We headed north and west without much thought as to attractions or “must-sees”. We mainly wanted to get from the family reunion to our planned excursions in Colorado.
Our first stop was an overnight at a Harvest Host restaurant called The Bucket in Logan County, West Virginia. The location and food were fine but the interesting discovery was a 300 -million-year-old fossilized spruce tree stump, or kettle bottom, proudly displayed on the front lawn. It has been carbon dated to be from the Carboniferous period and weighs a massive 3,500 pounds. Even up close, this relic from the past initially appears to be stone, but when you look and touch it, you get a sense of how ancient this massive fossil is. The stump came from the Laurel Mine and required more than 10 miners and heavy equipment to bring it to the surface. It is a reminder of the dangers miners faced when the Earth above came crashing down into the mines.
We spent two nights back in our old stomping grounds of Indianapolis. We enjoyed a fabulous high-end dinner at one of favorite restaurants, St. Elmo Steak House, an iconic mainstay famous for their spicy jumbo shrimp cocktail and mouth-watering steaks. Our second night we saw some old friends in Terre Haute, reminiscing and catching up on family and lives.
We sped across Illinois and landed straight into a quintessential Iowa farm. We contemplated driving the 80 miles north to visit the Field of Dreams ballfield but decided to stick to our trusted Route 80. The Iowa landscape is surprisingly pretty and peaceful with rolling hills and lush cornfields as far as the eyes can see. We stayed at another Harvest Host, the Old Man’s Winery, run by a wonderful elderly couple. Getting a chance to spend an hour or two chatting with Tom and Vicky was a treat, the best part of being on the road – meeting everyday folks doing both the ordinary and the extraordinary things.
Nebraska was a disappointment. I found it smelly, flat, and our next Harvest Host was a Cabela’s parking lot which was directly across the street from train tracks. Now, the fact that this was the Union Pacific Railroad and the same stretch of tracks that laid the foundation for the first transcontinental rail system in the United States, or the fact that we were staying in the same location as The Pony Express Route, that darn train still ran 24/7 and often carried stinky fertilizer!!!For once I would say, “Less history and more comfort and AC”.
By the 6th day, we reached Colorado and will spend the next week exploring these vast and magnificent mountains, bike trails, quaint towns, big cities, and several National Parks.
It amazes me always how the Plains can just stop and the mountains rise ahead. What our western settlers must have felt approaching the Rockies and how they managed to get across, still amazes me. Gary and I and the dogs simply have to adjust to the altitude and perhaps unhook the Jeep as we make our way over the first mountain ridge tomorrow morning.