Day 16: Back to the Old Homestead

I opened my eyes just after 6 a.m. and was on the road before 6:30 with the plan to drive while making as few stops as necessary.

That was the plan, anyway.  The overcast sky got worse as the day progressed and suggested a possible glitch in that plan.

I did have one planned museum stop in Cheyenne but none in Nebraska since I’ve previously made visits there.

I was watching for the sign marking the Continental Divide, which was positioned just before the 158-mile marker on I-80.  It was surprising, then, when I approached a second, similar sign near the 206-mile marker.  It seems that this was one place where the divide was, indeed, at two parallel points.  (I later learned I’d passed through the Great Divide Basin.)

It did rain somewhat but not enough to slow my progress.  We reached Cheyenne and its Cheyenne Depot Plaza around 12:30.  Since one can’t tour a museum–even a fairly small one–in 30 minutes (the time I allowed myself for this stop), I pretty much contented myself with souvenir shopping in their gift shop.

By the time I left, the skies had lightened, and I had reason to hope my brother’s dire warning–we had spoken while RB and I were on the salt flats–about the day’s nasty weather forecast for the Midwest was wrong.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

Crossed into Nebraska, and the deluge began.  I tried first to drive in “ultra-conservative, little-old-lady mode,” but even that doesn’t help if the rain’s so heavy you can’t see.  Finally gave in and exited from I-80, finding shelter with several vehicles at an abandoned travel center.  Got in a quick nap, too, BTW.

Later, at the exit for the town of Gothenburg, the rain had stopped momentarily, so I pulled off for gas and a restroom visit and noticed a sign for the historic Pony Express  route during the mid-1800s.  Took a few shots of the restored stop. It was tempting to go inside, but I still had a long way to go.

Afraid there’s nothing noteworthy about the rest of the drive.  Pulled into the driveway of home at 4:35 a.m. Monday morning–less than 3.5 hours before scheduled to be at the j-o-b.  The entire trip was 5806.6 miles long, 1048 of which was driven that day, and covered 13 states in 16 days.

Thank the Lord for a safe journey, especially that last stretch between Des Moines and Grinnell!!!

Music for the Trip

I don’t know if you have ever tried to drive for almost 24 straight hours, but it ain’t an easy thing to do. For me, the music is critical to doing it successfully. Thank goodness for the ABC’s!

Finished the A’s and slipped smoothly into the B’s: Backstreet Boys, Barry Manilow, Barry White, Bee Gees, Billy Joel, Beyonce, Bessie Smith, B. B. King, Betty Wright, Bob Marley, Blood Sweat and Tears, Blondie, Brandy, Bobby Bland, Britney Spears, Boys II Men, and Bobby Brown.

Then, the C’s carried me the rest of the way home: Captain and Tennille, Chicago, Cat Stevens, Carly Simon, Chuck Berry, Christine Aguilera, Coldplay, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Culture Club, Coasters, Cyndi Lauper, Curtis Mayfield, Count Basie, Crosby Stills and Nash, Clarence Carter and Clyde McPhatter.

Note: RB had to have her windshield replaced after I got home. The cause of the large crack was a rock from a dump truck, as I told the insurance company, not the continuous window-shaking music volume. Really, truly it was!!