Saturday July 31

Still at Vedauwoo Campground in Wyoming.

The truck hood up. Ground Squirrels and or Chipmunks tend to climb into the truck and eat wires and such. So if you open the hood a bit they stay away. They like to also eat the firewall insulation as we found out. 

We did a day trip to explore the area. Right off the bat we wanted to a take a FS road that connects to the main Happy Jack road HW 210 but it was so washboarded we just had to turnaround. We don't do that often as we love to explore FS roads but this one was so bad we gave up. 

We then took a fast trip to Laramie for some supplies and on the way back we went over to the Ames Monument  right across from our off ramp I-80. We are on the east side and this is on the west side. Do click on the above link site from the folks at Roadside America ... Your online guide to offbeat tourest attractions. 

So as you can see no posts about the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo that we did not go to today.

Like they say, plans are to be broken, and after more thought it was determined this would have been a hot and stressful outing. 
We have done this event before and me thinks... as the saying goes, I'm just not that into Cowboys. 
So we are enjoying the cool temps right here and would you believe we had to put on sweat pants and sweat shirts as the sun went down. We retreated to the 5er so I could do a post which I had said outside I was not going to do tonigjht, but here I am... 

I know we will regret it as we move further west and do a drop in altitude from this location (8400 feet) and we find the heat returns at the next campground. 

Looking at camping north of Sinclair, WY on the North Patte River. Free developed boondocking sites that we have stayed at before. 

Stay tuned.... 
 

Friday July 30

Onward to Wyoming and a great campground find. 

Vedauwoo Campground

Between Laramie and Cheyenne, Wyoming off Interstate 80, is a very interesting rock formation called Vedauwoo. The origin of the name is either Arapaho or Cheyenne meaning "earth born." Thought to have been created by playful spirits, the jumble of rocks is a rock climbing mecca. Tucked in among the fancifully eroded topography is the Vedauwoo campground. 
Recently renovated and expanded, Vedauwoo offers nicely configured and growing in popularity for RV and motorhome camping. 28 campsites with tables, fire rings, trash pick up and vault toilets. Water, no dump station $10 

It is cool here in the low 70s and feels wonderful after the heat in the midwest. We are above 8400 feet after all.
The walk-in tent sites are so secluded campers might expect a visit from the bygone outlaws who used the Vedauwoo as a hideout. Several trail heads at the campground provide interesting and challenging adventures for both hikers and mountain-bikers.

For us this is only $5 with Senior Pass a night and just what we needed to get this trip off to a great start now that we are in WY. 
We are going to spend a few days right here. Their are many FS roads to explore. AND did I mention the temps are just right. Need time to acclamate to the altitude. 

See the reflection of the rocks in the window. 

We found some firewood in a vacant site and grabbed it up. A campfire is in our future. 

These guys were on top of the rocks in the picture above this one. 
I love my new Canon T2i with 50-250 mm zoom. 

Cheyenne Frontier Days

We found out that Cheyenne Frontier Days are now going on. Do we plan ahead or what? 
We may troop back to Cheyenne in the morning and go the the PRCA Rodeo. 

Cheyenne's world-class rodeo is truly the Daddy of 'em All. Known for its fast pace and large number of contestants, the CFD rodeo ensures that visitors see more rodeo action (over 40 bulls and 70 saddle and bareback broncs daily) than they can see at any other rodeo. Every event is performed in each of the nine daily performances, so any day at Cheyenne Frontier Days is a good day to see an exciting, action-packed rodeo.

I called (we have G3 Verizon service out here in the boondocks) and there are tickets available. 
And we can take WY 210 which is Happy Jack Road (there is a forest service road from where we are at to it) (see map above) then right to the shuttle bus area on the west side of town. Pay $10 for the shuttle and that includes admission for the both of us. Rodeo tickets are $17 to $23. Not bad. I did a printout of the seats that are shaded. The rodeo starts at 12:45 and goes to 4:30 a big day of events. 

I remember many years when last attended this event, it was wet and cold.  Not to worry this year, me thinks. 
 
 
 
 

Thursday July 29

A big day across Nebraska.

Yes and on the old Lincoln Highway. The road was smooth and hardly any traffic so we could go at about 55-60 and not have others stacked up behind us as if we were on the Interstate just to the south of us. 

We got to see how the towns along this route have evolved over time. You can't see that rushing on down a super slab. 
 

The locals seem to be doing just fine. Relaxed expectations to be sure but life was abundant. No goast towns did we see.

At long last we came upon Terry's mecca Cabela's. 

There was a time in years past the first time we came this way I think he wanted us to stop along the highway at the first sight so he could get out and bow, or was it to take a picture of the first sighting.  I this time I refused to stop except at the gas station across the road from the World's Foremost Outfitter. We always run low on fuel as we can't stop till we get here. He got out and I think there might have been a brief pause when he slumped to the ground with hand raised before he proceeded to get diesel in our truck. Now if they just had a natural hot spring for us to bathe in. Now I could get into that. After all it was over 95 and very humid out. 

