Thu, 8/21/08

Kansas City to St. Louis: Cleaned the bathroom this morning, put clean sheets on the bed, stopped for breakfast and fuel at a truck stop a mile or so from our campground and on our way. A short four-hour drive. Dropped the Eagle in the storage area, loaded the food and back home. A great trip.

Lincoln/Omaha, NE, to Kansas City, MO: Left at 9:30 this morning. Mike drove through Omaha, we switched after 2 hours, stopped for lunch and then I drove to KC. We can actually hear cicadas now. It’s great. Will be home tomorrow.

Another beautiful sunset last night...

Lincoln/Omaha, NE: Extended for one more day. Headed over to the pool around 11:00 but it wouldn’t open until 2:00, so back to our site and read my book on Jim Bridger for a while. Another beautiful day—upper 80s. Did a few minor maintenance chores, but just basically relaxed. Leave tomorrow for home.

Sunset last night from our campsite

Rick's Cafe & Boathouse

Lincoln/Omaha, NE: After a relaxing morning we drove into Omaha to check it out. It’s an ok city. I like St. Louis better. We drove around a little and then went down to the riverfront and had lunch at Rick’s Café and Boathouse. Sat outside on their deck. Back to our campsite and sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful day. 88 today. Think we’ll extend for one more day. Hit the pool tomorrow.

Air & Space Museum

SR-71 Blackbird

Lincoln/Omaha, NE: Went to the air and space museum today. Pretty impressive, although not as impressive as the one in Pensacola. The SR-71 Blackbird (huge plane in the atrium) was mounted and then they built the atrium around it. Still holds the record for speed and altitude. After the museum we went out to eat and back to our site. Nice day—85 and sunny.

Pine Grove Campground

North Platt, NE, to Lincoln/Omaha, NE: After breakfast at Flying J, I started driving and after 2 hours we switched. Uneventful drive. A pretty day—80s. We’re at a commercial campground—Pine Grove—between Lincoln and Omaha. A really nice commercial campground—here for 3 nights. We’re going to the air and space museum tomorrow in Ashland. We had dinner in Ashland and then drove around this little historic town. It’s right on the Mormon trail which started back in the 1850s. It’s also known as the Oregon, California, and Oxbow Trail.

The last of the buttes/hills

Western Nebraska

Cheyenne, WY, to North Platt, NE: Rainy and cold this morning. It was 46 when we left. Stopped at a Flying J about 2 miles from the campground for breakfast and then hit the road. I drove first and it was raining steadily and every time a truck passed us it sprayed up so much water that it was hard to see. It finally let up and by the time Mike took over it was dry and sunny. Western Nebraska was kind of pretty but after that it was flat farmland for the most part. We’re staying at the Holiday RV Park which is a really nice commercial campground. We’re now only at 2800 feet. It’s 80 here. That’s better. Only here for one night and then we head to Omaha.