Summer Trip 2023 Day 5

20 June 2023

This morning began clear and sunny with just a hint of wildfire smoke (still from Canada) in the distance. Google Maps still shows a TraveLodge where this muddy field is … and that’s the Lincoln NE airport in the distance.

Today was a relatively easy 443 miles into … the next state to the west …

Eastern and Central Nebraska – the green areas in the map above – have trees. This rest area was quite nice, although one wonders whether the shelters around the tables are for privacy or protection from the weather:

Corn fields are just beyond those trees, though!

Western Nebraska begins looking distinctly more barren and the highway exits are fewer and further between, and don’t always have services (i.e. no gas!). At this point, I was also in an area of low clouds and relatively thick smoke from those pesky wildfires.

I stopped at the Welcome Center just over the Wyoming border. At this point, I’m at roughly 5,000 feet elevation and the scenery has changed dramatically (and I loved this rock):

Not too much further down the road, I caught my first glimpse of the mountains off in the distance, although the funny thing about this route vs. I-70 through Colorado is that you never really feel like you’re IN them.

Downtown Cheyenne WY, where I’m staying tonight, had some very intriguing old buildings but I didn’t feel like parking and getting photos. As a partial compensation prize, here’s what is now a visitor’s center and what I suspect was once the main train terminal considering that there are a LOT of tracks just on the other side of it. Out front there are three sculptures of cowboy boots, each fancifully decorated.

And finally for today, here’s the view from my hotel room. Notice the distinct lack of mountains even though at this point I’m a bit above 6,000 feet elevation and directly north of Denver!