Day #1 – Sunday, November 2, 1997

[Northfield, MN to Hays, KS – Distance: 667 miles]

The master plan called for me to be "on the road" at 7:00 AM. As a result of an unexpected phone call I missed the planned time slightly but I was in my truck and on the road at 7:03 AM.

Sunday, November 2 dawned reluctantly. The day was cold, the skies were leaden and a blustery wind was spiting snow horizontally across the barren tundra-like landscape. It was a day that reminded me why I was leaving!

My small truck was heavily loaded and the weight was, unfortunately, poorly distributed causing a rather serious case of "over steering".

My great trek west almost came to an untimely end less than 15 miles south of Northfield. While it was plain to see that the freeway was wet from the intermittent snow squalls, what I did not realize was that the overpasses were icy. This, coupled with a very strong and gusty wind, caused a very scary moment on an overpass just south of Faribault, MN. That incident made a very careful driver out of me for the rest of the day.

Very heavy snow squalls continued until I was well south of Des Moines. In fact, the conditions on the Des Moines beltway could best be described as a "white out".

Finally, about 75 miles south of Des Moines the snow changed totally to rain and the icing conditions were no longer a problem.

As the day progressed the skies began to brighten and finally the clouds began to break up. By the time I reached Kansas City it was sunny and bright.

Wind! One constant for this day was wind, strong and relentless. Wind that made the large trucks sway perilously and the campers move unexpectedly from one lane to the next.

Amazingly, the fall colors were still quite lovely in central Missouri and north central Kansas.

By the time I reached Hays, Kansas I decided it was enough for the day. I found my usual Super 8 motel at "famous" Exit 159 at Hays. This exit is not as highly touted as is the one for the Wall Drug Store on I-90, but signs proclaiming the wonders in store for you at this great exit extend for at least 150 miles in both directions. And, there are a lot of these signs for a lot of things at this exit.

In summary, what profound and stirring remarks can be made about a more than 600-mile trip through some of the dullest terrain on the planet? The most spectacular natural wonder that I observed during the day was a dead cow, bloated and with all four feet pointing skyward in a pasture south of Des Moines.

 

Day #2 – Monday, November 3, 1997

[Hays, KS to Green River, UT – Distance: 670 miles]

A comfortable night at the Hays Super 8 motel. This was definitely one of the nicer Super 8 motels I have been in. The lady who ran the place was apparently president of the Hays Chamber of Commerce. I had to listen to a stirring lecture about how great Hays Kansas was as a place to live before I was allowed to have my key.

The morning was beautifully bright and clear and the wind had finally stopped (or at least stopped to the extent that it can in Kansas).

I-70 west of Hays climbs steadily up onto the high planes of Western Kansas and Eastern Colorado. While these high planes could not, in the classical sense, be termed "scenic", they do have a rugged grandeur missing in eastern Kansas.

Finally, everything began to look spectacular as the Rocky Mountains loomed on the western horizon.

I-70 through Denver was a not much fun. It simply cuts across some of the seediest parts of Denver and the traffic is generally horrendous. Denver uses I-70 for a city street in much the same way that Winston-Salem, North Carolina uses I-40. In both cases the results are disastrous.

Regrettably, many sections of Denver are heavily polluted. What was once arguably the most beautiful city in America, if not the world, is now seriously at risk.

After having endured metropolitan Denver, I-70 going west climbs quickly into the Rocky Mountains and the squalor and pollution of the city gives away to a wondrous panorama of rugged mountain scenes.

The traffic up the mountain was light and moving briskly. My little truck, heavily laden as it was, struggled bravely and managed to stay with the traffic flow.

I didn’t know that Buffalo Bill was buried in the mountains just west of Denver!

Idaho Springs, an old gold mining town, is tucked into a "picture postcard" mountain valley just off the highway. The Idaho Springs sports teams go by the nickname "Gold Diggers". It seems to me that would make all the young ladies in that school "Gold Diggers", thereby imparting a refreshing new meaning to that old sobriquet.

I-70 continues west through the Loveland Pass, the Eisenhower Tunnel and finally through or near some of the nations best known and most prestigious ski resorts. Perhaps the best know of these is Vail Colorado.

Vail Colorado is proof that you can create a ghetto out of anything, even very expensive condominiums.

The valley in which Vail Colorado is located is uniquely beautiful. Unfortunately, the thoughtless proliferation of obscenely ostentatious and unexpectedly tasteless condominiums has raped the valley. It is truly awful.

The horror of Vail fades quickly from memory as the road sweeps into the Glenwood Canyon. Now that the section of I-70 that goes through the Glenwood Canyon is finally all complete, you can relax and enjoy mountain scenery at its best.

The Glenwood Canyon, carved over eons of time by the Colorado River, is a "must see" kind of place. Both the road itself, which is a marvel of engineering, and the scenery in the canyon, which rivals anything anywhere, are wondrous.

Even though it is late in the season, the aspen groves, kept fresh by the waters of the Colorado River, are in full color, splashing rich golden-yellow across the landscape. I shall make this trip again soon, but next time on my motorcycle.

I-70 leaving the Glenwood Canyon proceeds along the Colorado, finally parting from it a bit west of Grand Junction, CO.

The landscape was now changing from the rugged cliffs and lush valleys of the mountains to the majestic high plains of western Colorado and eastern Utah.

Just across the Utah border (where I was reminded that "Utah is still the place") there was a sign saying "Eagles landing on the road". No, I did not see any eagles landing on the road! [Aside: For those of you not up on Mormon lore, "Utah is still the place" makes reference to the famous statement, "This is the place", supposedly made by Brigham Young when he first viewed the Salt Lake Valley in Utah.]

The trip for the day was ended at Green River Utah where I stayed in a Motel 6 that was the pits. It is small wonder that a recent advertisement for Motel 6 pictured a room with the lights out. With the lights on, these rooms are not a pretty sight.

My evening meal was taken at a restaurant recommended by the motel owner that was about 150 yards from the motel. It was one of the worst restaurant meals I have ever had (and I have eaten in a lot of bad restaurants, believe me). Leaving the restaurant the cashier asked the obligatory, "was everything all right sir?" To which I replied, "the food and the service were terrible, but otherwise things were fine". I have always wanted to say that. The cashier was still trying to think of something to say as I walked out.

Day #3 – Tuesday, November 4, 1997

[Green River, UT to Hurricane, UT – Distance: 315 miles]