Trip 78-Pt 1

Trip 78, 2005 West, Part 1

How's that for an exciting title. Actually this winter trip was delayed a couple of months so we could meet our daughter in Moab, Utah where she was camping with hubby and friends to celebrate her birthday. As usual, it is taken almost verbatim from our personal log and might have some extemely personal things in it, which I trust you will not read. But, if you do, we deny everything.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005.

We got up a bit early for us; that means around ten or so. Then it was work, work, work. Ham said, last night, that we were in pretty good shape. I guess we really were since we didn’t do the four day count down. We still had all the last minute stuff to do. That’s the stuff that can’t be done until the last day. Of course, we had other things to do since we didn’t do that count down that I mentioned.

It definitely seemed time to stop about lunch time. That is, of course, our usual brunch time. We went to Sakura. Hammie is so lucky. He had Japanese two days in a row and Qdoba last night. What more could a guy want? We had our cute little Japanese (I think) waitress that Ham likes so much but I can’t understand a word she says.

Fortified, it was back to work again. We finally pulled out at three o’clock. That wasn’t too bad for us.

Ham wanted to by pass all the big cities and, at the same time, have a little change of scenery, so he decided to go west on U.S. Rt. 36. The sun was shining and the temperature was in the mid 40s. That was fairly warm compared to what it has been. That made running in and out loading the LER a little more pleasant. I digress.

The minute we got off I-465 on to US 36 the traffic looked like Castleton at Christmas. This continued all the way through Avon, which now goes on forever. There seemed to be as many restaurants as Castleton and Greenwood combined. Are you getting the picture that it was crowded? Of course, it finally lightened up. The western part of Indiana is really rather pretty with the woods and rolling hills.

Ham said he wanted to get beyond Terre Haute and soon we were in Illinois. You could tell because everything flattened out immediately. Hence, the name, The Prairie State, I presume. We settled on Decatur as a place to stop for the night.

Hammie found Wal Mart with little trouble; and, we were told to go over by Sam’s to park for the night. Wal Mart was open all night, but they seemed afraid that we might occupy a parking space. We went over to an adjoining Arby’s that Ham decreed was his least favorite in the whole world. They didn’t have baked potatoes. The guy tried to sell me bottle of water instead of giving me the free stuff. Then, he said if I didn’t use their small glass, he would charge me fifty cents for a large paper cup. Then he tried to get me to order a wrap for $7 instead of my $4.20 sandwich. I don’t know if he was the owner, but you would think he was working on commission.

Back to Sam’s to park for the night. The furnace is working, Thank Goodness. WE FOUND THE RED BAG. We thought Evans had taken it to CA; that’s why we bought a new zero degree bag. Well, we should be plenty warm with two zero bags on. Of course, the poor old red bag had lost its loft and wasn’t all that warm any more. It was like seeing an old friend though.

Ham found out the wire connection to the phone worked and he got on the internet with both computers with no trouble at all. I was busy with Sam but it didn’t seem like it took him very long to get connected.

He is now back in the toasty bed; and, I’m ready to join him. Nl

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Again we awakened fairly early and were up and moving around ten. We had spotted a Panera’s about a block away and we drove for many miles trying to get out of the parking lot and across the street. Well, maybe it was just a three block drive.

The electric lock on the big back door didn’t work so I scrubbed it with the 3M pad. That didn’t work. Then I got out the voltmeter and it didn’t work either. So we went into Panera’s for a rather nice breakfast of bagels, fruit, and a pecan sticky bun, ummm good. Nan Lou’s hazelnut coffee was above average too.

I saw a Radio Shack across the street and I had the batteries for the meter tested; they tested at pretty close to full voltage. Thinking that indicated a bad meter I bought a new $30 meter. As luck would have it, after setting up the new meter and putting the old one back together, the old one worked just fine. Everyone needs two voltmeters, don’t they? Nan Lou bought some emery boards in Walgreen’s and I cleaned the door contacts which cured the lock problem.

