Monday May 24 - Thursday May 27, 2010

The trip: May 24-27, 2010. Monday morning I get up at 0600 and get ready for my return trip to MI. I say my goodbyes and get a final coffee at Starbucks and head for I710. My route today will be I710 to I10 to I15 to I70. I hope to spend the night in Green River, Utah.

It was a great day to travel. The traffic on the 710/10 was heavy but I encountered no delays. Traffic on the I15 was light. I15 travels through very arid country. In Nevada especially around Los Vegas I saw miles of new residential development. I understand that most of these developments are experiencing financial difficulties. Unsold homes and many foreclosures are the norm. I often wonder why would anyone want a home on such arid property where not even a blade of grass could grow.

I pass by St Georges, Utah. Nancy and I spent some time in St Georges when we attended an Elderhostel. I have nice memories of St Georges. The I15/I70 intersection is about 180 miles NE of St Georges. I70 from I15 to I76 just east of Denver is one of the prettiest drives on the Interstate system. I plan on spending the night in Green River, UT about 160 miles east of the intersection. The drive is great. I like the eroded buttes and mountains. The scenery is like Zion and Bryce Parks. Green River is a small town right off the interstate. There are no chain restaurants but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express that was very nice. I had dinner at a local bar. The bar was jammed and I got the last seat at the bar. I ordered a Blue Moon and they laughed so I had a Bud. I had a 1/2# burger. The bar even had a working juke box. I had traveled about 680 miles.

Tuesday May 25: I left Green River about 0730 and headed east. The topography remained the same until I got to Grand Junction, Co. (elev 4600) and then stated the climb up to the continental divide at about 12,000'. The view was spectacular with the Colorado River paralleling the interstate and the snow capped mountains jutting up sharply. If Nancy was along she would have been constantly reminding me to keep my eyes on the road. I drove by Vail and several other ski areas. There was a lot of snow along the road at higher elevations. I crossed over the divide and began the slow decent to Denver and Grand Rapids. I got through Denver with no traffic problems and got on I76 heading NW into Nebraska. It was 190 miles to Nebraska. I passed through Fort Morgan, CO and saw that it was the boyhood home of Glen Miller.

I76 ends at I80 in Nebraska. I drove another 130 miles and stopped at a Day's Inn in Lexington, NE. I would give this motel a 1.5, out of 4, rating. I had dinner at a Mexican Cafe.

Wednesday May 26. For the first time on my trip I saw some wildlife. I noted several deer, antelope and wild turkeys in NE. I think NE and KS had received a lot of rain because both states were very green. I crossed over the Missouri River into Iowa at Omaha. Iowa was very green with the corn just beginning to pop out of the ground. It is about 300 miles across Iowa. I drove by West Branch, Iowa the home of Herbert Hoover. Did you know Hoover was the first president born west of the Mississippi? I crossed the Mississippi at Davenport and head across Illinois. If anyone thinks we are running out of farmland they should drive through the Midwest. The farms in IL looked very prosperous. I passed by Dixon, IL the boyhood home of President Reagan. I spent the night at a AmericInn in Princeton, IL. I gave the motel a 3.2. I had a burger and beer at the Wise Guys Sports Bar. They had Blue Moon.

Thursday May 27: My itouch says it is 267 miles to GR. I came down with a cold on this trip so I wanted to get home as soon as possible. This was the first day on my car trip that I experienced delays due to construction. I think I lost about 90 minutes. In fact I did not take I196 because of construction. I got home about 1530 and was greeted by Nancy and Ms P. It was good to get home.

I took a shower and shaved and then took a quick nap. Nancy and I had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping and then visited Tom Moleski at St Mary's. Tom had a hip replaced and seemed in good shape.

I spent 7 long days travelling across the USA. On this trip I liked the stretch on I40 across NM, AZ and CA. I really like I70 between I15 and I76. We live in a beautiful country. I recommend a cross country trip to everyone.