HYSTERICAL JOURNEY TO HISTORIC PLACES

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AUGUST 22, 2014



Whew. What an odd day this has been. I woke up to rain in Santa Fe but drove out from under it before reaching Las Vegas. There were two gas stations in Wagon Mound but I had just filled up my tank in Santa Fe and did not feel that I needed more. Had I known that on the route I was following there would not be any more gas for the next 250 miles I might have re-considered; nor were there any eating places. I left the interstate highway at Springer and went eastward halfway to Clayton until going north on Highway 193. I did not get pictures of the massacre site near Point of Rocks although I drove right past it three times and went on up to Folsom where I got some pictures of the Twin Peaks train robbery site. The rain caught up with me again and was an intermittent companion for the rest of the day. From Folsom I went north to Highway 160 in Colorado and then eastward through the Comanche Grass Lands. There are several small communities along the way but none of them have any services for the travelling public. Along the way were some pretty lively thunder storms and hail storms. Finally in Springfield, Colorado I found a Valero gas station were 85 octane regular sold for $3.699 per gallon. My low fuel warning light had blinked on 30 miles back. What passes for grub in Springfield can be found at the Main Café. I had a burger, fries, Diet Pepsi, and a side of pinto beans for $8.65. The beans were pretty good, but needed salt. Continuing eastward on 160 I encountered a series of dust storms and some truly vicious thunder and hail. Arrived at another Comfort Inn in Dodge City, Kansas about half past 8pm. It was another long day of driving. I ran over one wiggly snake that failed to post road guards, and two errant birds crashed themselves into the front of my Jeep. I think they were horned larks. Reckless birds.

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Photos

TWIN PEAKS ROBBERY
The outlaw,Tom Ketchum, tried to rob the train right here. He stopped the train in a spot where the brakemen could not disconnect the passenger cars. While he was arguing with the engineer about it and threatening all manner of violence the conductor blasted him of the engine with a shotgun. The train went merrily on its way and reported the incident at the next station. A freight train found Tom the following morning and carried him back to Folsom where he was placed under arrest.