Finally, many hours later we headed back into downtown Decatur to find old US 36. We did, but it ran concurrently with I-72. I-72 was a nice interstate with very little traffic that we took to the capitol of Illinois, Springfield, and promptly lost the interstate. The drive through downtown Springfield wasn’t bad and we just kept heading west out into the countryside on some county road that was empty except for a very few locals. We passed Millikin University and tried to remember who we knew who went there. We couldn’t. So we changed places and I rested while Nan Lou pushed the LER. Along our way on these two lane roads we noticed many trailers with big ammonia tanks being hauled to the fields. I guess it is time for the farmers to prepare for spring planting. Sometimes I feel so agronomus.

Finally the county road ended up running right onto I-72 again, which was still empty, and we made our way to Hannibal, Missouri just on the west bank of the Mississippi river. By then we were a little hungry and cruised the old town and the busy outlying business area for a place to get a tasty meal. We settled on a pizza place in the old town with a pasta sign that was clean and fresh looking. Not the sign, the place, the windows, the paint, the floor, etc. I had their baked spaghetti and Nan Lou had a veggie pizza with a little pepperoni. Was it still a veggie pizza? Both were tasty and not all that salty like some other places we frequent at home.

There was a WalMart in Hannibal but I wanted to go over 200 miles today and we took US 36, the only choice, to Macon, Missouri where the atlas showed the next one to the west.

We are there now, arriving at sundown, and settled in for the night. The sun set into the horizon as a big orange ball. It was quite spectacular and I tried to get a good photo. I don’t think the windshield shot will be very good. Speaking of the windshield, we caught a small stone from a passing vehicle yesterday and have a chip just above the bottom trim strip right in front of the driver. There is a two inch crack heading upward, which might spread, who knows.

OK, we have covered about 390 miles in two days. That’s 195 miles per day. The trip, with our two planned side trips, is about 1600 miles. Let’s say 200 miles per day. That is 8 days. We left on the 15th. We might arrive the evening of the 23rd. hb

Thursday, March 17, 2005

There was no place to eat except McDonalds; and, Hammie tried to eat healthy by having hotcakes and a sausage patty. When he checked the nutrition chart, he was a bit disgruntled to learn my egg Mc Muffin was lower in all the bad stuff than his breakfast.

So off we booked. Ham drove the whole way today. He is one macho drivin’ dude. I’m sure he has something to relate, but my mind is a blank. We drove something like 280 miles through Missouri and into Kansas. The usual Midwestern landscape was tan and brown with not much going on.

We thought we would eat in St. Joseph but the road whizzed right passed the town with only one Wendy’s sign, which we missed. He stopped right inside KS and tried out the wonderful internet getting-on-to device. It worked.

We did keep seeing elk farms (well, we saw two). Ham said they sold the meat to Loon Lodge for its elk medallions. I suppose that’s possible. We also saw some penned in pronghorn. I have no idea what they do with those.

Still no food, so Drivin’ Ham the Wild Van Man continued on to Topeka; and, after all that, where did we eat? Wendy’s! They didn’t have a baked potato for Ham. Poor thing! After all that driving too! I tried their new fruit bowl and it was pretty good but is one of those things where you are hungry the minute you finish eating.

Continuing on, we were lucky to spot a bunch of hanging things over the road saying the height limit was 9 feet. Good thing we saw them or we would have decapitated the LER. Circling about, we finally made our way to I-70. Yes, the dreaded 70. After we got out of the metropolitan area, the traffic thinned dramatically. Thank Goodness! Ham, still driving, got us to Junction City where we found the friendly Wal Mart with no trouble. By this time, we were both rather happy to spot a Cracker Barrel right across the street. Can’t wait ‘til breakfast. I hope it isn’t as crowded as it was tonight.

Ham just informed me that the Garden of Eden is a mere 108 miles down the road. After all of this, it had better be good.

Oh yeah, I kept nodding off and caught a few winks while Hammie was messing with the internet connection. That’s all from me. Maybe, Ham has more. Nl

I ain’t got no mo. hb

Friday, March 18, 2005

The Cracker Barrel breakfast was OK even though I had biscuits instead of the toast I ordered. And, Ham didn’t have mustard for his chicken sandwich.

We toodled on down I-70 until we came to the proper road going north. It might have been something like Rt 230. I don’t know but it was designated as a scenic byway, which we chuckled at, wondering how something could be scenic in Kansas. We were wrong. The road went along the crest of a hill giving nice distant views of the rolling and dipping countryside. Also, on the left there was a very large lake (reservoir), which was quite a nice shade of green. So, all in all, the drive was very pretty.

