Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m spending mine on I-76 and I-80. How’s that for romance? I’m in the Central time zone now which means I’m somewhere between feed lots and corn fields in the boring flat state of Nebraska. Don’t worry, it’s not currently my turn to drive.
After a night of bad dreams for me, it was time to pack the truck, grab a jam and icing sugar heart-shaped cookie and bid adieu to the charming town of ski racks, SUVs and dirty vehicles in general. Heading down Hwy 82 back to reality, I once again admired the view of the red rock canyon walls with green trees on them and a pretty white dusting of snow which glowed in the morning sun. I still find it strange to see red earth/rock outside of Arizona and PEI but there’s lots of it near Aspen.
On the way towards the tony town of Vail, we kept passing and being passed by a girl driving a Jeep while on her cell phone. The best part was when we passed her at one point and she was still on the phone but had begun tossing an orange in the air with her left hand. I’m not sure who was driving because she was alone in the vehicle. She was last seen texting someone at a red light.
At one point through these canyons, I noticed a train pulling cars full of coal across the river from the highway. I think it was one of the longest trains I’d ever seen and it had 3 engines in the middle although part of that reason might be for all the inclines in that area. There are numerous dire warning signs about the need for chains (not enforced during our visit thankfully), locations to put on chains and stops for trucks to check their brakes. I especially liked the one sign that said something like, “If you’re a truck and your brakes fail, don’t take the next exit into town but continue instead on the highway”.
In Denver, it was time to stop at the Super Target. You might have been to Target but have you been to a Super Target? This was my first time at a Super Target and the place was HUGE! It’s got all of the regular Target goodies but also has automotive, a full grocery and other things like that. It’s kind of like shopping at a full-serve Wal-Mart or Meijer. Naturally I didn’t need anything although I did want to check the price on the Killers latest CD which I ended up buying. I think that was the least financially damaging trip to Target that I’ve ever taken but I was in a bit of a rush because it’s a long day of driving today. In Denver you can also go to a McDonald’s and rent a DVD from the kiosk just outside the front of the restaurant. I didn’t test this one but I laughed as I mentally filed it under “Only in America”.
Now it’s getting dark and we’re staying in Des Moines tonight. That’s still another state and another tank of gas away. Soon I will no longer be able to see the endless corn fields and feed lots passing by my window. No sign yet of the winter storms rumoured to be in this area save for some snow on the ground that wasn’t there a week ago.
2 comments:
I am going to need to back up The Killers for you on my computer for safety reasons in case your CD melts on the dashboard in the sun.
Told you about the chains. Guess that storm didn't reach the Aspen valley after all.
FYI, the word "colorado" is Spanish for ruddy or red, so not so surprising after all re the rock there.I think the scenery there is so beautiful, espec. with the aspens yellow in the fall.
We also saw one of those superlong trains toiling up out of Salt Lake City through a long, long canyon in the Wasatch Mountains (where you drop down from the high desert/prairie of Wyoming on I-80). I've never seen a train move so slowly.
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