Days 1, 2 and 3

Days 1, 2 and 3 – So here we sit in the Orlando airport on Thursday, waiting and waiting for our plane to get here from Minneapolis/St.Paul. We got to the airport at 10:00 a.m. and it’s now 1:45 p.m. Neither of us waits very well!

The plane finally arrived (mechanical problems in Minneapolis), left Orlando with us on it, and arrived in Minneapolis/St. Paul at 6:15 p.m., the exact time that the buses were leaving the airport for Forest City, Iowa. Sooooo, we rented a car and drove to Forest City to the Winnebago factory, arriving after 9:00 p.m. We were rescued and taken to our RV by none other than Darrel Bennett, the owner of Great Alaskan Holidays. I was very pleased by the concern shown by all of the GAH people for my anxiety about our situation. So, now we had an RV and a rental car. Solution: drive both to Des Moines, where we planned to go anyway, turn in the car, then get on the road to Anchorage. We spent Thursday night in the RV in Forest City, and then made it to Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Friday where we dry camped in a Wal-Mart parking lot with other RVers and 18-wheelers. Saturday night we dry camped at beautiful and very remote Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area north of Ogallala, Nebraska. Sunday was spent getting to Rock Springs, WY, where we are staying in a KOA campsite with amenities, including WiFi. That’s a good thing since I’m behind in my blogging.

Friday, we traveled 353 miles, Saturday, 354, and today (Sunday), 494. So far, we have racked up a total of 1201 miles at the rate of 8 miles to the gallon. The good news is gas is a little bit cheaper up here where millions of acres of corn grow and ethanol is the name of the game. There has not been a minute since we left Minneapolis that the wind was not blowing like a Texas breeze. That would be one that makes the chain (attached to a pole) stand out at 90 degrees. We think that if it stops blowing, all of the people will fall flat on their backs/faces.

Iowa and Nebraska may be where all of the corn is grown in the U. S. but they are also very boring to travel through. At one point yesterday, I got the camera out for the first time and took a picture out of the windshield. Cliff said, “What are you taking a picture of?” and I replied, “Nothing.” That sums it up. 

Tomorrow we head for Salt Lake City where I hope we will see the Great Salt Lake and the Mormon Temple downtown. So far, we have not seen anything that made us want to stop and stare or take pictures. We’ve seen a smattering of wildlife but nothing like last year on the northern route.

A comment on Nebraska: Omaha was impressive with a lot of huge buildings, home offices of major corporations, and beautiful homes (we went off the interstate briefly). It appears that the city may be home to a million or more people and the other 2500 live in the rest of the state. Joking. Well, maybe not.

We had our first real meal tonight: steak, mashed potatoes and Vidalia onions that Cliff brought in his luggage. The other meals have been suitcase sandwiches (one piece of bread folded over) and munchies. We’re good for several days because the frig is FULL. But then, neither of us has ever missed many meals or regretted eating any of them.

We crossed the Continental Divide twice today. Strange, but it circles the Great Divide Basin. Didn’t get a picture of the sign at either crossing. The story of my life with Continental Divides.