The town of Lucas was something out of a time warp. I could see Steven King having a heyday there. Nice wide streets, well kept modest homes and very few people. During harvest season, I could just see the children of the corn coming in to town to party. So, it was the perfect place for Mr. Dinsmore to build his very strange Garden of Eden. It truly was an excellent example of folk art. Most of the cement sculptures could be seen from the street. The temperature was quite nippy and the lonely girl guide had taken a short break and locked up, so we wandered around sort of freezing until she got back to give us the Big Spiel.

The cement figures and trees and such rose to 40 feet in the air and their construction was baffling as to how he got them up there let alone stay there for all these years. The old bird died in 1932 which was a good year for living as well as dying.

I suppose the climax to the whole thing as well as the piece de resistance was to enter the mausoleum and view the old guy himself. He looked a little worn. But since he wanted to charge people to look at him, he has gotten his wish for more than seventy years.

Ham just wondered how he could father two children after the age of 85; and, I wondered why that beautiful 20-year-old girl would want to marry an old fart of 80.

By the way, no elk or pronghorn today, but we did see a frisky herd of buffalo and a small herd of, what we think was, deer.

The road west was one of the lonelier roads we have ever been on. No towns, no traffic, just road. The stone posts for fence supports particularly impressed me. The rectangular stones were used for miles. We wondered if someone made and sold them, or if each farmer chopped them out himself. One thing for sure, they will last forever, just like a tombstone. Oooo-ooh, here comes Steven King again.

So, on and on we went, until I was pretty famished. I think Ham must have been too but he wouldn’t admit it. When we finally started coming to little towns, they were just a few houses, a church, a couple of bars, and big grain elevators. No food!

At long last starving Me was very happy to see Colby. We chose to eat at a Chinese Buffet place. We don’t like going through buffets, so we ordered from the menu. Ham was surprised and appalled to find this chicken cashew smothered in sweet brown gravy. My vegetable stir-fry was adequate in the variety of veggies but it also was smothered in a soy sauce sort of thick gravy. Edible but you wouldn’t want to repeat the meal.

Wal Mart has given us permission to park here for the night. It is a tiny one and not the usual big Super Center. Ham has been fussing for hours trying to get the mail with our new phone hook up thingy. He has not been successful. At least now, it is after nine o’clock so we are not losing our phone minutes.

I think I’m going to go make the bed now. My butt is numb and my back is tired. So there! nl

Saturday, March 19, 2005

We slept a little later this morning, about 10:30, and then headed down I-70 to Goodland since we weren’t too hungry and Colby had a dearth of eateries. In Goodland we went looking for the little restaurant we had eaten at a few years ago. I drove all over and finally gave up thinking I had places mixed up. On our way back to the interstate area I saw a Best Western and remembered the place was next to the motel. Sure enough, there it was, smelling of cigarette smoke and not really too swift looking. I had a Buffalo burger and Nan Lou had French toast. The first try at coffee was almost cold, a little micro waving didn’t help much. Finally the waitress said she’d boil it and it was hot, not too good, but hot. The bison burger was good.

I had seen a Howard Johnson sign along the road advertising their wireless internet hookups and stopped there where the manager/owner was exceedingly nice and helpful in getting us hooked up. Actually it was easy since they don’t have it set up with any passwords or fees and the Verizon thing did its stuff. I caught Nan Lou looking at the restaurant menu and felt bad about “going back” which they say you can’t do.

The next hour was spent in the LER using Howdie’s WiFi which was strong enough to reach us in the parking lot. I wrestled through Yahoo’s directions to get a Yahoo address for Nan Lou since last night’s computer struggles seemed to show that Yahoo worked better than AOL, which did not work for email at all. So, now there is a [email protected]. How about that.

On the road once more we headed west on I-70 into Colorado. The mountains appeared peeking over the horizon as we reached Limon. Nan Lou found a couple of WalMarts in a Denver suburb called Aurora and the easy route to the Denver airport where we thought we could spend the night in the long term lot if the WalMarts didn’t pan out.

Alas, the WalMarts were well hidden and directions from a local mail lady were not much use. We headed for the airport.

