Prescott to New Ulm September 2002
Click pictures to enlarge
Sept 10
Rocky Mountain National Park via 34, drove through to Bear Lake Road meaning to do the Alberta Falls trail only to find out that trailers couldn't get to the trailhead. So we did the Fern Lake trail instead. More photos. Ne (in pain) got as far The Pool and I made it to Fern Falls doing a 7 mile hike. Got back on the road at 4:30PM and drove through to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Checked into Express Inn, had supper in room then I went for a swim in the indoor pool needing a bit more chlorine. Called Lundholm to tell him we would be a day late - sadly he had cleared his schedule for today.
Sept 11
Early start (so we'd have some time with Dave) from Cheyenne east along on I80. Had lunch at a reststop and had a look at the Our Lady of Peace shrine in Pine Bluffs, WY. Into Nebraska and Ne took over. While I was sleeping she ran out of gas around 4PM east of North Platte. Put up the S.O.S. signs and within a half an hour we had our saviour, Doug, stop and bring me to Gothenberg to get petrol. Then we missed the turnoff to Grand Island and had to go a further 5 miles and backtrack. So we pulled in at 7PM (swapped over to Central time thereby losing an hour). Couldn't find a room, so we went to Lundholm's for a very short visit with Dave. Gave him a bag of popcorn, for old times sake when our two families lived on the stuff. Checked out his house and all the goodies that they have accumulated. Managed to get the last room in a rundown motel (Lazy V) in the worst part of town. Across the road from a large slaughterhouse. Shower so slimy that Ne feared to use it. Room stunk, but outside was worse. Found out that the motels are full because it is the Husker Festival - 2nd largest farm show in the country and that people come from all over the world for it. Ne found a coupon for the place and reduced our charge by $6. Paid the lady with a $50 and she says: "I reckonize this bill". Across the top was written the names of two of her friends who were engaged at the same time that she was pregnant with her son - several years ago. I picked the bill up yesterday in Cheyenne as change for the motel there, so we guess the bill has stayed within the local region all these years. We zipped back into town to a KFC that was closing at 9PM and managed to get whatever was left.
Our Lady of Peace	Valley of the Pumps
Stuck in the middle of nowhere	our 911 heroes	Near Kearney
Lazy		V Motel
Sept 12
Today was an uneventful drive from Grand Island, NE through Iowa to Hills, MN via backroads. Did pass through LeMars, Iowa that claimed to be the "Ice Cream Capital of the World", home of Blue Bunny brand. Spent afternoon and evening with Kay chowing down the chow mein she made yesterday for our expected arrival. We all had a soak in the hot tub.
Hills, MN	Kay	Okay
Sept 13
Stopped at Antique Attic in Pipestone then onto Pipestone National Monument where Travis, a Dakota, answered many questions about the whole process of making pipes. One guy asked him if he preferred "native American" or what. So Travis asked me where I was born - Austria, then Ne - New Zealand, then next fellow - Singapore; finally the guy who asked the question and so Travis was able to make his point: "Well, you are a native American". Rain prevented us from doing the 3/4 mile scenic walk. Spent the rest of the day driving to New Ulm via 14 through Tracy.
Travis	1 of 82 Quarries