Road Trip Day 5

For a day that started with a wrong turn, it was pretty good – we saw some aspens in their fall glory, stood on the Oregon Trail, and arrived at Grand Teton National Park.

Leaving Cheyenne, we had planned to take a scenic route that would lead us to Independence Rock. Instead of the road that led us north, we ended up on a road going south, and by the time we figured it out, it made more sense to keep on going than to turn back. We wound up going down into Colorado then back up into Wyoming and ended up at Rawlins. It was a beautiful drive and in the end, we weren't too late getting to our final destination.

From Rawlins, we headed up 287 to 220 to go to Independence Rock. As history enthusiasts, this was pretty high on our to-do list and I'm glad we did. Independence Rock was a landmark for those traveling the Oregon Trail. The hope was to be at that point in time to celebrate Independence Day and to ensure getting through the mountains before the winter weather set in. Many emigrants carved their names into the rocks – most are worn away from years of the elements but we spotted a few. It's hard to imagine leaving the world as you know it to set out on wagon for a new life.

There were a couple more stops related to Oregon Trail landmarks – Devil's Gate, and Split Rock. We also stopped at Martin Cove – named for the family who created the hand carts that many Mormon emigrants used to travel west. We spoke with a very nice volunteer there who showed us the markers that marked the Oregon/California/Mormon/Pony Express trail. We stood where those wagons once traveled. A real highlight.

From there, it was time to make tracks for Grand Teton National Park. We followed 287 all the way to the park, arriving before sunset. Checked into our room then went back to the Lodge for some dinner. On the back patio, lots of folks were gathered to watch sunset over the Tetons. We watched for a while then had a bite to eat at the Pioneer Grill, then called it a day. It will be nice to be in one spot for a few days!

We did see some smoke from forest fires in Colorado and in Wyoming. The Tetons are not clear at all, and I can imagine that many folks are quite disappointed. While I wish it were clearer, I'm just too happy to be here to let it bother me. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll be back.

A few pics from the day:

Fall Beauty

North Platte River

Independence Rock

Oregon Trail Marker

Sunset on the Tetons

Road Trip Day 4

We were up and out early this morning, with many miles to go.  For most of the distance, more farms.  Huge fields of corn and more flat landscape. Taking I-80 west from Lincoln, we decided to sidetrack to Scotts Bluff National Monument.  As we went farther northwest, the flat farmland became rolling prairie and we began to see less corn and more cattle. 

After driving for a while, we decided to find a place for a picnic.  We happened upon Ash Hollow State Historical Park, which was closed but we could still access the picnic are.  It was drizzly and cool so we quickly ate from the back of the car and moved on.  Not sure why Ash Hollow is historic but will Google that some time.

On to Scotts Bluff National Monument.  This is a landmark associated with the Oregon Trail emigrants as they traveled through nearby Mitchell Pass.  What makes this park unique is that you can drive up to the top of the bluff, through tunnels and curved roads built back in the 1930's.  Amazing views from the top and it really makes you wonder what those wagoners must have thought as they passed through the country side.

The final leg of the day was from Scotts Bluff to Cheyenne.  The drizzly rain continued.  Hoping we see better weather tomorrow.  Dinner tonight was at T-Joe's Steakhouse and Saloon, again recommended by the desk clerk and again, a good choice. 

A few pics from the day:


Rain clouds moving in - Nebraska



Roadside sunflowers

 

Scotts Bluff National Monument

 

 

View from the top



Rainy approach to Cheyenne



Road Trip Day 3

It was a sunny morning leaving Columbia and driving to Independence.  We found the Truman Library with no problem and spent several hours looking through the exhibits.  I was quite surprised at how many items were on display.  Truman faced a lot of tough choices and situations during his presidency and the exhibits were, in my opinion, fair about presenting both sides of many of the decisions.  My favorite part was the replica of the Oval Office as it was during his presidency, with a description narrated by Truman.  He spent a lot of his retired years working on the library and was well-known in Independence for walking from his home to his office at the library every day.

Leaving Truman Library, we drove to Kansas City for a stop at Cabela's.  Since it was quite warm, we decided to forgo the picnic and grabbed a sandwich at Famous Dave's near Cabela's.  We spent a hour or so looking around in Cabela's and bought some bear spray and a few clothing items. 

The longest drive of our day was from Kansas City to Lincoln.  North on I-29 through northwestern Missouri into Iowa, then west into Nebraska.  More and more farmland. The hotel clerks recommended Lazlos Brewery and Grill.  Once again, the recommendation was great!  Food was good and service was outstanding. 