The road into the airport is a long, long road. Signs informed us that the Economy lots were full. I thought the Economy lots would be the long term lots. No so Kemosabe. The long term lots are called the Shuttle lots. There are two, one was closed, the other open. The signs told us to prepay the $5.00 daily fee which I did, telling the attendant we were there to meet a late flight when she looked funny as I told her just one day. We were then directed to park in a certain place near the shuttle; not a place we wanted to park. Oh well, it ain’t Key West.

Nan Lou cooked up sandwiches, cheese for me and peanut butter for herself, and we ate to the gentle sounds of the jets. Nothing like the real campground at the end of the LA airport runways where they seemed to be 50 feet over your head.

Hopefully the parking girl with the flag and the shuttle bus will gradually recede from our parking place as more cars come in to the lot.

Nannie just called using Chris’ phone with the power booster. They were all set up near Moab with their grass rugs and multi tables. They are four miles past the first creek crossing. They made the crossing but there was a fifth wheel that either didn’t make it or had a hard time doing it. She said there were a lot of RVs there going off into the boonies. I told her we would call Chris’ number when we reached Moab late Tuesday afternoon. hb

Sunday, March 20, 2005

Speaking for myself, I slept better than I had any night since we’ve been gone.

We hurried, or so it seemed, through our morning ablutions. I thought Ham wanted to see if they would let us out of the lot. I’m sure he was prepared with another cock and bull story if we were questioned. Come to find out there was one gate opened and not a soul manning it. A puzzlement. Would you come in free of charge; or, would they nail you on your way out. That would be questionable since it was a prepay lot.

We got gas and decided to toodle down I-70 to Idaho Springs and then decide whether it was worth the canyon road drive to Nederland, just to have a meal at the Pioneer. The road was comfortably full but not bumper to bumper. We were glad it was Sunday.

It is surprising how quickly you get into the mountains from Denver. You pass the Golden exit, and, Wham!, you’re in the mountains. We didn’t hit the rush of traffic that Nannie and Dave did. Again, I think it was because it was Sunday and everyone was coming back from a weekend of skiing. In fact, a little later on the road was just packed on the other side and the traffic was moving very slowly over there.

We saw a sign saying ”Buffalo Herd Overlook.” We both thought it was just a name, but sure enough, there was a huge herd of Buffalo grazing on the hill. Later in the day, we saw two different herds of Rocky Mountain Sheep and a nice little family of Mule Deer. It is the most wild life we have seen in a long, long time.

When we got to Idaho Springs, it was definitely time to eat. I had decreed that it was too long a drive down a curvy canyon road and it would take too long, just to get a brunch. Ham had already decided he didn’t want to do it anyway. That settled that.

One restaurant seemed to have all the cars parked in front of it, so we determined it must be pretty good. There was a fifteen-minute wait and I was surprised Ham put up with that. It gave us time to wash our dirty hands. Ham had another Buffalo Burger but it was a mini patty compared to his first one. I had another breakfast.

The LER had to show us who was boss by having brake shudders from braking on the long down grades. This is nothing new, but always worrisome and scary. Then the real fun began! It started to snow and the visibility was horrible. It wasn’t slick however. We did see the salt/snow plow trucks ready to go. Also, there was a semi cross ways in one of the run away lanes with all kinds of emergency vehicles trying to get him out. Those lanes are so scary because they are very, very steep. I think if you had a run away truck, hitting one of those things at speed would be enough to cause a bit of wetness in the trouser area.

Well, with expert driving, Ham managed to get us through the high passes with the bucking brakes. Yeah Ham!

The ski slopes all were doing a fine business as much as we could tell. Ham wanted to stop at one town to get a cup of coffee, just to have a little driving break, and there were so many cars parked in all the store lots, he said, “Phooey!,” and kept driving.

A Wal Mart was spotted at Rifle, so there was an opportunity for another free parking night. Last night cost all of five dollars. When Ham got permission to spend the night, we went off to search for food.

There were the usual fast food eateries, plus a very convenient Starbucks close to Wal Mart but we are always on the look out for something better. Driving around town a couple of times indicated the pickin’s were mighty slim. There was a bar and grill that sported a sign saying Mediterranean food. I didn’t see that. Ham did. We were appalled at the dirty entrance and doorway, but Hammie opened the door right up and barged right in. The no smoking section was about as shabby and dreary as you can imagine. However, the food was very good. The hummus was quite tasty, but had a coating of olive oil on it. We made canals and drained it off as best we could. My falafel was huge and very good, as was Ham’s Greek salad. All in all, it was a meal of pleasant change.

