Day #5 Long Drive from KC to Denver

I have not seen the Rocky Mountains since I was 12 years old. 

In the summer of 1966 my dad, mom, sister and brother drove from New York to Seattle. We saw Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands in South Dakota, Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful, Mt. Saint Helen (before it erupted!), the 1962 World Fair Space needle, the Pacific Ocean. We were gone for three weeks, staying mostly in motels (price range $6 - $36 per night!). Gas, food, lodging, and entertainment for three weeks for the five of us was under $1,000! My how times have changed!

I remember when we first spotted the mountains in the distance and how long it took to get to them because they were so big. Idaho didn't need speed limits because the hairpin curves with white crosses marking every death was enough to curtail the temptation to speed. I am stoked to see them again and add Colorado to my list of states visited.

So much for a good night's sleep! I was up at 3:15 a.m. due to right shoulder pain (rotator cuff stuff). I had forgotten to take the extra-strength Tylenol before bed. Found the Tylenol, but couldn't get the cap off. Found the mini flashlight to assist. Played Words with Friends and read Auburn Citizen SCCS news and the Olean Times Herald news until attempting sleep again at 4:15. Woken at 6 by Tom's snoring and then a series of bad school dreams that had people from all three schools and at different times in all three buildings: SCCS, GVCS and PCS. It ended with an unhappy Board member! Good thing the alarm rang at 7:15 ! Sleeping was tiring me out more and is the most stress I have experienced since June 30. I will sleep some in the car while Tom is driving today.

On the road. Twizzler time for Tom!

Miles and miles of wind turbines in Kansas. No sign of Dorothy or Toto. No sign of tornadoes as we drove out of the rain fairly early on the 8.5 hour drive working our way into MDT. It is not hard to get lost in the vastness of these states. I find myself thinking about early settlers, leaving family to travel to new places and stake their land. We crossed the Missouri River in the morning and I continued to enjoy the audio book, Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

"Welcome to Colorado" - new for both Tom and I on the list of states visited in our life times.

It was another 180 miles to Denver from the state line and I kept expecting to relive the experience I remembered in 1966 (much farther north) when I was 12. Frankly, so far I am disappointed. It is too hot (90+ degrees) and hazy to see the mountain range and we are here. I have already been reminded by hotel staff that we are so high up we are "looking down" on the range.

We have opted for a quiet evening with dinner and then planning our full day tomorrow as we booked for a two night stay.

Stay tuned. I will find the mountains and I will go to them! (Of course, we will find the Coors Brewery tour as well!)