Today it all started. The trip has begun. What’s a bit strange is that the trip is starting without Tim. Yes, I know, it’s our trip, but Tim can’t leave work until the end of September. Since we want to see fall in New England, we had decided that I would leave at the beginning of September and drive to New England with several friends.
Linda chose the first leg of the journey, from Estes Park to St. Louis. This was so fitting since she drove from St. Louis to Estes Park with me almost one year ago to the day.
After saying a sentimental good-by to Tim and Linda’s husband Tom, I backed out of our driveway and started screaming. I can’t believe that after more than a year of planning and anticipation, the trip is really happening. It’s real, not just a dream anymore.
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| We're On Our Way! |
Linda and I headed down Big Thompson Canyon and then made a detour to Johnson’s Corner. Why, you might ask? For cinnamon rolls, of course! We ended last year’s trip that way, and it only seemed fitting to start this trip with that yummy concoction.
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| Sinful Cinnamon Rolls |
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| Up A Tree |
We drove to Fort Morgan, Colorado, where Kitty took a little break in Riverside Park, and then headed north along Pawnee Pioneer Trails Scenic Highway. Chimney Rock National Historic Site in Nebraska was our destination for the evening. But first we made a detour for cabbage burgers at the Gering Bakery in Gering, Nebraska, (it’s all about the food). Cabbage burgers are a regional specialty introduced by German immigrants who settled the plains more than a hundred years ago.
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| Gering Bakery |
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| Cabbage Burgers |
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| Scotts Bluff National Monument |
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| Linda on the Oregon Trail |
A visit to Scotts Bluff National Monument and a chat with the ranger at the visitor center introduced us to the Oregon Trail.
Our experience at our first campground was not the most auspicious start for the trip, however. The campground had a view of Chimney Rock and had lots of trees and full hookups, plus a most reasonable price. We couldn’t get the electric hookup to work, however, and later discovered that the surge protector that Tim and I had installed did its job. No electric for the night. The young man at the campground suggested running the water for a while before using it, so we decided that maybe we should forego water as well. So, we’re back to basics tonight, although we hadn’t really prepared for it. A wonderful bottle of wine, which Linda had purchased in Hermann, Missouri, on last year’s trip, a little smoked salmon and cheese and some wonderful conversation made everything so much better.
Our experience at our first campground was not the most auspicious start for the trip, however. The campground had a view of Chimney Rock and had lots of trees and full hookups, plus a most reasonable price. We couldn’t get the electric hookup to work, however, and later discovered that the surge protector that Tim and I had installed did its job. No electric for the night. The young man at the campground suggested running the water for a while before using it, so we decided that maybe we should forego water as well. So, we’re back to basics tonight, although we hadn’t really prepared for it. A wonderful bottle of wine, which Linda had purchased in Hermann, Missouri, on last year’s trip, a little smoked salmon and cheese and some wonderful conversation made everything so much better.
I was looking forward to seeing all three of you in bonnets.....
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