KOA, Lyman, WY, to KOA, Twin Falls, Idaho:  Left Lyman at 8:15 this morning.  Another beautiful day—not a cloud in the sky.  We continued west on I80 which follows the Oregon Trail still. We were quickly in Utah and I80 went through this beautiful canyon on the way to Salt Lake City. All down hill.  Hardly burned any gas.  We cut off on I84 heading northwest through an even more beautiful canyon with a cascading little stream at the bottom.  After Ogden, which sits in a valley surrounded by mountains, we climbed up into a wide valley with mountains off in the distance. Once we were in Idaho I84 deteriorated for a few miles but then it got much better.  The KOA we’re in here in Twin Falls is really nice.  We’re here for 4 nights and plan to explore around a little.  After we got set up we headed in to Twin Falls to pick up a few things.  The Snake River runs right through the eastern part of town and the Perrine Bridge spans this huge gorge.  This is the only bridge in the country that allows base jumping from the top.  A 102 year old woman base jumped off this bridge a couple of days ago and made the national news.  We’re going to check it out tomorrow.  95 here!  Doesn’t feel like it because it’s so dry.  

Since I was driving, I asked Mike to take some pictures with my camera.  He did really well, since he doesn't like my camera too much.

Perrine Bridge over the Snake River Gorge

KOA Lyman, WY:  Beautiful day today.  Really cold this morning though.  We headed over to Ft. Bridger which is only about 5 miles from Lyman.  We had been here in 2008, but Mike didn’t remember it, so we went back.  Jim Bridger, mountain man extraordinaire, established this fort and ran it from 1843 to 1853.  It was really a supply station for the pioneers traveling west.  This fort is located on the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, the Mormon Trail, the Overland Stage route, the Pony Express route, and eventually the Lincoln Highway. Then in 1858 it became a military outpost.  And around the same time Judge Wm. A. Carter built a supply station here.  He had a store, an ice house, stable for the Pony Express, and other buildings.  On our way back to our site, we fueled up and are ready to leave tomorrow morning.

Carter's Military Post Store

The Carter's built this school (on the right) for their 4 daughters and other post children.  After attending this school, students were able to attend any eastern college without further study.  This was the first school in Wyoming.  The building just to the left of the school house is the milk house where luxury dairy products were stored.  The Carter's were pretty well off and even had servants.

The ice house.

Fort Bridger--established by Jim Bridger from 1843 to 1853.

Inside Fort Bridger.

The Mormon's traveled across country pushing or pulling these carts  with their belongings.  I can't imagine!

KOA Cheyenne, WY, to KOA, Lyman, WY:  This morning dawned clear and sunny.  But last night we had quite a scare.  It was windy to begin with, but a front came through with these ugly black clouds and the wind increased dramatically.  I freaked out.  Thought we were going to get blown over.  Luckily, Mike had put down the landing legs and the jacks so we were a little more stable.  Anyway, we left this morning at 8:15 and continued west on I80.  The scenery west of Cheyenne is so pretty with verdant green hills, rocky outcroppings, buttes, mesas and arroyos. And we saw lots of antelope.  But the further west we went the more desert like it became.  Before long it was a desolate landscape of brown hills covered with sagebrush—and probably lots of rattlesnakes.  Arrived at the KOA in Lyman and were set up by 3:00.  Did a grocery run and then relaxed.  We’re here for two nights.

KOA Gothenburg, NE, to KOA Cheyenne, WY:  Got a late start this morning, but we gained an hour and the trip was a little shorter, so no big deal.  After leaving Gothenburg, I80 runs right along the Platte River—probably the same route our intrepid pioneers took on their way west in their conestoga wagons.  The Platte River is pretty, I think anyway.  It’s really shallow and sandy bottomed.  The pioneers wouldn’t have had problems crossing unless it was in flood.  We crossed it many times as it meandered across the landscape.  Arrived in Cheyenne around 2:30 and it was 89 degrees.  Really, really windy.  We’re getting buffeted around pretty good.  Not unhooking.  Just here for one night.  On to Lyman, WY, tomorrow where we’ll stay for two nights.

Downtown Cheyenne has all these painted cowboy boots.

Cute little downtown area.

Capital building in downtown Cheyenne.

