Rest stop a few miles East of Colorado

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Friday, June 29, 2007
Woke up and left Hays around 10:30ish after having sandwiches for breakfast. The only difference today in regards to the view is that it is sunny, other than that it is still flat farmland. Today seems more beautiful though, maybe because we are getting used to the view? I do like mountains though and there is not much water around either…

Much easier to tell the difference between cattle and bales of hay in the sun too! Thank you for the clarification Susan! Elan: “We couldn’t have done it without you Aunt Susan!” ☺ Also bales of hay are brown while the cattle are sometimes brown but often white or black!

Lots of fields of corn everywhere. We read that Interstate 70 is Main Street, USA. It goes from Washington, D.C. to connect with I-15 in Utah, which one can take to San Diego, CA. Besides cornfields there are also many religious signs, bulletin boards, proclaiming salvation if one only believes. There are many trucks on the road too, night and day.

We play the license plate game and according to Elan, he is winning… right. We saw an Alaskan plate last night. She drove from Kenai and was headed south. Went through the middle of Canada and though that our plan of going through Vancouver was a good one. We might be meeting up with Crisandrale, my other daughter, in Vancouver or somewhere else on the road. She’s leaving Anchorage to head south for the summer this Sunday. Molly will be hooking up with her in August. At least that is the plan for now, but as you all know our plans have ways of changing frequently!

Decided to take a stop in Oakley, KS to see the “larger than life” sculpture of Buffalo Bill & the Fick Fossil Museum, has lots of fossil shark teeth. This was a vast ocean many years ago. Insurance company sells crop hail damage insurance and then a bit farther on there is a sign for snow route. Railroad crossing has a yield sign, no lights or gates.

Museum had a Smithsonian exhibit called “Between Fences.” History of fences, why we have them, how they came about. Chain link fences invented in Germany in the 1800’s. Picket fences, barbed wire fences, spite fences, border control fences… The museum also had the fossils of shark teeth and other creatures. Lots of pictures of the towns in the past, a collection of war uniforms, WWI, WWII, and Vietnam. The volunteers in the museum were particularly nice people to chat with. Then we went to see the Buffalo Bill “larger than life” sculpture. According the to museum folks this was a donation sponsored sculpture but a rather expensive one too.

Middle of wheat harvesting season so there are lots of trucks, and huge “Maximizers” which make quick work of the fields. We continue on the road with the help of Lucy who got us back on track after we detoured to Oakley. She informs us once we are on I-70 West that our next turn is in 160 miles in her polite British accent.

Scenery is still the same, cornfields and wheat fields. We should arrive in Colorado Springs by 5 this evening, unless we stop again on the way. Lots more motorcycles on the road today, many in groups, wish I were with them! One day I will be I imagine.

142 miles into our trip today and we just crossed into Mountain Time Zone and Elan was bummed that we didn’t notice it sooner to take a picture of it. Now we’ll get into Colorado Springs at around 4PM.

Rest stop advertised wireless internet so we are trying it out! And taking time to upload this part of the blog… Lucy of course informed us that she was calculating again and telling us where to turn and how to get back on track.

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Comments

[Kathy (Aunt to some. . .)]

You're in good hands with Xena
Elan honey, I know that your license plate bearing the name "XNA" was a planned vanity plate and I'm just urging you to go with it and don't be ashamed of being a Xena fan and claiming you getting that plate was just a coincidence. Knowing that "Lucy" is directing you home gives me a grin every time I read about her bossy comments. And of course, you'll know you're getting closer when you see the famous Alaskan Grizzly Cows--unmistakable due to their classic neck humps. (That plate is MINE when you get home.)