize that as we drove through the gorge we would come upon some of the most beautiful views we've ever seen.
Start of the gorge, you can see the lake in the background
Sun came out at the right time to highlight the rocks and the lake
Picture taken from Sheep Creek Overlook
This picture doesn't do the scene justice. We both agreed it is one of the most breathtaking views we've ever seen!
Right now we are in Caldwell, ID for a week before we head to OR. Yesterday we took a day trip to the Snake River Birds of Prey Natural Area. This was a lot of driving through prairie before coming to the river and another natural gorge.
While not as stunning as the previous one, it still was beautiful. We're constantly amazed at how diverse and interesting this country is.
So far we have added 4 new states to our list- Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. We've got a lot more to cover. Next up is Bend, OR., stay tuned!
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