Day 2--Headed North

We left Sterling after church and headed north to Nebraska. We saw Chimney Rock, Jailhouse Rock, and Courthouse Rock. We did not get to Scottsbluff, but saw the bluffs that gave the area its name.
Dock putting Lil Dock on top of the Rock!

We got to Chadron with daylight enough to see where we were going. For those of you who know me, that is quite an accomplishment. When we would go camping, I realized we did not know how to put the tent up in the daylight because we always set it up in the dark!! When we travel I always pack our swimsuits but never get to the hotel in time to swim!

On this trip I thought we could take the time to see "Hysterical" markers and local sites, but that is so not me! Why do I think it sounds like fun when I should know I will not stop!  I told myself that we would get out every 3 hours or so to walk around, even thought we could find cemeteries to walk in (that way we would not bother anyone), but NO that is not me! I have been getting gas when the car is 1/2 full, and if I let Dock have soda we have to potty stop too! So that is every 3 hours or so, that should count.

In Chadron I tried to get salad bar, but they only had that with the lunch buffet, so Dock had chicken strips and I had chicken dinner. Wow, the chicken was really good. We both had leftovers. We had a table in the hotel room so I could type easier, easier than tonight where I keep sliding down in the bed with the laptop on my lap top!

Day 2-Part 1

Technically Day 1 was Friday, but since we only traveled 3 hours, I am not counting it as a "Day". I wish I could express myself like Dock's niece Lisa. She is so good at thinking with her words and making things come to life. But you all are stuck with me.
So yesterday was Saturday, Day 1. I talked a little about our dinner, but I will tell you about the town where we spent the night. I am not sure why it was so important to me to go to Sterling CO with time enough to drive around. I only lived there for 3 years and they were the dreaded Jr High years. I did not have a lot of friends, poor poor me, but that is what happens when you move around. I remember taking my lunch and climbing up to an unused room to eat and I remember looking out the window at people playing. Now, that is how I remember it, but maybe I was just hiding and reading. I love to read so a quite place to read would be nice. I only remember one friend and we did some fun things. But still, a trip to a place that I could not even drive around when I was there, means there were places that I could not locate, that and the 42 years of busy, mind erasing life, could create problems.
I found both houses that we lived in, we drove through the park that we played in (the swimming pool is gone and the area they used to flood to ice skate is changed), I saw the outside of the church we attended, and I took pictures of their old library building. That was a wonderful place and I can remember the inside of that building! Again, I love to read and I remember getting lots of books. "In those days" the books were hard back books, and when we traveled to Estherville, I would bring one book for each day.
The Dairy Queen is the same building, the Vet's office we took Coco to is still there, but I could not  identify the candy store that sold white chocolate by the hunk! What a love affair with chocolate that started.
We attended Church in Sterling. I was thinking how nice there was a congregation there now, but one member told me there has been a congregation for many, many years. When we lived there they were meeting, but probably in different places.
We drove on 2 lane roads up to Nebraska, but they were mostly well maintained and smooth sailing! I think we got good gas mileage doing that. We had a good dinner and glad to be in a safe warm hotel to sleep.

Yes, Folks, guess what we saw hundreds of?????

More of Day1

We had a good dinner last night with a bunch of Farrens!! For those of you who know some Farrens be comforted to know they were almost all female Farrens, except Dock. Alfred, Dock's brother in Cheyenne, passed away August 4th, just 2 days before my dad, so we did not get to go to the funeral. We did get to eat dinner last night, Sept 3, in Cheyenne with Alfred's first wife, their 3 daughters, Dock's Aunt Bonnie and cousin Crystal, and an assortment of fun kids and 1 brave husband of a niece. 13 of us in all. It was a fun time to get acquainted with family we haven't seen  for many years. I will try to add pictures later.

Time to think while driving.

Dock and I got off, at least 1 hour later than my latest target leaving time! It took some time telling my mom good-bye and I could not find my ipod, so I went home to look. No luck in finding the item that I spent hours filling the playlists for. I had Sunday music especially for ....Sunday, of course. I hate when you put something away safe and it is so safe that you can not find it!
The 1st thing I realized, as we were riding together in the car, was that I can not remember if Dock and I have ever gone on more than a 4-5 hour road trip alone before. We have been to Iowa before, but with kids or my folks; we have been to Oregon, but with good friends; we have been to California, but with Dock's sister.....so I can not remember a single trip that was just Dock and me! Unfortunate for me, it is at a time in our lives that Dock is not very helpful! He is only moderately helpful at loading the car, carrying in things from the car, keeping track of where we are, etc...But, he is easy to entertain, excited to see things, enjoys listening to books on DC, is fixated on wind turbines, and not picky about food!
The first 2 night we have gotten in after dark, but that will have to change! I want to see where I am at!

Getting ready, we're set, let's go........

Dock & I have been planning this trip for over 9 months and now it is coming so fast it makes my head spin. Sept 2nd is just around the corner.

I am working on genealogy books to take to Estherville. I offered Jeanette, Pam and their families dinner on Sunday as a bribe to help put the books together. It is so easy to get carried away with genealogy!

I will try to keep this blog going for our trip, we have fun things planned that we want to share with you'all.