Nebraska/Utah Trip 2016 - Day 16

The weather looked good this morning so we decided to continue our original plan and head west over the Rockies to Moab, Utah to visit Arches National Park.  It was a good decision as we had an easy trip over the mountains.  The weather was clear, the roads were dry and there was no wind.  The RV struggled a little going over a couple of 11,000 ft + passes and through the Eisenhower Tunnel but it really wasn't  a problem.  We passed and went through several ski areas, the most impressive we could see was Vail, CO.

After we descended down the west slope we also passed through a number of scenic canyons, the most notable Glenwood canyon.  After we passed Grand Junction, CO and drove  into Utah, we were in the high plains with not a lot of scenery.  After we turned south from I-70 to Moab, the terrain became more spectacular.  The RV park where we are staying for the next two nights is nice and very close to Arches National Park that we will visit tomorrow.  It is much warmer here right now - the temperature was in the 90's when we arrived.  The forecast is to remain warm and sunny the rest of the week in Utah, so weather looks like it will not be an issue.

It was a long drive today but it worked out well.

Day 16 Pictures  

Nebraska/Utah Trip 2016 - Day 15

After losing their game last evening, Isabelle's team had to play the same team again today for the championship of their tournament age bracket division (U-12, Gold).

It was a great game.  Both teams are very well coached and played hard.  Isabelle's team seemed to play with a little more energy and intensity than yesterdays game.  The game was scoreless until the last two minutes when Isabelle's team scored a goal on a direct kick. They then held off the other team until the game ended, winning the game 1-0 and the tournament championship.

We then went out to lunch at a great Italian restaurant and said our goodbyes until next time to Brian, April and Isabelle.

After returning to the RV we did the laundry and started getting ready for our trip over the mountains tomorrow.  We are travelling over the Rockies to Moab, Utah for our visit to the first national park we plan to visit on the way home (Arches National Park).  Right now the weather looks good over the mountain passes, but it will be long day.  We are planning to get an early start to try and beat afternoon thunderstorms and mountain winds.

We had a great family visit and really enjoyed Cole's graduation and Isabelle's soccer tournament. 

Day 15 Pictures

Nebraska/Utah Trip 2016 - Day 14

More soccer today -  Isabelle's team had two games.  The first one was this morning at 9:30 am and the second one was at 6:00 pm.  They won the first game and lost the second one by 1-0.  The team that beat them this afternoon is a Colorado team and both teams have the same tournament record and point differential so they will meet in the championship game for their age group division tomorrow morning.

The weather was great for the morning game  but the afternoon game was threatened  by typical Rockies east slope thunderstorms this time of year.  Thankfully, the storms missed the sports complex and there were no weather delays.  The wind did pick-up however and it cooled down considerably.

Between games we all went to a nearby Panera and had a nice lunch.

Isabelle's team was disappointed they didn't win their second game today but are looking forward to beating the same team tomorrow.

Day 14 Pictures

Nebraska/Utah Trip 2016 - Day 13

Today was the first day of Isabelle's soccer tournament.  The tournament is being held at a fantastic sports complex in Aurora, CO about 20 miles east of where we are staying in Golden. It appears there are more than 50 fields and facilities that can accommodate  a wide range of recreational activities including soccer, baseball, basketball, tennis and maybe even football.  The field Isabelle's team played on had an artificial surface and was equippped with lights for night games.

The soccer tournament this weekend is hosted by a large Denver soccer club (Real Colorado) and attracts teams from all over Colorado and the .surrounding states  There must be over 50 teams participating, all divided into boys and girls age brackets and skill levels.

Isabelle's team competes in the U-12 girls division for girls born in 2003/2004.  They won their first two games against teams from Colorado and Texas today.  Her team is very good and regularly wins tournaments throughout the mid western region where they participate.

All the players in the tournament also receive tickets to a MLS Colorado Rapids soccer game. The Rapids are the Denver area's MLS professional soccer team and regularly schedule a home game the Saturday night of the tournament.  We all went to the game and saw the home team tie with the Philadelphia Union team.

There are two more games tomorrow then a championship game on Monday if they make the finals.

 Day Pictures 13

Nebraska/Utah Trip 2016 - Day 12

We stayed in the Golden area  today.  It rained a lot last night, not heavy, but fairly steady.  This morning was partly cloudy and the forecast was for more rain later on in the day (scattered showers).  So, we decided to stay local and see a few things we passed yesterday that looked interesting.

The first stop was the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum.  The school is a prestigious state engineering school that specializes in physical sciences and engineering.  They also have a world class museum with specimens of almost every known mineral and gem as well as exhibits of geology and mining from different areas of the U.S. and the world.  There are also have lunar rock samples collected by the Apollo 15 and 17 missions as well samples of meteorites. There are also hands-on exhibits for school children as well as interesting videos about the geology of the region including information about different types of minerals and geological rock formations.  It is a great museum and was well worth the trip.

