After 2 very eventful days on the road we were off on the longest leg of our 2,200-mile journey on day 3 from Fairplay, CO, west of Denver to what we hoped would be Des Moines, Iowa. Unfortunately, yesterday’s long detour around the road closures on I-70 took more time than planned and cut down the total distance traveled.
We had intended to bed down in Ft. Morgan on Monday, which is east of Denver close to the Nebraska state line. Instead, we had only made it to Fairplay, CO, about 85 miles west of Denver. So we were well behind plan.
Thus, a very long leg was shaping up on day 3. Jim was out bright and early with his cleaning supplies making sure our venerable Mark VIII was bug-free and fit for travel. Insects were not much of a problem up to now as we had journeyed through mostly dry terrain that’s not very bug friendly.
The promised breakfast at the Riverside Inn Travelodge had not materialized due to Covid restrictions so we were on our way. Although it was in a great location and the staff members were friendly, the facility itself had seen better days. It looked something like the sign out front—all there but a bit in disarray.
As we headed eastward on U.S. 285 to complete the last section of our detour around the eastbound I-70 we passed through beautiful mountain landscapes, rushing streams, high meadows and ranches and quaint little towns. We also passed a Ford Bronco junkyard and two giant flatbed trucks hauling blades from an even bigger industrial windmill. Unfortunately, the gorgeous views were marred by heavy smoke from burning wildfires.
As we neared Denver the extra smoke combined with ambient smog reminded us of the bad old days in southern California where Stage 1 air quality warnings were a part of everyday life. I-285 eventually merged into I-76 which eventually brought us to I-80 East, one of the main East-West arteries in the whole Interstate system.
When most people think of Colorado they picture beautiful mountains, ski resorts, whitewater rafting and outdoor adventure. The reality though is that eastern Colorado is as flat as the Great Plains and looks a lot more like Nebraska than Grand Junction. East of Denver our first rest stop was at Fort Morgan as the mountains fell away and we saw our first cornfields and irrigation equipment.
As we chugged eastward we were hit with an insect blizzard where giant critters created blotches that were obliterating our front windows. It seemed to happen in just an instant. After a while the bug assault abated and we stopped for lunch in the tiny town of Julesburg, just before crossing into Nebraska. Not knowing where to go we benefited from some Lincoln luck by spying the D&J Cafe where was parked a vintage Lincoln Continental seemingly just waiting for us to arrive.
After downing an avocado burger and an egg concoction called a bird’s nest we hit the road once more. Our expectations for the next few hundred miles were for scenes like this and we weren’t far wrong.
Although our maps showed numerous national and local parks, water features and wonderful vacation and recreation areas, not many of these were visible from the main road. Instead, we hit a 12-mile stretch of construction were one whole side of the freeway was torn up and being graded and prepared for a concrete pour. If you have ever wanted to know what a freeway road on the hoof looks like, wonder no more. Here’s a photo of a graded road bed studded with rebar loops being made ready for its concrete topcoat.
If you have ever flown cross-county and seen huge green circles from 35,000 feet and wondered what was growing in them, here’s the secret. Most contain cash crops and the circles are created by the modular irrigation sprayers.
With 10.2 million acres of corn under cultivation in Nebraska we expected to see a lot of cornfields along the way. We were not disappointed, but more land than I expected was vacant and even more was being used for growing grass, to, as they say, make hay while the sun shines. There were numerous grain silos where corn was stored before becoming corn syrup, ethanol for gas, livestock feed or being put to some other use.
While we didn’t make it all the way to Des Moines, we were able to eat dinner in—where else—Lincoln, Nebraska (see below for vintage decor at the Hi-Way Diner). Besides being a cool, name, Lincoln is the state capital and home to the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers.
We settled in for the night in Omaha, Tomorrow we cross several states to arrive in Kalamazoo. See ya!
You must be logged in to post a comment.