2023 Trip to Fargo

 Well, we found this neat little B&B in Reno, NV and are planning on staying there for a while.  We left West Wendover this morning and had a great day for a drive.  Stopped on Pequod Summit for a gourmet breakfast of bagels and cream cheese.  Just to test the navigator's skills, we got off I-80 at Battle Mountain - which is either the armpit of the nation (thanks to a deodorant commercial) or the jumping off spot for outdoor activities (the Chamber of Commerce's idea).  We took 305 down to US 50 because we had to stop at Fallon and thought it would be more fun.  Supposedly, it's a scenic drive, but all we saw was prairie, mountains, and signs advertising the Pony Express Route.   A quick stop at Fallon and the obligatory DQ which is one of our favorite stops in town and then we were off to Fernley to refuel.  We went out to the Veterans' Cemetery to see the flags decorating all the graves.  Alas, they were not scheduled to put the f...

 Easy drive on I-80 from Rawlins to West Wendover.  This time I didn't leave my cell phone at the Cotton Tree Best Western!  Good breakfast at the hotel which lasted us until we passed through Salt Lake City.  The highlight of the trip was the canyon drive from Park City to Salt Lake City.  It's an awesome drive through a huge canyon with scenery that is so amazing. Not much trouble getting through Salt Lake City - it's one of the few times I get to drive.  Although Vi can handle metropolitan traffic, she would just as soon turn the wheel over to me.  After passing through SLC and Vi was back driving, we ran into a rainstorm that was almost blinding - it was coming down really hard.  It was difficult to see the fog line or the traffic ahead of us, but we got through it.  The Great Salt Lake has a lot of standing water, even the salt flats were flooded (and not intentionally). Arrived in West Wendover mid-afternoon and checked into Montego Bay...

We left North Platte, NE this morning on a really hard navigational task for me.  The next four days will be get on I-80, get off for gas/food/hotel, get back on I-80, which will be our road of choice from North Platte to Reno.   We had a beautiful day for a drive with a couple of rain showers toward the end of the day.  Not much exciting as we drove West and stopped at several rest stops to get out and walk around.  After yesterday's marathon drive, we decided to take it easy and only have an approximately five-hour drive to Rawlins.  Got through Nebraska, passing through Sydney which is the World Headquarters for Cabela.  Huge operation, almost dwarfed by the Walmart distribution center next door.  Didn't stop at Cheyenne but went through to the highest point on I-80 between Cheyenne and Laramie. It has a huge bust of Lincoln commemorating the Lincoln Highway.  Stopped at Laramie for lunch at Appleby's and then on to Rawlins. Wyoming is a b...

So why in North Platte, Nebraska when you cross the river, it's the South Platte that goes through town.  You know the old saying about the Platte River - Too thick to drink and too thin to plow.  Reminds me of the bumper sticker on a van we passed today on 83 south.  "Don't follow the masses, sometimes the M is silent! We were going to head west on 94 through North Dakota and Montana, but the weather forecast showed some serious smoke out west, so we headed south on 29 to US 14 at Arlington and took it over to Pierre and then south to North Platte where we are spending the night.  Yesterday, Sunday was a great day for touring the countryside.  We started out in Argusville to show Tom III and Carolyn where Vi went to school.  It's all fenced off now and plans are to start the asbestos removal this summer and final teardown by fall 2023. The community center was locked, but we were able to get Laura, the Interim Auditor for Argusville, to open the doors so w...

 It was a busy day Saturday.  The Fargo Marathon was going on downtown (more on that later), but darn it, we had forgotten to sign up. Tom and Carolyn arrived Saturday morning and they're boondocking in the back of the Fargo Inn.  We met up and made plans to meet some of the group downtown for lunch at the Boiler Room.  When we went downtown, we were stymied in our attempts to get to our destination by roadblocks for the Fargo Marathon.  Got to see a lot more of downtown than we wanted to.  Finally decided to park the car several blocks away and walk to the pub.  Everyone else seemed to have the same problem, but we finally got everyone together.  Felt good sitting in the sun while we waited for our table It's a basement level pub, but they still got some sun on their outside area. After some good conversation and lunch, we came back to the hotel.  Tom and Carolyn took the car and drove down to the Red River to do some walking around.  L...

