Home!

We left Lincoln around 7:30.  The motel was on 27th street and the route we wanted was US 2 south of Lincoln so we took 27th south through the city until we hit US 2.  We enjoyed driving through the different communities.  Lincoln is a melting pot of nationalities.  Some were Arab, African, Korean, Mexican, Vietnamese, Indian (the country), etc.  The old houses along 27th street were interesting to look at.   We spent the day driving through Missouri and finally into Illinois and home.  It was a cloudy day so we didn't have to fight the sun in our eyes.  The round trip was 2,200 miles in the four days of the six we were gone.   We took Hunter home.  He was very anxious to see Frosty, the dog but I think he was also glad to see his family.  Then we picked up Sandy from the kennel and got to our home about 5:30.  Tomorrow we get back into our normal routine.  It was a great trip even if it was fast.  I am posting some miscellaneous pictures.

Because we took our own pillows, Hunter got to sleep with all of the pillows.  He always started out with the pillows in a neat arrangements but usually two or more ended up on the floor during the night.  This morning, Papaw threw the pillows on top of him and he became a pillow pile with Hunter sleeping underneath.

This morning Hunter ended up crosswise in the bed!

As we cross into Illinois this flag is always flying high to greet us.  

Sandy's home when we are away from home without her.

Eastward We Go

Up early to get on the road.  We left Fort Collins about 7:15.  The weather was sunny and in the 70's as we traveled.

This was our first stop.  We can't pass Cabela's in Sydney, Nebraska without stopping.  Hunter was so excited.  We spent about an hour looking.  Hunter had some money but opted not to spend it.  That was a real surprise to us.

This was one of the final mesas we saw as we were headed east.  

Another picture of the Nebraska landscape.  From here on it flattens out.

We are staying at the Country Inns and Suits in Lincoln.  It is very nice.  Hunter got to swim and even sat in the hot tub for a while.  There is a restaurant attached to the motel.  We ate a late supper there.  It was very good.  The only negative is the internet.  It is very slow.

We will soon turn off the lights and sleep .  In the morning we will drive the final 8 hours back to Decatur.  Glad we are not driving across Nebraska tomorrow.  There is a winter storm warning.  Part of central and western Nebraska are predicted to receive 4-8 inches of snow with strong winds.  It won't be pretty for any driving I-80.  

Rocky Mountain High

Got a slow start this morning.  At 10:30 we headed to Estes Park through the Big Thompson Canyon.  Hunter did not want to go to Estes Park because we had told him that he could not use his DVD player or the IPad for both going and coming.  He complained that he couldn't sit and ride in a car for an hour and not have anything to do.  We overruled his objections and he rode to Estes Park electronic free.   It is just as awesome as the last time we were here.  I am glad to say that it looked like all the damaged houses from the flood four years ago had finally been repaired.  I didn't get any pictures coming or going because I sat in the back seat with Katie and Aidan and Hunter sat in my normal place.  It was still a wonderful drive.

We made it and everyone looks happy to be there (even Hunter).

Hunter and Katie but no Aidan because he had enough of pictures.

Someone had built a mini snowman on a boulder by the Estes Park Sign.  Following this picture, Hunter removed the head of the snowman and threw it at Papaw.

We had lunch at a restaurant located along the river walk.  The kids agreed to a quick photo.  Notice the big smile on Hunter's face.  He really liked Estes Park.  In fact he has said it was his favorite part of the trip.

Linda takes a good picture despite the subjects.

The three traveling companions:  Papaw, Memaw, and Hunter.

Hunter is having too much fun!

View from 8,000 feet just above Estes Park,.

The Falls River that flows through the canyon and Estes Park.

View of Estes Park and the Rocky Mountains.

We arrived back at John and Linda's around 5:00 p.m.  John did not have to go to work tonight so we spent the evening enjoying a good supper and good fellowship.  It has been a very busy too days and we are tired but it was worth it.  Hunter wants to move out here!  It really is a beautiful park of the country,  There is so much spectacular scenery everywhere and lots to see and do.

We returned to the hotel around 8:30 so Hunter could swim.  The pool here is very nice but he has not been able to swim in it because 1)  pool too crowded; 2) couldn't find his bathing suit (which we did find this morning); and 3) the pool was closed unexpectedly for maintenance.  Hunter did not get to swim.

Tomorrow we turn the truck east and travel home.

A Fun Day in Fort Collins

Today was a great day.   We woke up to a 16 degree temperature but the day was sunny, cloudless and made it up to the 50's.

The fun began at the Fort Collins Discovery Museum.  This is a tornado activity.  You step inside and the wind begins to blow up to 80 MPH.  It is hair raising!