A few pics from the day:

Missouri farm

Truman Library

"The Buck Stops Here" sign that sat on Truman's desk

Oval Office Replica

One more river crossing and into Nebraska



Road Trip Day 2

Up and leaving Louisville around 6:45 a.m. after breakfast at the hotel.  We soon crossed the Ohio River into Indiana.  Started with gently rolling hills that turned into farmland as far as the eye could see.  More of the same in Illinois.  This is serious farming country.  Finally, we crossed the Mississippi River into Missouri and made our way to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Park.  We walked down by the river for a bit then headed into the Gateway Arch to pick up tickets for our tram ride.  We were able to change my 2:00 tickets to 11:25, crowds were very low.  Quite a view from the top!  I'm glad I did it and I'm even more glad that it's a relatively quick trip (4 minutes up, 3 minutes down) in the very small tram car.

Afterwards, we walked through some exhibits then decided to have a picnic lunch on the grounds.  We found a bench overlooking the river and relaxed while we ate our sandwiches.  Lots of people walking the grounds, looks to be a popular spot for downtown workers and runners.

Next, we walked over to the courthouse and looked around a bit.  I got 3 new stamps in my national parks passport.  Since we had moved the tram ride up, we were finished at the park earlier than expected and decided to drive towards Columbia, our stopping point for the evening.

Along the way, we decided to drop off the interstate and take the Lewis and Clark scenic drive along 94 near the Missouri River.  Couldn't see the river from the road but did find a place to stop and look.  It was a beautiful ride, at times looking like we were heading into mountains then at times more extremely large farms.  As we reached Jefferson City, we spotted the state capital building, then turned back towards Columbia.  Checked into our hotel and asked for dinner recommendations.  We went to the Flat Branch Pub and Brewing, a local micro-brewery started in 1994.  Had dinner on the patio - the comfortable weather and low humidity made it a nice way to spend the evening.  If you're ever in Columbia, I recommend it!


A few pics from the day:





 Indiana farmland



Arch with flag



Mississippi River from top of arch



Flag hanging inside courthouse



Missouri River



Dinner at Flat Branch Pub and Brewing

Road Trip Day 1



Travel day, drove from home to Louisville, Kentucky.  Nice traveling weather, a little drizzly when we left home but otherwise sunny/partly cloudy/back to sunny the rest of the day. 

After a couple of stops to try to find a car charger for our GPS, and a gas fill-up, we were soon making our way through NC into the western part of Virginia, into West Virginia, then a westerly turn into Kentucky. Stopped for a picnic lunch at the Kentucky welcome center, then on to Louisville.  Just had dinner at a local pizza place recommended by the desk clerk.  Nice little family place with a plate of baked spaghetti large enough for a family!  Most of today's pics are from the car so excuse the bug spots on the windshield. :-)



Driving in the dark...



Pilot Mountain, NC



Through the mountains of Virginia



Crossing the Kanawha River in West Virginia

Lunch break in Kentucky

Rolling hills and rolling clouds in Kentucky



Vacation time!

Is there ever a work day that's longer than that last day before your time off?  This one was pretty busy so it wasn't so bad.  Hope all of you back at the office don't have to deal with too many techno malfunctions while I'm away. :-)

Two more sleeps until we leave!  I'm really glad we decided to wait until Sunday.  It will be nice to have tomorrow to finish packing and taking care of things around the house.

Planning

In getting ready for our trip, I've been pulling together confirmations from hotel reservations made back in January.  So to say that we've been planning for a while would be accurate!  From a tip on tripadvisor.com, I ordered the book "Yellowstone Treasures" by Janet Chapple.  Highly recommend it if you're planning a trip to Yellowstone.  Nicely organized by sections of the park, she provides a mile-by-mile narrative of what to see in each section.  Then a friend sent a copy of Lonely Planet's Yellowstone/Grand Teton guide book.  Then there was the daily reading of the Wyoming forum on tripadvisor.com.  Some of those folks are extremely knowledgeable and more than willing to share their knowledge with the rest of us. Oh, and the webcams from Yellowstone - when I started watching them last winter, there was snow on the ground.  And wait, there's more - most national parks have their own Facebook pages.  Nothing like a beautiful photo from a visitor to make you say "I can't wait to see that!"

Hello, my name is ceebee and I'm a planner. :-)