Rest Stop in Sedgwick

The ride across Nebraska on Rt. 80 is flat, predictable, and awe-inspiring.  There are acres upon acres of farmland and open space.  On the highway, there are trucks and service areas.  All very predictable.

Once I crossed into Colorado, though, I had to leave Rt. 80 and take Rt. 76 to head southwest toward Denver and Boulder.  I think there should be a warning sign at the entrance on to Rt. 76.  Something like:  "Be sure you have a full tank of gas, and do not panic.  You will not see any signs of habitation for miles, but eventually you will."  A sign like that would be reassuring because Rt. 76 is empty. There were a few cars and trucks, which I was glad about, but that was all.  Even though I had a half tank of gas, I started to get tense. 

When I reached the town of Sedgwick and saw a sign for gas, I pulled off the highway.  There was a dusty parking lot, a small cafe, a gas station (with a spotlessly clean bathroom) and a boarded up building across from the station.  I was prepared to pump my own gas, but I was unprepared for a gas pump that had a lever on the left side that I had to pull toward me first in order for the gas to flow.  Honestly, I stood a couple of minutes, tried the pump, and with a stroke of luck got it to work.  When I went to pay, the woman inside the station chuckled and said, "I was about to come out and help you, but you figured it out."  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedgwick_County,_Colorado

Omaha, NE

Today I drove from Chicago to Omaha. The entrance to Rt.90 in Chicago was blocked due to a truck accident, so instead of hopping from 90W. to 80W. I ended up on Rt. 88 across Illinois.  The ride was fairly pleasant, but lots of roadwork often slowed my driving speed. Once I got on 80 I was able to relax and enjoy the scenery of beautiful cornfields and farms. The land did not look as dry as I expected based on information in the newspaper.

My hotel for tonight is in somewhat of a warehouse area, 1.5 miles outside of  downtown Omaha. Fortunately, the hotel provides a shuttle service, which I gladly took to the Old Market area- touristy spot with restaurants and shops. I chose the Upstream Brewing Company.  Wise decision!  For dinner:  house salad with a thick slab of beer bread; Omaha steak burger with Cheddar cheese and fries; Firehouse Red Lager as a side.  How could I go wrong? (The restaurant and brewery occupy an old firehouse,which actually burned partially due to a fire years ago.)

Until another time, that's it for me and Omaha.  Tomorrow, on to Boulder!

The Taste of Chicago

The Taste of Chicago is the world's largest food festival held each year in mid-July in Grant Park (which is also home to the huge concert, Lollapalooza). This year, 36 restaurants participated, along with specialty pop-ups and different celebrity chefs each day.  There's music, entertainment, activities for kids. I timed my drive to Colorado to coincide with this event, and today was our day to attend.

Admission to The Taste is free.  To sample the food, however, you buy groups of tickets and then use the tickets to pay for food and drinks.  (12 tix for $8) You can buy large plates of food (a meal) for 8 or 9 tickets, or a "taste" for 3-6 tickets.  Generally, the vendors offered different samplings for the large and "taste" portions.  We decided to go with the small plates, and in the three hours we walked around (interrupted by a 30 minute downpour), we sampled a fair amount of delicious food.  

Sabor Latino- Steak Mini Jibarito (steak between fried plantain cakes)

Star of Siam- Potstickers (We did not have the pad thai, even though it looked great.)

Austrian Bakery- Mini Schnitzel Sandwich; Altwiener Appelstrudel (both amazing)

Carbon Live Fire Mexican Grill- Tequila-lime Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast Taco (like being in Mexico)

Dominick's Finer Foods- Watermelon slice to refresh our palates

Iyanze- Hibiscus Sorbet

Pazzo's- Chopped Salad on Romaine Hearts

The Smoke Daddy- Pulled Chicken Mini

Music Tent- soul/swing music.  I needed a West Coast Swing partner!

Then, we had to decide how to spend our remaining tickets.  Jen wanted another taco and a sweet.  I wanted a sample of Eli's cheesecake.  We were able to sample all three.

Carbon- see above

Eli's Cheesecake Company- a small sample of plain

Churro Factory- 4 mini churros

Though some natives of Chi-town groaned when we said we were going to The Taste, it was a great day.  Definitely on the "Let's do this again" list.

http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/supporting_narrative/events___special_events/special_events/mose/taste_of_chicago.html/

The Great American Road Trip

For years, I fantasized about driving cross country, NJ to California.  The southern route, the northern route.  I followed the blogs of the NY Times writer, Matt Gross, as he drove east to west, often to lesser known spots.  It seemed like such a grand adventure.  I had never gone cross-country in my 20's, but I could do it now that my kids were grown.   Then, the negative thoughts would surface:  sitting for endless hours; the cost; safety issues; the wear and tear on my car; maybe too much time alone. 

In April, I traveled to Colorado with a friend.  We went to Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boulder.  I fell in love with Boulder, which is no surprise to anyone who knows me.  I knew I wanted to return for an extended time.  When I got home, I did some research, weighed out the cost and convenience of flying vs. driving.  I talked with family and friends.  I checked with my mechanic.  Finally, I would take the drive, though ending in Colorado, not California.  Good enough!

Stop #1- Chicago to spend the weekend with my daughter.  Taste of Chicago and the beach (Lake Michigan).  The drive took a bit longer than I thought it would, but overall smooth going.  NJ- Pennsylvania- Ohio- Indiana- Illinois.  Route 80 W. all the Chicago, then route 90 W. into the city.  It's great to be here, for endless reasons.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Of course, I knew that Rocky Mountain National Park would be breath-taking. I've seen pictures; I've flown over the Rockies many times to visit family in California. But, that is nothing compared to the grandeur of seeing the mountains in person. There are tree-covered foothills and smaller mountains in the foreground, with dozens of peaks over 12,000 feet in the background. In the northern part of the mountain chain, the famous snow-covered Longs Peak rises to 14, 259, one of 53 "fourteeners" in the state of Colorado. When my friend and I drove into the park, my only thought was, "Why didn't someone urge me to get to RMNP sooner?"

Rocky Mountain National Park encompasses 415 square miles in the northwestern part of Colorado. The mountain chain itself is 2700 miles long, from Alaska to Mexico. In RMNP, a visitor can travel along the top of the range along the Trail Ridge Road, the highest major highway in North America. However, as you would imagine, the road is not always fully accessible, as was the case for me during spring break. Despite the fact that this winter the mountains had little snowfall overall and guides were already worried about water restrictions this upcoming summer, the highest part of the Trail Ridge Road was closed. While there are limitations to the park in April, the huge plus is the small number of people. Throughout an entire day of driving and walking with a friend, the total number of people we saw did not exceed twenty. I'm sure people hiking into the woods encountered fewer than that.