Our FRED internet dish took three tries to find the correct satellite but it did at last lock on. 

We did make it to the official Cabela's RV Park. How could we not camp anywhere else. A bit pricey at $35 for full hook up but who is counting the small stuff.  We were here at Outfittersers Central, as we next had to go shopping. 

We both got new Cabela's walking shoes at a good price and a couple of other items. We didn't need much. 
Would you believe we  have most of it already. 

Onward tomorrow.
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday July 28

Movin on down the road.

We got hooked up about 8 AM and boy was the humidity high. Water was dripping from everything. Including us. 
After saying goodby to Terry's folks we were on our way.  His mon cooked me a great birthday supper last night, 
with a from scratch angle food cake.. 12 egewhites it think were in it. I ewven had to blow out a candle or four. My Oh My.
 

By driving US30 in weatern Iowa we went through a couple of river valleys. Taking I-80 is very hilly. This is a easy slow route going west without the strees of heavy traffic. Life in the slow lane, our way of traveling. 
One of the reasons they built the Lincoln Hiway along this route in the river valleys is it follows the railroad right of way for the most part. 

Found this sign in western Iowa. 
Check out this National Scenic Byways Program site. The Loess Hills Scenic Byway.
Many Americans think of Iowa as having little topographic variant. However, in westernmost Iowa the Loess Hills rise 200 feet above the flat plains forming a narrow band running north south 200 miles along the Missouri River. The Loess Hills of western Iowa are truly an American treasure. The outstanding prairie and forest covered bluffs draw people from around the world. With an impressive network of state parks, private preserves, and national landmarks, travelers to the byway have a myriad of opportunities to see and explore this natural wonder.

Sure we could have rerouted and explored the Loess Hills to experience this world wonder. But we did not. I wanted to at least get out of Iowa (our birth state) as we have been here since late May. You know how it goes, people only go to landmarks in their area when friends visit and they have to show off the local attractions that they have never seen themselves. 
I think I'll wait for Nick's Gypsy Journal story on it. He was just in Iowa at Britt so how did he miss this story. 
 

We had several flag stops with one way traffic. Lots of road work on US 30. Still making the old Lincoln HW better. Not sure why they were double covering this road with blacktop. But would I trade this for an interstate crazy drive? No never. This is the way to travel seeing the sights and the local towns alone the way. 

We just had to stop and get some local tomatoes and cucumbers. Many a stand was along the route.
A tomato was $1 each but well worth it me thinks. I remember when one green pepper was also $1 at Wally World a while back. Can't wait for the tomatoes and steak from the grill for supper later tonight.

We landed in Schuyler, NE at the green push pin. At their City Park on the south side of the town. We didn't quite make it to Grand Island. For once I stopped at a decent time 3:30 PM. I'm getting better me thinks at getting out of vacation mode. 

A very nice location with open sites for our Sat Dish and at $10 for 50 amp and water. We will remember this place. 

Our DataStorm F1 Internet dish came up and found the satellite sig in good order. These things do work, ya know. 
And it has a extra SL-3 LNO so we can also get DirecTV HD channels. 

I forgot to print out the Streets and Trips maps but fired up my Droid Incredible smart phone and clicked the  maps app and spoke into it since it knew our current location.  "campgrounds" and it came right up with this city park. Told it to take me there and so it did. I knew it was one I had researched earlier, so it would be a good stop for the night. 
I told my human navigator in the right seat... Terry to take a nap... as my FRED would do the job for him. 

He asked if  "it"  was going to also cook supper tonight... He does have a point. He does wait on me hand and foot. 
Yes he does... Damn...

Having a good evening with chipped ice in my Margarita. Life is good. 
Will have to watch America's Got Talent later to see who gets voted off. This show is so stupid we have to watch it. 
 
 
 
 

Monday July 26

Time to get the heck out of town. 

We are still at Terry's parents farm  jsut west of Cedar Rapids, but not for long, as the chicken house has a new roof, so on Wednesday we will pull up stakes and head on out on US 30 across Iowa and Nebraska on our way to Idaho. I have been researching the state and have a plan of attack, me thinks. I have Streets and Trips packed with push pins for boondocking places. We shall see how the adventure goes. 
Of course fly fishing is going to be a big part of it. 

I grew up in eastern Iowa along the Lincoln Highway in Clarence and Lowden. 
Terry is from west of Cedar Rapids in Newhall also along this famous cement slab.
The first road across this country. 
We are not in a rush so instead of taking Interstate 80 west we are going to follow the old LH route across Iowa and Nebraska. 
 

US 30 now goes from Ames, IA and crosses the Missouri River at Blair, NE to Fremont, Columbus and then Grand Island. 
So we don't hve to drive the Interstate through Omaha this time. 

Read more about it...  The Linclon Highway Assoc.

 
 
 
 
 
 

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