Before we get too far into today, I've got two alibis from yesterday that went unmentioned. First, it is notable that we didn't stop at a single HD store all day. This is nearly unheard of for us and certainly we are a few bucks ahead because of it. Second of all, we didn't make a single U-turn. Now those of you that are following along on a map are probably thinking it was a pretty straight line across Wyoming and those of you that are tech savvy are probably thinking with NAV how could you get turned around? Well, those of you that have followed my lead in the past know that even in the best of planning at least once I make an errant turn and have to use the U-turn maneuver to right the ship. And as for the second point, we are essentially old-school and cheap when it comes to data. Neither of the bikes have NAV and we choose not to have a digital voice in the earpiece telling us turn by turn as we go. We both prefer tunes. We still use maps (paper or digital). So no U-turn is notable.
Now for today- a little background first. Nebraska has essentially been the bain of my existence as it relates to travel to the mid-west. So much so, that for both the previous HD Anniversary trips, I've planned routes that avoid Nebraska as much as possible. This dread comes from a childhood in which we made at least annual trips to WI to visit family. Nebraska was horrible in part because when we woke up in the morning we were in NE and that night when we went to bed, we were still in NE! This defeats the purpose of the childhood activity of following along on the map. There was essentially "nothing to see" beyond the miles and miles of rows of corn. In the late 70's and early 80's when I formed my dismal opinion of this state, the speed limit was 55 mph and I-80 was the chosen route. It was further made miserable by sharing the back seat of the vehicle with two younger sisters, neither of which respected the invisible lines I drew on the seat and instructed them not to cross. Luckily since this is our blog, and not theirs, they're not able to defend themselves nor point out that there may have been some instigation involved. All of which I will deny now, ahead of time.
As we pulled out of Douglas, WY we were on I-25 South for about 16 miles before peeling off on State Hwy 20 at the Orin Junction. It was again cool temps for riding, so we were geared the same as yesterday, in layers. Skies are still hazy, but a bit less than yesterday as today we can see the hills off in the distance. The early ride was more scenic than the ride yesterday with both hills and curves for us to take. We weren't very far down this road when it was again evident that state highways are the hidden gems of this country. Time and time again these now less taken roads prove their value taking one through the heart of what makes this country great. The path led us through ranch lands, farm lands, ghost towns, small towns and vibrant communities that make up so much of our country. Speaking of small towns, this morning we passed through Lost Springs, WY - Population 4. Yes, 4! They had more buildings than people in the town, but not by much. At Lusk, the bank sign said 57 degrees.
As eastern Wyoming gave way to western Nebraska, we came across this sign. Ok, not this actual sign, which is a file photo I took from Google, but one very similar to it. I need a photographer!
State Hwy 20 continued to be a pleasant surprise as we departed Crawford. We passed the Fur Trade Museum. Now that's not something one will see while battling traffic on I-80. At the 100 mile mark inside the Cornhusker state the sun finally burned through the hazy skies and shone down upon us. I know this is hard to believe, but we were 110 miles into Nebraska before we saw our first corn field. At this point, sunflower fields outnumbered corn fields. Who knew? Have you ever told an out-of-stater that Idaho is a horrible place to live, in hopes that no one discovers the truth of how awesome a place Idaho is to live? Turns out Nebraska has been disguising itself with miles upon miles of boring cornfields along I-80, while keeping the most desirable parts of Nebraska obscured from view.
By the time we arrived in Valentine we had counted a total of only 2, yes two, cornfields. We're literally half way across the state and virtually have seen no corn! The road has been quiet, peaceful and really quite beautiful. The sun had now determined to stay out from behind the clouds and we were able to shed a layer and switch to fingerless gloves. I'm happy to be working on my favorite tan lines!
O'Neill was to be our next fuel stop and Hwy 20 continued to be an incredible companion on the journey. The people of Nebraska are incredibly friendly from one end of the state to the other. Back in Crawford, we didn't have to pre-pay for fuel or even pay at the pump. The gas station owner actually trusts customers to pump first, then pay. Who knew there were still business people who weren't jaded and were so nice? At least 20 other people waved to us as we passed by- from farmers in the fields, to shop owners standing in their driveways, to the state troopers who waved and didn't hold me accountable for setting the pace at a solid 7mph over the posted limit. And then there were the rest, who were in west bound vehicles that just offered a friendly hello with a quick wave.
Our last leg was 125 miles into Sioux City, IA for the night. Despite losing an hour earlier in the day which made it a longer day, the sun was shining and riding was very pleasant with temps in the high 70's by late afternoon/ early evening.
At the end of the day, I realized I needed to re-evaluate my opinion of traveling through Nebraska. It's not the miserable place I remembered from my childhood. It was a scenic day of riding through one of the fly-over states. It was actually a treat to travel through Nebraska today. I take back most of the negativity I put out into the world about this state. For today, Nebraska proved me wrong and made a believer out of me.
Total Mileage today: 520 miles
Time to travel that mileage: 10 hours (11 hours with the change to Central time zone)
Cumulative mileage: 1042 miles
Tomorrow: Roll across Iowa (no, not Idaho - Iowa!) and into Chi town.
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