 Well, we got to Fargo just in time for the Fargo Marathon!  Think we'll pass.  Yesterday (Friday) we made an easy trip from Aberdeen, SD to Fargo, ND with only a short stop at Dakota Magic.  One of the many casinos which the Indians operate in order to take their nation back one quarter at a time.  Oh, if only it were just a quarter, but it was a nice stop and a well-appointed casino. When we made reservations to be here for this weekend, we found it almost impossible to get the three nights we needed.  We weren't sure what the draw was for this weekend, but I guess the Fargo Marathon was a big part of the busy weekend.  Fargo Inn was available and it's centrally located.  We checked into the Fargo Inn after having lunch at Panera and got settled in.  Made the short trip out to the north to check out Holy Cross cemetery.  Both Vi's parents are buried there as is Ed (Vi's brother) who left this world way too soon.  The cemetery is g...

Quick, what's the capital of South Dakota.  Well, it sure ain't Aberdeen, but we did cross the Missouri at Pierre this noon.  Stopped in Steamboat Park and wandered around the riverbank.  They're obviously building a new bridge, either to expand or replace the current one on US 14.  Below picture is of an early school in Pierre.  Glad people make an effort to preserve their history.  Earlier, we had stopped in Wall to get some breakfast.  Rather than do the touristy thing at Wall Drug (which is over the top touristy), we ate in a good restaurant several blocks away.  We were the only diners as they were transitioning from breakfast to lunch.  They had the best sausage patties I think I have ever eaten.  Owner of the restaurant owns a meat processing plant, and all the meat products were homemade.  In a diagonal line from Rapid City to Aberdeen, it's not far; however, there are no diagonal roads in the Dakotas, so we stair stepped ou...

We got an early start from Rawlins this morning and headed north toward Casper, WY.  We stopped at Independence Rock to take some pictures.  However, when I reached into my holster for my phone to take some pictures, I realized that it was not where it was supposed to be.  It was then I realized that I had left it on the bed side table at the Best Western.  Tried calling them with Vi's phone, but Independence Rock is in an area where you can only make emergency calls.  Since I was pretty sure what I had done with the phone, we had no recourse but to drive an hour back to pick it up.  Guess I need another item on my checklist :-). Independence Rock is the location in Wyoming where the pioneers were on the Fourth of July if they started from St Louis in April.  Huge rock in the middle of nowhere with a great rest stop (no phone service, but nice restrooms).  Made it up to Casper where we hit I-25.  Believe it or not, the way to Rapid City requi...

  We left Wendover this morning with regrets about leaving our beautiful suite at Montego Bay.  We figure that maybe with the addition of a small kitchen, we would be able to spend our winter months at a similar location (just not in Wendover).  Leaving Wendover, you go across the Great Salt Lake, which is normally dry in the western side, but with all the rain they have had, there is standing water on both sides of the interstate.  Both salt plants were in full swing with huge piles of salt waiting to be processed.  The Morton facility was the largest.   It's funny how the mountains rise out of the flats.  Perfectly flat land and then you have these enormous mountains.  Nothing compared to the Wasatch which rise further east on the other side of Salt Lake City.  Stopped for breakfast and then continued on through Salt Lake City on I-80 to where it rises into the mountains up to Park City.  Ski areas are pretty much decimated, but t...

 Today was another beautiful day in West Wendover (Wendover itself is in Utah).  Wendover Will guards the west end of town as you come in from I-80. It was such a beautiful day that we decided to play golf at Toana Vista.  Only played nine holes and the course was in great shape.  Even got in my wildlife sighting with the deer munching on the grass.  We won't talk about scores, but it was great to get out and enjoy the fresh air.  Drove around on the old Wendover Airfield.  You may remember from past blogs that it was here that the Enola Gay practiced dropping the A-bombs which effectively ended the war with Japan.  The field still has the old barracks, some of which have been torn down (or just collapsed) as well as some of the other wooden buildings from the 1940's.  Some of the hangars have been remodeled and are in active use. They're building a memory park near Wendover Will which shows the history of the various trails and highways whic...

 Well, we're starting our trip up to Fargo for the graduation ceremony.  Started out early this morning and made good time.  Of course, it helped that my navigational skills were not called upon.  Get on I-80, get off and get gas, get back on I-80, repeat!  Did stop at a couple of rest stops to break up the trip and get some walking in.  At the first stop we saw the below sign which reminded me that DDE was largely responsible for the Interstate system.  A large part of it was due to his cross-country trip in the early 1900's with an Army detachment.  In Carson City, there is a metal sculpture which commemorates that trip. It was a beautiful day and Nora Roberts made the trip go by quickly.  The last rest stop gave us a little more history on the pioneers, especially the Donner Party as they passed through Eastern Nevada.  We always learn a little more Nevada history as we travel. One of the signs along the way said that if you looked on...