Rock Springs, Wyoming to Reno, Nevada

After checking out of the motel, we attempted to find a post office…no luck. Had we felt like wandering a bit more we would have found one, but we really wanted to get to the coast.

We found ourselves back on Rt. 80 traveling through more construction and wide open spaces – it really was breathtaking. The green plains were scattered with cows, sheep and goats (as they were through most of our travels), but Wyoming also gave us our first glimpse at long-horned antelope and mountain lions. The antelope were grazing much like the deer in Pennsylvania, hanging out in small numbers enjoying the sun and land. Unfortunately, the mountain lions we saw had been the victims of a hit-and-run. It was quite startling to see those large padded feet and sandy coats lying on the side of the highway.

We took note of the Green River Whitewater Kayak Park (there you go, Doug!) just outside of Rock Springs and in about one hundred more miles crossed the border into Utah.

Let us pause here to say that Utah is unbelievably magnificent! Ah, forget it – we’ll go on about the beauty for a while. As we entered the state, we were expecting to see dinosaurs stomping through the mountains – the size of the mountains and the lushness of the foliage looked ridiculously prehistoric. It’s amazing how different the states are…each beautiful, but in stark contrast to its neighbor.

We made a pit stop in Coalville, Utah for gas and coffee (the two necessities of a road trip) and attempted yet again to find The Original Peanut Chews. Much to our disappointment these sweet tasty bits of heaven (yes, they are our favorite candy) are no where to be found outside of Pennsylvania…at least heading West. We are going through withdrawal.

After winding through the mountainous region of Utah, we found ourselves in Salt Lake City. Unfortunately, a horrendous accident and loads of road construction set us off course and North up Rt. 84. We decided to continue our detour around the lake and take a quick peek at Idaho before continuing down the long and desolate Rt. 30. Even the cows gave up and went home…we were glad that our tank was full. Rt. 30 became Rt. 223 which dropped us into Nevada and back on Rt. 80. While the change of scenery and pace was nice, we were ready for a major highway and a rest area. ;)

Earlier, we had wondered what people do in Nevada – our question was answered in Carlin, where we found toilets, snacks and slot machines in the gas station. A quick call to the Eldorado Hotel & Casino in Reno secured us a room for the evening, so we rambled on. We covered about 300 more miles that evening before checking in at the Eldorado.

Grand Island, Nebraska to Rock Springs, Wyoming

A stop in Gothenburg, Nebraska for a cup-a-joe and a quick look at the Pony Express Building was the only stimulation we had until our bathroom break at a Cabela’s* in Sidney. Why Cabela’s, you ask? Because the entire state of Nebraska is a big dump. They evidently don’t care if anyone likes their state – or if cross country travelers want a respite from the monotony of the flatness. ALL of the rest areas we came upon were closed. Cabela’s was all we could find. That is Nebraska. (This opinion is not unfounded, nor is it singular…all of the other travelers we have spoken with thus far have concurred.)

While we were at Cabela’s we took a moment to stretch our legs and visit a small man-made pond nearby. Several families of geese and ducks were there having a pleasant time until a motor boat was dropped into the pond and proceeded to whip around creating a deluge of misery for the sweet little ducklings and gosslings taking their first innocent steps into the water. We wouldn’t be surprised if they were all scarred for life. Did we mention we don’t like Nebraska?**

The angels sang as we crossed over the Nebraska state line into Wyoming.

Thank heaven for the hospitality of Wyoming! We stopped in Burns for some gas and a short stretch then set off to conquer the west. A marvelous photo-op presented itself in Vedauwoo just East of Laramie, Wyoming. Giant rock formations that look pretty similar to wet clay dropped on the floor (thousands of times larger, of course.) We saw a lot of other marvelous rock formations throughout this leg of our journey…they were dwarfing.

Interestingly enough, the Sinclair gas station previously mentioned happens to be a large chain out West. Why? There are oil wells and refineries spread across the state (and much of the mid-west.) A few other points of interest about Rt 80 through Wyoming…it’s the only paved road for miles and the on ramps are modest little dirt roads. What really amazed us were the gates. Each of the on ramps had their own little gates to keep traffic from entering the highway…obviously they have some pretty rough storms out there. Like we said, Wyoming is hospitable – they care about the motorists that travel on their roads.

Rock Springs, Wyoming was the site of our next repose. A small motel with very friendly staff made that evening even better…after that rest area nap in Nebraska, it felt like the Taj Mahal.

* Cabela’s isn’t a regular stop for us. In fact, this was the first time we’d ever been in one. For those of you who know about our bleeding-heart-animal-kindness-initiative, rest assured, we’ll be boycotting this store along with good ol’ Wal*Mart.

** No apologies for this one folks. We really never want to see that state again.

Fremont, Indiana to Grand Island, Nebraska

Our second day of travel was sunny and hot. To make time, we pretty much cruised through as many states as we could. Indiana was beautiful. Illinois was not*. Iowa was a breath of fresh air…beautiful rolling hills, green grass, picturesque farms – you name it. It looked like a postcard. Sam needed some food, so we stopped at the nearest BP (Davenport, Iowa) and filled him up. A short while later we needed to stretch our legs, so we found a marvelous rest area in Johnson County, Iowa (near Victor, we believe) and enjoyed a little stroll.

Not that this is monumental, but we wanted to share our enthusiasm for Iowa’s rest areas. They are clean, well cared for and a pleasure to visit. This one in particular: the entire building was encased in books. A clever sculptor had created clay tiles to border the structure – all subjects from astronomy to zoology were represented. We wandered about the outside after a quick look at the interior and found a lovely little nature trail that looked out on the surrounding farms. Why can’t every rest area be that nice?

We eventually got hungry. A quick stop at a local chain, Casey’s General Store, got us some grand coffee to wash down the remaining brownies that we had packed. (Truly, this is the only reason one ever needs to grow up…you can eat brownies for dinner.) After a few calls to Pennsylvania, we were back on the road. We consulted the map and decided that Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska should be avoided during the morning commute so we got through them before looking for a place to sleep.

Thanks to our GPS (a gift from Matt’s brother), we located an area with fuel, restaurants and lodging. Unfortunately, the hotels were full – but we did manage to fill up at a Sinclair gas station. Much to our delight, the truck portion of this specific station sold SOY diesel! Yes, at 1:58am (in York, Nebraska), soy diesel is a thrill – just about the only thrill. We drove around looking for a hotel with vacancy and a ‘safe’ atmosphere until we realized that there were none to be found. At that point, the sun was starting to peek out from under its cover and we gave up. The closest rest area gave our tired bodies just that: rest. A few hours later, we started off again.

* To all of you from the state of Illinois: sorry, it just ain’t our cup of tea. We’re sure the greater Chicago area is lovely beyond words – but we were stuck on Route 80. There was construction. There was traffic. Enough said.

Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania to Fremont, Indiana

We finally hit the road around 3pm on Sunday, even though we had planned to leave Thursday morning…who’d have thought that packing your entire life into a 7×10 storage space and getting paper work in order could take so long!? ;)

Since our departure was a bit delayed, we decided to hightail it across the states and get to the San Francisco area as planned. A quick stop for gas at the Bloomsburg BP and we were off. Our next stop was just as thrilling…more gas in Genoa, Ohio and then a good night’s sleep in Fremont, Indiana.

What can be said of that leg of our journey? Not much, but it was a beautiful day and the evening that followed was just as lovely.