Saturday, July 3
Greetings from somewhere on I-80 in Nebraska. We’re about 100 miles from North Platte, where we hope to replenish groceries before continuing onto Doniphan (near Grand Island) where we have reservations at the KOA for a 50-amp pull-through site.
Despite the whoosh-whoosh of the highway traffic, and the occasional toot-toot of passing trains, I fell into a deep slumber once I wrapped things up and went to bed last night. At 4:00a, the sound of strong winds rattling the RV woke us up. To be expected I suppose when you’re in the middle of vast, flat plains. It was a little unnerving at first, but we soon got used to the noise and fell asleep again until the alarm sounded at 6:30a.
We took it easy this morning, getting a later start than we had initially planned. But, the time was put to good use. We got the internet code from the office and while I checked in with loved ones, Mui cleaned off the bug spatter on the windshield. A thankless job, but it has to be done.
While we had wi-fi access, we also checked out towns about 500 miles [800 km] from Rawlins, Wyoming and then used our Woodall’s directory to find a campsite for tonight. Having the CD version of the directory installed on the laptop has sure made finding a place to stay easy as pie. That accomplished, we pulled up stakes, so to speak, and headed back onto I-80E. It was 9:15a; the wind was blowing strong; the temp was 72F [22C].
We’re on I-80 all the way from Rawlins, Wyoming to Doniphan, Nebraska.
Our drive thus far has been through wide open spaces again. We’re savoring these days as they will soon be but a distant memory. The puffy white clouds dotting the blue sky have been a source of entertainment; as have the multitude of cattle grazing in the fields of both states. Line after line of snowdrift barriers on the south side of the highway in Wyoming were a testament to the strong winds that we had a taste of in the wee hours of the morning.
Roadside scenery in Wyoming.
Snowdrift barriers are everywhere.
These granite rock formations near Laramie are named Vedauwoo.
(the name comes from Arapaho and means “Land of the Earthborn Spirit.”)
Wide open spaces and entertaining clouds.
We stopped for lunch at the Nebraska Welcome Center. Up until now, we’ve not had to use the generator to power the A/C for our mid-day breaks, but the 98F [37C] temp today was a deal breaker. We made quick work of our salad and sandwich lunch in order to squeeze in time for our grocery shopping at the Wal-Mart Super Center in North Platte. Speaking of which … we’re about to take the exit into town. But first, a few more photographs from this afternoon.
Roadside oil rig in Nebraska.
A grain elevator welcomes visitors to Chappell.
(population 878 in )
More later ...
Later … Grand Island KOA
We were a bit later arriving at the campground than we had hoped, but all for a good reason. Our groceries are replenished and we’re set for the rest of the trip.
After completing our shopping at Wal-Mart, we drove the remaining miles to Doniphan, near Grand Island. About five miles out from the campground, we stopped to fill up, and more importantly, rid the windshield of the mess of bug spatter covering it. This was our worse day for bugs committing suicide on our windshield — perhaps because of the cattle farms we passed en route.
The Grand Platte River Road Archway Monument
brings the “westward migration to life.”
What a mess!!!
When you don’t have a truck plaza handy, you have to be resourceful.
It was 9:15p when we pulled into the nearly-at-capacity Grand Island KOA. A note above the after-hours registration box warned that there were no sites left that would accommodate big rigs, and that only pop-ups and tent campers were welcome at this time. Having made reservations, this wasn’t a problem for us. Within minutes we were parked in site 21.
There are 125 sites here, all shaded by mature trees. The rather narrow pads are separated by grass strips. At a nightly rate of $37 dollars, this is the most expensive campground of the trip yet. I have to admit that my initial impression is not very positive. Can’t quite put my finger on why. Maybe it’s because the place seems very crowded. Or maybe I’m just tired since this is our second late night arrival in a row. In any event, it’s fine for a one night stay.
After setting up, we made short work of dinner — frozen entrees and some wine. Then, we cranked up the laptop and took advantage of the free wi-fi to check in with family and friends. Next, we pulled out the maps to figure out tomorrow night’s stop. Adjusting our route to drive through Iowa before dropping into southern Illinois, we found a campground near Galesburg and made note of the phone number to call for a reservation tomorrow morning.
And so we’ve made it past 11:30p — another night without a chance to kick back and relax. But we knew in advance this was likely going to be the case. Pleasure RVing is just going to have to wait until next time.
A sunset shot to bid you goodnight.
We’re at the mid-point of our trip. It’s been pretty smooth so far; keeping fingers crossed that it stays that way.
| Start Odometer | End Odometer | Day’s Mileage |
| 9631 | 10147 | 516 [826 km] |
Statistics for Today
Next Up … Maiden Voyage: Day 4 on the Road
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