Beacon RV Park, St. Joseph, MO, to KOA Gothenburg, NE:  This morning we headed out in a cold, misty rain.  Didn’t last long though, but the clouds hung around.  Continued north on I29 which is a pretty drive of rolling hills interspersed with large fields of neatly planted crops.  And off to the west were the bluffs along the Missouri.  Took Interstate 2 west and crossed the Missouri into Nebraska and shortly after that the clouds dispersed revealing a beautiful blue sky.  Stopped in Lincoln, NE, for food and fuel.  Then Mike took over driving.  The drive between Lincoln and Gothenburg was a pretty flat and nondescript landscape of farmers’ fields.  But, alas!  There is an original Pony Express Station here in Gothenburg.  We probably won’t go see it since we weren’t planning on unhooking.  Left at 8:45 this morning and arrived here and were set up by 3:30.  55 when we left St. Joe and 73 here in Gothenburg. 

Barns of America

Pony Express Station--Gothenburg, NE

St. Louis to KOA, St. Joseph, MO:  This trip had a terrible beginning.  On Thursday night Mike started the refrigerator in the fifth wheel so when we brought the food over on Friday it would be good and cold.  Got a late start taking the food over because of threatening storms and we had to wait until the service person came over to check out our air conditioner, which we do every year.  Everything checked out there so we got all the food together and headed to our storage place.  The sun was actually shining at this point.  When we opened the refrigerator though, it was not running and there were two error codes.  So, we called our RV dealer and they said to bring it right up, so we hooked up and hauled it up there after much bitching and moaning.  They cleaned out some soot and stuff around the electrical panel and it seemed to work, so back we went to the storage facility, unhooked  and loaded up the food and headed back home.  After dinner the storms hit.  We spent most of the evening in the basement with the tornado sirens going off around us.  Lost our power and groped around with flashlights for the rest of the evening.  But we didn’t have any damage—just a few branches down.  The power was still off this morning so we were all discombobulated.  Had to manually unhook the garage door so we could get out and then hook it back up.  Drove over to the storage area, hooked up and checked the refrigerator and there were more error codes.  So we took off anyway hoping we could get it fixed somewhere on the road and in the meantime maybe buy a couple of coolers.  So we headed out around 9:30 and got to Lake St. Louis after a little over an hour driving and Mike realized he forgot all his meds.  So, we turned around and headed back.  Didn’t unhook or anything.  I just pulled off on the shoulder on the service road outside the entrance of our place and Mike walked up and got all the stuff he forgot.  So, back on the road.  Even after all this we were in St. Joseph, MO, and set up by 5:30.  Just here one night.  Not even unhooking.  Oh, and the refrigerator is working!  Life is good!  And while we were heading out the second time, Johanne Brouillet, our Canadian friend from the Keys, called to see if we were okay.  Apparently they had seen a report on CNN about STL and the tornados.  How nice of her!  At least someone is thinking of us!

Pony Express Stable--St. Joseph, MO

Pony Express Rider--St. Joseph, MO

St. Joseph, MO, is a pretty historic town.  The Pony Express used to run from here to Sacramento, CA.  It only lasted for about a year and a half, but these daring men--boys actually--on their speedy mounts used to fly across the country carrying the mail.  The stations were spaced about 18 miles apart and they ran at a full gallop, pushing their horses to go faster and faster. There were about eighty pony-riders in the saddle all the time, night and day, stretching in a long, scattering procession from Missouri to California, forty flying eastward, and forty toward the west.   They carried letters 1900 miles in 8 days!  Incredible!  Walter Cronkite was born here. His father and grandfather were dentists here.  And, it's the place where Jessie James was shot.  The Patee House is a great museum full of the rich history of this area.

A quote from Mark Twain while on a stage coach trip across country..."We had had a consuming desire, from the beginning, to see a pony-rider, but somehow or other all that passed us and all that met us managed to streak by in the night, and so we heard only a whiz and a hail, and the swift phantom of the desert was gone before we could get our heads out of the windows".

Sun, 3/31/13:
KOA, Nashville, TN, to St. Louis, MO:  An absolutely miserable morning.  We left at 8:45 under leaden skies spitting a steady rain.  In about an hour we drove out of the rain.  Didn’t see the sun until about Paducah, KY.  Another long driving day—for us, anyway. We decided to drive back today instead of tomorrow because snow flurries were in the forecast tomorrow for St. Louis with highs in the low 40s.  When we pulled into the storage area it was 70 degrees. A whole lot better than low 40s!  Back home around 4:00.

Beautiful spring blooms.  Unfortunately, St. Louis is pretty bleak right now.  But it's coming.