While we were eating, it started pouring down rain. I mean pouring. Just as the rain/snow worried us as we were traveling, this was disconcerting too. We didn’t want to go to sleep on a wet bed. Fortunately, even though it is still raining as I write this, the bed seems to be dry.

Actually, at a quarter ‘til seven, it is still pretty early. I don’t have any idea what the evening will bring. Maybe we will again try to get on line, since Hammie remembered that we are supposed to get free minutes on weekends.

He turned the temperature down to 70 and I’m getting cold. It was a pleasant 50 up in the mountains. Now, with the rain it’s in the thirties. Brr! nl

Monday, March 21, 2005

Unbelievable as it sounds, we had breakfast at Starbucks. Ham, with a cinnamon twist and I with a scone. I thought this breakfast would last two hours, but, instead it lasted all day. By the time we ate dinner, though, we were both pretty hungry.

We drove to Grand Junction and found a Wal Mart. Ham proceeded to do a water thing. Getting lots of gallons of water to fill the tank. He flushed it out (the tank) and we went merrily, trekking onward, with the LER peeing all the way. Obviously, this is a lot of work.

I guess we went to the Colorado National Monument when we were here years ago. All I remembered were the rock climbers free climbing on one of the tall rocky towers. Actually, today I learned it was called Independence Monument. Now I’ve learned it, I shall probably forget it, forthwith.

It was a very scary road up to the visitor’s center with winding horseshoe curves and plunges down hundreds and hundreds of feet. No guardrails, of course! I was rather proud of how far I’ve come because I didn’t whimper once. Yeah, me! The views were spectacular across the valley. We drove through the campground where we supposedly stayed back in ’98. As usual, I didn’t remember a thing about it. That’s good, in a way. It’s like seeing a place for the first time, all over again.

Instead of going back the way we came, we continued on the road back to Grand Junction. At last we came to this tall Independence Monument rock; and, guess what? There were a bunch (five or six) climbers on the ledge way, way, up the thing looking like they were discussing the rest of the assent. Ham said they did have a rope dangling from the top. What some people do for fun!

The rocky formations farther on down included hoodoo like things and something called Coal Ovens. which were hoodoos that were fat on the bottom. The canyon walls were smooth and streaked with rust red. Very pretty!

By this time, we were starving. A good meal at the Olive Garden sounded pretty good. And it was, especially topped off with tiramisu.

Then, because I had my hair washed earlier at Wal Mart, Hammie couldn’t be outdone, so he had a shampoo and a haircut which cost a bit more than two bits, but it was much needed.

Ham got even more water and has been doing something with filling or washing out tanks.

Evans just called and said the Wire was picked up for next season but he won’t know if he has a job until the end of June.

My back gave out walking around Wal Mart so I think I’ll go take a Tylenol.

That’s it for me. Maybe Ham has more. nl

Continued in Part 2

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They say that if you start your journey with a fresh rose you will not have to stop and pee as often as starting with a cold six pack of Bud.

Nice, empty Kansas highway passing a lake as green as the Gulf of Mexico at Panama City Beach down in Florida. Or, maybe we're lost.

The Garden of Eden. Not exactly what I thought it would look like.

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As you would expect, Eve with a Red Delicious apple, Adam with a big stick, and Snively the Snake hovering over Eve's head awaiting to see if they succumb to temptation. It looks like Snively is rising up from out of Eve's head, but he is actually behind her. Our photographer sucks like a Hoover. I think he was too stricken by Eve's hips, as am I.

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"I am woman, hear me roar,"
she sings over the emasculated
and rotting body of man as her faithful
dog Helga barks in approval.

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I think what we have here are early settlers. I don't know why they're in the tree, maybe Snively the Snake scared them.

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Old Whats-his-name's mausoleum where he has been on display since the thirties.

Main Street in Idaho Springs, Colorado

Mountains with ski runs. The blue sky is
not natural, it's our tinted windshield.

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I'm told by my trusty navigator that this ain't Kansas no mo'.

Our parking lots at home do not look like
this. They are a wee bit more crowded.

The road from down below in Colorado National Monument.

If you look real closely you can see several
climbers working their way to the top.