We lost Hunter in the music area of the Museum.  He loves to play the drums.
The neat thing about the museum is that is combined fun, hands-on activities along with the history of Fort Collins.  It is really the best children's museum that we have been in.  The activities were very fun for kids and adults alike and different like the tornado activity.

Lunch was at Totally 80's Pizza.  It is truly an original.  The pizza was great and it was interesting to see the 80's items decorating the walls.  They displayed PeeWee Herman's bicycle in his Great Adventure movie and the red outfit Michael Jackson wore in one of his 80's songs.  

We ended our afternoon by visiting the Swetsville Zoo.  A very  creative and imaginative man built these "zoo" residence out of unusual items.  The pictures don't show all the different items used in each display but it was interesting to point out the different things.

A cow and her baby.

The group.

Snoopy on his house.  Woodstock is in the house.

Dinosaur eggs.  See the baby hatching?

A fisherman with his big catch.

An unusual vehicle with an unusual driver (see the driver in the mouth of the vehicle?

A two-headed dragon.

A small band.

A bug.

There were so many more things to admire and look at.  This  place is a definite return trip.
We headed back to John and Linda's where we relaxed, ate a good supper prepared by Linda and watched the movie "The Apple Dumplin Gang.  Back to our room by 9:00.  Hunter was hoping to take a swim but we couldn't find his bathing suit.  We searched high and low several times.  We will try to get him another one at the Walmart tomorrow.

It has been a long but wonderful day.

The Platte River Road - March 19, 2016

We didn't get on the road until 8:00.  We ate breakfast at the motel and discovered the one negative thing about the motel...it's breakfast!  We left hungry.  As we were driving I-80 west we were able to see flocks of Sandhill Cranes in the sky and in the fields.  For about six weeks in March and early April 80% of all Sandhill Cranes migrate north to northern Canada and stop here on the Nebraska Platte River to refuel and rest before heading north again.   The cranes roost in the shallow Platte Rivet at night and eat the grains in the Nebraskan fields during the day.  When instinct tells them, the cranes will complete their journey of migration.  This has happened for hundreds of years.  We would like to come back sometime and experience seeing them return to the river after being in the fields.  People come from across the country to see it.

Above is just a small sampling of the flocks in the sky over I-80.
Below are some sandhill cranes feasting on the leftover grain in the Nebraska fields

The Archway over I-80 which tells the story of the road west and those who traveled on it.

Hunter in the maze trying to figure out which way to go.,

Papaw and Hunter helping the girl push her covered wagon along the trail.

Papaw and Hunter riding the road west on their horses.

This is the only buffalo we have seen so far.

After the Archway, we spent the day driving west on I-80.  Surprisingly the traffic was light but the winds were strong,
We made it to Fort Collins around 4:00 p.m.  We are staying at the LaQuinta.  It is very nice.  We spent a couple of hours visiting with John and Family before returning to the motel to relax.  Hunter wanted to swim but the pool was too crowded.  He will have to wait for another day and time.  

We Are on Our Way: March 15, 2015

We were up and on the road by 6:30.  Stopped at South Shores Circle K for breakfast.  Hunter is already watching u-tube videos.  We are giving him 2 hours of Internet in morning and afternoon.  How times have changed.  When our kids traveled with us, they had to actually watch the scenery, read or sleep.  It is a nice day to drive. We made it to Omaha around 3:00 and that was with only one stop for gas and lunch.  We drove by the aquatic center where the Olympic swim trials will be held in June.  Hunter and Kara will be here for three days of that.

We stopped at the Strategic Air and Space Museum just outside of Omaha.  It was a good break from hours of driving.  Hunter seemed to enjoy it.  We  arrived at our motel The Victorian Inn in York, Nebraska about 6:00.  It is a nice motel for a reasonable price.  Ate supper at The Kitchen.  Food was good but the server was so slow.  After waiting for several minutes for different things, we were glad to get our check and go back to our room but then, the server asked us if we wanted any drinks to go and Papaw spoke without thinking about the time factor and asked for a glass of tea to go.  It blew the minds of Hunter and I to think that Papaw would want to sit another 15 minutes to wait for a drink to go.  Finally, we got up to go without the drink but the server saw us get up and hurried to get Papaw's drink.  Hunter and I are still laughing!

Hunter took a a quick swim and to bed at 10:00.  It was a long but good day.

Sunrise north of Decatur.  Looks like a beautiful day.

The place in Omaha where the 2016 Olympic Swim try outs will be held.

The Strategic Air and Space Museum

What Hunter would look like if he were an astronaut.

Hunter enjoyed being a pilot in this cockpit trainer.

The SR-71 spy plane.

Air Force ballistic missiles.