Day 42 - Greenwood, NE to Davenport, IA

Yesterday we drove with some concern toward ominous rain clouds. Today we drove toward sunny skies and enjoyed it so much we logged the 2nd longest daily drive of the trip.

The Route
I-80 continues to make this part of the story very simple. We drove 342 miles on I-80E and stopped in Davenport.

About the Day
I-80 continues to be well maintained and traffic flowed smoothly. There was lots of truck traffic.

Scenes along the way ...

The Mormon Bridge over the Missouri River
looks a lot like an Erector Set.

The Missouri River from I-680

Iowa farmland scenery provided much of what we saw in Nebraska.

We entered Iowa just after crossing
the Missouri River.

A familiar scene of the day.

A little fun ...
We stopped for gas and lunch in Shelby, IA. We learned that, like a lot of pigs, The Corn Crib is a really fun place to eat.

The Corn Crib - from the outside
(the entrance is a silo)

Carol met this man ......
(think mannequin)

They displayed lots of
antiques and stuff.

The Campground
We're staying at Interstate RV Park just off I-80 on the western edge of Davenport. It's pretty, nicely designed and very busy this weekend.

Site #75

Tomorrow
Ohio State plays Western Michigan ... Go Bucks! We'll be on the road somewhere in Illinois.

Day 41 - North Platte, NE to Greenwood, NE

We traveled across most of Nebraska today. Nice things happened. It was a good day.

The Route
We drove 250 miles from North Platte to Greenwood on I-80.

About the Day
We left North Platte in sunshine with the possibility of catching up with the rain showers that moved across the state yesterday.

Leaving Holiday RV Park ...

Site #28

Penny's Diner ...
We've looked longingly at Penny's Diner each time we've stayed in North Platte, but never stopped there until today. It's a 50's style diner that's open 24 hours a day. Our breakfasts were good, the experience was fun.

The Trip ...
Traveling on this part of I-80 is boring. The landscape consists of gently rolling fields. The scenery is enhanced by color contrasts brought on by weather changes. The highway is well maintained.

The Archway (a.k.a. The Great Platte River Road Archway or Kearney Arch) was designed by a Walt Disney Team as a museum of and monument to Nebraska's and the Platte River valley's role in westward expansion.

You can't miss the Archway Memorial

We could see weather develop in the distance.

We're dry at the moment,
but someone's getting wet.

Something's brewing to the north
as we pass through Lincoln.

The Campground
We made it to Pine Grove RV Park and Campground and got set up before heavy rain showers arrived.

This picnic shelter is next to our site.

Site #107

The campground is OK. The sites are close together and the access roads are narrow. The grounds and facilities are nicely maintained.

Tomorrow
We'll continue on I-80 into Iowa tomorrow and may stop at Amana.

Day 40 - Golden, CO to North Platte, NE

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday we climbed mountains, drove through deep canyons, and viewed broad valleys. Today ... gently rolling fields and gazing ranges filled the horizon.

The Route

We drove 280 miles by leaving Golden on I-70E, taking the I-76 exit just north of Denver, following I-76 to its end at I-80 in Nebraska, and taking I-80 to North Platte.

About the Day

We enjoyed bright sun all day. The temperature made it to the mid-70s. We followed a rain storm across Nebraska, arrived in sunshine, and were greeted by wet highways and standing water.

Views along I-76 ...

There are lots of grazing cattle

And windmills

No mountains to climb

Our last view from I-76

The Campground

This is our third stay at Holiday RV Park. It's a nice park with practical amenities and an attractive price.

Day 39 - Glenwood Springs, CO to Golden, CO

Today was full of ups and downs. They were expected.

The Route
We drove 145 miles east to Golden. The route was simple ... get on I-70 at Glenwood Springs, get off I-70 at exit 259, and drive 2 miles on US-40 to the campground.

About the Day
It was gray and cool until we crossed to the eastern slope of the Rockies. The sky was clear and the temperature was pleasant by the time we got to Golden.

The drive along Glenwood Canyon was dramatic in that we followed I-70 deep into the canyon and the westbound lanes were elevated.

Leaving Glenwood Springs on I-70

We took the low road.

The canyon walls close in sometimes.

Hanging Lake Tunnel

The route descends into wide valleys

Aspen brighten the mountainsides.

We climbed some really high passes. The Vail Summit is 10,603 feet and Loveland Pass is 11,158 feet at the Eisenhower - Edwin C. Johnson Memorial Tunnel. We could barely maintain 35 mph on sections of the Vail and Loveland climbs.

Descending into Vail

Descending Vail Pass

Yipee!

We reached our last high summit.

And down we go.

Central City is the back way to Nederland.

Ahh ... our last tunnel of the day.

Though the pictures don't show it, the trip was slowed by lots of orange barrels, cones and construction projects. Work at the Eisenhower Tunnel alone reduced traffic to one lane each way and created long backups. 

This route presented beautiful, dramatic scenery. We passed huge homes overlooking the canyons and got to see the land of the rich and famous as we passed Vail, Copper Mountain and Breckenridge exits.

The Campground
We're staying at Dakota Ridge RV Resort on the outskirts of Golden. We learned during our first stay here to expect a very nice stop. They didn't disappoint us.

Evening Fun
We stopped in the Denver area to visit Carol's brother-in-law, Stu Horowitz. Stu stopped by around 4 and we began an evening of catching up.

On the recommendation of a park receptionist, we went to dinner at Table Mountain Inn in Golden. The experience was delightful. The atmosphere, the service and the meals were outstanding ... the conversation was pretty good, too.

Carol and Stu ... just horsing around.

FYI - the statue is of a small boy helping a small girl mount a horse. It's located on the Corner of Washington Ave. and 13th St.

Day 38 - Moab, UT to Glenwood Springs, CO

Sunny weather continues to enhance our sightseeing ... and the sights changed a lot today.

The Route
UT-128 from Moab to I-70 is designated the Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway. It is scenic and should be considered a 45 mile drive "you don't want to miss". We took it, got onto I-70 near Cisco, crossed into Colorado, and passed Grand Junction, Clifton, Parachute, Rifle and New Castle. We stopped in Glenwood Springs 203 miles later.

Along the Way
The terrain changed drastically as we traveled northeast. 

UT-128 followed the Colorado River most of the way.

The terrain levels off as we leave the Colorado River gorge and approach the northern end of UT-128.

Scenes Along I-70

Entering I-70 from UT-128.

Mt. Garfield outside Grand Junction

Tunnels are fun

Approaching Glenwood Canyon

The Campground
There are few campground choices in Glenwood Springs. Glenwood Canyon Resort turned out to be a great selection. They offer rafting, a zip line, a ropes course, a rock climbing wall, bike rentals and tours.

Site #303

There are lots of trees.

The Colorado River runs by it.

We met two campers from San Diego with an unusual car tent.

These campers are having a great adventure
and attract lots of attention.

A closer look at their unique tent.

Tomorrow
We'll connect with Stu Horowitz, Carol's brother-in-law, in Denver.