Thursday, May 29, 2014

Cheyenne to Council Bluffs


I knew that I wanted a GPS for the car before our trip began. I did what I rarely do, I spent hours online researching them. I discovered that Magellan seemed to be deemed the best of the GPS systems. It happened that Magellan had just come out with an 8 inch screen. Apparently know one else had a screen that big.  I guess in the GPS world that is like having a 72 inch TV screen.

Thanks be to God, I found a place selling this wonder of wonders for a mere $119.00 with a complete packet of accessories. So I typed in all my info and credit card number and clicked on "purchase." I love it! What a neat little gadget.

I put "Kate" up on the dash, typed in the address of the first motel on the first leg and away we went. She is good. She knew the exit numbers, the side of the freeway that the exits were on and the exact route to get us where we wanted to go. However, she panics and gets a little testy when you turn off to get gas or something to eat. "Make a legal U turn!" "Turn around!" 

We typed in the Motel 6 address at Council Bluffs and pulled out of Cheyenne about 4:00 AM. Again, I really like Cheyenne - don't really know why. I like the big open sky, the flat rolling land. I have always loved the high desert. I guess I never grew out of the cowboy and Indian (oops - cowboy and native american thing) The old west still fascinates me.

Remember the broken safety chain? Well, we intended to go to a Uhaul center and have it replaced. But we got in after closing and left before opening. So we kept driving with one safety chain attached and the other wrapped around the trailer tongue.

We pulled in to Council Bluffs around 5:00 PM. We were amazed to see at the motel location, not only motels, including ours, but fast food places, shopping center, Wal-Mart and low and behold across from the motel and down a block, a UHaul center! We pulled in and they replaced the chains with brand ones.

We checked into the Motel and had a very relaxing evening. It was a very long haul across Nebraska!!!!!! It is flat and goes on forever. On I-80 there are no towns or cities. You hit Sidney some ways into the state and you better fuel and eat there because it will be a long, long, long time before anything else comes up. I thought we would never get across it and into Iowa. But thankfully we did.

I was surprised at how big Omaha (NE) was. We hadn't been in a big city since we left Portland. We navigated there massive freeway traffic at 5:00ish. We crossed the border into Iowa. Omaha and Council Bluffs (IA) are like Portland/Vancouver. Leave Vancouver, WA and pop right into Portland, OR.

We went into Wal-Mart got some fruit (grapes) and then got dinner. After a bit of conversation and mindless TV we crashed for the night and slept like babies.

God is a magnificient, wise, "talented" and creative creator. America is blessed with very beautiful landscape that is on loan from God. What variety, color, texture, and design is ours for our enjoyment and pleasure! Just be sure your windows go up often while you cross Nebraska (collective cattle can create crude concentrate.)

"The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land." (Psalm 95:5)

7 comments:

Persis said...

Thanks for sharing your travelogue. I'm enjoying it.

Gregg Metcalf said...

Persis - You are very welcome. I am enjoying telling about the trip. Thank you for reading. I am humbled.

Arlee Bird said...

Funny, but Nebraska is the place I kind of have a fondness for. My dream town is Grand Island--weird maybe, but the place always seemed like a retreat for me. Maybe it's because we'd usually stay there for a few days and it felt like home.

I'm enjoying taking this trip with you.

Lee
What is the best short story ever written?
Tossing It Out

Gregg Metcalf said...

Arlee Bird - Grand Island is beautiful. I can see your love for it. We stayed near there.

Larri said...

Your drive across Nebraska makes me miss Kansas! Glad your road trip has gone well. You're so blessed to be able to travel across the country and see the wonder of His creation. :)

Scott said...

Nebraska has nothing on the desolation of eastern North Dakota. We lived there 3 years, and hated driving back to Missouri through hours of nothingness.

On the other hand, we also love the Omaha area. My wife's mother is from Council Bluffs, and we spent a lot of time going to see her grandma there. If I had known you'd be stopping I could have recommended a great local pizza joint!

Gregg Metcalf said...

Scott - can't recall if I have ever been to ND or not. Omaha surprised me. I liked Council Bluffs. Now you tell me, a good pizza would have hit the spot!