Moving Onwards…

Since my last post things have been going well with no major troublesome events. It’s nice to be able to move on but we do so very cautiously that we are afraid to venture off the interstate too far. When I first planned the trip, I planned it to be more of a vacation whereas now, it’s more of a mission to get to Felton, Ca. We both agreed that things would be different if we weren’t trying to take so much west and at this point, I’m not sure if taking the truck and trailer is justifiable. I am glad to have the tools handy to fix the troubles we previously had but when is too much really too much. On Monday and Tuesday, August  30th and 31st, we stayed at Kearney Campground and RV Park in Kearney, Nebraska which was more of a place to stay for the night than a campground which was fine for us. On Tuesday we went and visited the Arch which neither of us had any idea on what it even was. The Arch which spans across the interstate like a bridge is a informational museum, storybook that explains the history of how Kearney, Nebraska was the homeplace where the Mormon trail, Oregon trail and the California trail all met and was a hub for supplies before folks moved on westward. It hit home when they spoke about how folks would take books, pianos and other items only to dump them along the trail because their wagons were too heavy to pull along the trails. What I found interesting was the amount of people that were determined to make this journey. As we drive westward I think about the miles people walked or rode in wagons, not having a map or knowing whether you would be safe or have a meal to eat. In the Arch they covered the whole timeline from the pioneers to the modern interstate. Even though the transportation methods have changed, the determination hasn’t. In essence, Rebecca and I are no different than the pioneers.

On Wednesday, September 1st, we stopped and stayed at Cabela’s Campground, in Sidney, Nebraska. Sidney is also home to Cabela’s corporate headquarters and was actually surprised to see that they had a campground. Like most of the campgrounds along interstate 80, they are more like a motel for RVer’s to stay for the night. It was also interesting that the campground worked on a self pay setup where you just stuck your money in an envelope. We left Thursday morning to see a scenic change moving from Nebraska to Wyoming. The flat lands disappeared in our rear view mirror while the RV chugged along with the trailer in tow. We reached a truck stop in Laramie, Wyoming where we stopped for breakfast and to swap the trailer back on to the truck. The hills of Wyoming really bogged down the RV and the gas gauge needle was dropping fast so it was time to see if the truck was back up to the task of pulling the trailer. We got everything swapped around, said a prayer and off we went, headed for Rawlins, Wyoming. Over the 92 miles, the RV was happy to lose the load of the trailer and the truck pulled through like a champ. I feel better knowing that the truck was successful but again, cautious on being worry free.

Thursday evening, September 2nd, we stayed at the Western Hill Campground in Rawlins, Wyoming. Another RVer motel but with another scenic change. We left the cornfields of Nebraska, the eastern Wyoming hills and now have the views of small rock formations and openness here in Rawlins. It is what I fell in love when I drove truck many years ago.<

Today, Friday, September 3rd we will be headed to Holiday Hills Campground, in Coalville, Utah which is 246 miles away. We have been averaging 200-250 miles a day which is a good number for Rebecca to handle plus it enables us  not to have to rush. On average we arrive at these campgrounds around 4-5 pm which gives us time to set up, take the dogs out, vacuum and relax. Right now we are planning to be in Lovelock, Nevada on Tuesday, September 7 which will give us ample time to get to Felton, Ca. for September 11.

The first photo is of the Arch and the rest of the photos were taken at Western Hill Campground in Rawlins, Wyoming.