400 miles across Wyoming - Random Musings...

...for when one travels 400 miles across Wyoming, one has lots of time to muse on random subjects.



This was actually in Parks City, Utah, where we spent the night. It is just outside Salt Lake City. If you look at the picture well, you can see a ski jump. This is the one that was used in the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics.

This sign made Sparky very happy. He actually had been going 80 pretty much all the time, so now he could go even faster. The 'stang really likes to go fast. The sign was actually in Utah yesterday but I forgot to use it. It fits better with today's theme of random thoughts.

These 3 pictures are of "Echo Canyon". Yes, I really wanted to stop and try it out.

On our way out, when travelling Route 66, (Double 6 to the locals) we were meandering and would stop quite often to do random things like that. But now we have a mission. We are kinda ready to be home so no extra stops!

Speaking of the Route, for almost two weeks, I had been looking for Route 66 signs, and all the unique neon signs and attractions that make up Route 66 and taking pictures of that stuff. It is very strange now to not see 66 signs and oddities. I keep looking for them.

We were in the clouds right now. We traveled most of the day at about 7000 feet. A couple of days ago, I found a free iPhone app that will tell you your altitude. I hate to break this to you but Sparky is a bit of a geek. He has been a very happy man to be able to monitor our altitude.

I just thought this was very cool to barely be able to see this windmill in the clouds.

They say that Montana is "Big Sky Country". I don't see how it could be any bigger than in Wyoming. When we were not in the clouds, it was wide open space.

Speaking of not being in the clouds but in the sun, (see what I mean about random musings), all the way out west, Sparky was sitting in the sun most days. He would turn the air colder and colder. I was on the other side of the car in the shade and freezing. Well, what goes around comes around. Now that we are heading east, I'm in the sun and burning up and he's reaching for his jacket.

I just loved this rock sitting right beside the interstate.

So high, you can't go over it. So wide, you can't go around it. So deep, you can't go under it. Ya' gotta go through the door.

For all you American Tail fans out there.

Reminds me of the Painted Desert.

I told you before that Sparky was a geek. Well, he also a weather watcher. He watches storms very carefully. Well, at this time during the day, I was driving and Sparky was watching weather on his iPhone (more on that later). If you look at this picture, you can see three separate storm cells. He could see those cells clearly on the radar on his phone. He could see where these storms were on the map and when they might possibly intersect with us as we traveled closer to them. It actually was about time for a potty break so when we got back in the car, all three cells had crossed the interstate and we were in the clear.

Now, about me driving vs. Sparky driving. Sparky has driven 99% of this trip. I have driven some yesterday and today and that's pretty much it. And it has worked very well for us. You see Sparky is not a very good multi-processor. (I hope it doesn't sound like I'm speaking negatively of him in this blog today. Not intending to be negative, just letting you in some of his special qualities.) He does one thing at a time and does it very well. I, on the other hand, am scatter-brained (in a good way of course). I can do all sorts of things at the same time. While Sparky drives, I am the navigator, weather watcher (Many times I would have an iPhone in each hand. I know, it's a disease), photographer, tour guide (ahead on your left you will see the giant rooster), stewardess, (May I get you a beverage or a snack?) and accountant (how much did we spend on lunch?). It has been a good system and it worked for us. Plus we get there alot faster if Sparky drives. Just ask our girls. :-)

A little bit of Autumn right here in Wyoming.

We saw these fences all the way across the state. They were short fences and led to nowhere and were connected to nothing. Sparky guessed that they were snow fences to help keep the snow off of the interstate. When we arrived at the hotel, the clerk behind the counter confirmed this for us. They either build these fences or plant rows of trees to act as a snow barrier. Also the clerk at the hotel said that this was probably the warmest October for a long time. He said they had usually had several big snows by now. Praise God. I don't want my 'stang stuck in the snow.

We passed several trucks that had chains like this hanging off of them. We figured that this was so the truckers could get chains on their tires quickly in case of snow. We actually saw an area where trucks could pull over to do that. (Random)

This car carrier was carrying electric cars called "WheeGo". (I don't make the news, I just report it.) When we were traveling across LA, we saw several charging stations for electric cars.

All along interstate 80, we saw signs like this. If the lights were flashing, the road would be closed and you had to go back another way. Guess it happens alot.

Hey, look, a Christmas tree farm right here on the road.

We saw this sign for "Lincoln Memorial". I took a picture but I didn't really understand.

Sure enough, just up the road, right next to the interstate, there he was. Mr. Lincoln himself, carved in stone. Not exactly like the one in Washington though.

Big tires. Actually, I think we saw these same tires in St. Louis.

What is wrong with this picture? The riders don't have on helmets. The guy actually has on a baseball cap, even if it looks like a helmet. No helmet law in Wyoming. Also in California and Arizona. Probably more states than that but we just couldn't get over it.



We are spending the night in Cheyenne, Wyoming. With a population of 53,000, it is probably one of the smaller state capitals. (That is an uneducated guess. Just seems small to me.) This was a charming place. Many of the sights here reminded me of Route 66. It made me nostalgic for the good old days. I thought I would share some of the "oddities" with you.

I saved the best one for last. This one was my absolute favorite and a perfect way to end a random blog. "Grandma's Pickle Parlor and Game Room". Gotta love it.