After the museum visit, we had lunch in town again, this time at the Old Capitol Grill.  The building once housed the territorial government and is now a popular downtown restaurant. We had another excellent meal then went down the street to the Golden History Center.

The history center is a nice museum run by the city and staffed by volunteers highlighting accomplishments of the people in the area as well as exhibiting a wide range of artifacts associated with the history of Golden and its historical heritage.  It is small but very well done.

We stopped at Safeway on the way back to the RV park for a few supplies then cooked steaks on the grill between a few more rain showers.

Memorial Day may be the start of summer in a lot of places but the snow melt in the   Colorado Rockies hasn't started yet.  They are still skiing here and probably will continue to do so into June.

It is Isabelle's soccer tomorrow and Sunday with a pro soccer game tomorrow night.

Day 12 Pictures 

Nebraska/Utah Trip 2016 - Day 11

We went into downtown Golden this morning and toured the Coors Brewery at 10:00 am. The brewery is right downtown next to Clear Creek, a fast moving mountain stream where the brewery gets its water.

The tour starts with a short bus ride from a parking lot adjacent to the brewery through the main entrance to a reception center.  Here, your age is checked and you are given a wrist band allowing beer tasting on the tour and at the tasting room at the end of the tour.  Since the tour is self-guided, you are given a listening device with recordings explaining about the brewery and the brewing process at various stations along the tour route.  About half way through the tour you are given a taste of either Coors or Coors Light beer and at the end of the tour there is a tasting room where you can sample the various beers Coors and its associated labels brew.  The tour is very well done and efficiently run. A tour guide said that during the summer they often run over a 1,000 people a day through the facility.

After the tour, we traveled a few blocks into town and had a great lunch at the Golden Hotel's Bridgewater Grill . We then walked around town a little and along parks and pathways on each side of Clear Creek.  The creek runs through the center of town and has numerous sculptures, benches and access points in a well maintained park setting. There were also lots of trees and landscaping along the creek.  The town has a population of about 18,000 and is at about 6,000 feet in elevation.  Golden is a very popular tourist destination, especially in the summer and has a very active and vibrant downtown area.  It is a relatively small mountain town that seems like a great place to visit and spend some time.

We then returned to the RV and settled in for the evening.  There is a lot of severe weather all around the area but all we got at the RV park tonight was a little light rain.

Day 11 Pictures 

Nebraska/Utah Trip 2016 - Day 10

We got an early start this morning and had an uneventful 220 mile drive to Golden, Colorado.  We arrived at the Dakota Ridge RV Resort in Golden early this afternoon and settled in for our stay here for the next six nights.  The RV resort is in the foothills NW of Denver and overlooks Denver the surrounding area. It is a nice RV resort and will be full for the Memorial Day weekend.

Isabelle's soccer tournament doesn't start until Saturday morning so we will be doing some sightseeing in the area the next two days.  Our plan for tomorrow is a tour of the Coors Brewery in Golden and exploring thr town and the surrounding area.

Day 10 Pictures

Nebraska/Utah Trip 2016 - Day 9

We got on the road about 9:00 am and had an easy trip to Ogallala on our way to Denver. We arrived in the early afternoon and relaxed until dinner.  We cooked ribs outside with baked potatoes and baked beans for dinner and retired early.  It should be an easy drive to Denver tomorrow, depending on the weather which right now looks O.K  We actually will be staying in Golden CO, a NW suburb of Denver.  It looks like we will have some rain tonight and maybe some severe weather.  We are tied down and will ride it out if we have to.

Day 9 Pictures

Nebraska/Utah Trip 2016 - Day 1-8

Well, the blog didn't get off to a very good start because I forgot to bring the power cord for my notebook computer.  I ordered a new one from Amazon and had it shipped to Brian's house in Nebraska.  It was there when we arrived but I haven't had time to get the blog going due to our busy graduation weekend schedule.  Things have slowed down a bit after a great weekend so I am now going to try and catch up as we get ready to head west tomorrow.

Today, Monday, is laundry day and then lunch with Brian, Karin, Jerry and whoever else can make it.  Tomorrow, we leave for Denver (after an overnight stop in Ogallala, NE) where we will do some Denver area things until Isabelle's soccer tournament next weekend.

Here is a short recap of our trip to date:

Day 1-May 16 - Nevada City - Elko, NV

• Uneventful trip over the Sierra to Elko and an overnight stop at the "Double Dice RV Park"

 Day 1 Pictures

Day 2-May 17 - Elko - Salt Lake City, UT

• Fairly short trip to the SLC KOA.  We arrived in the early afternoon and toured nearby "Temple Square"  the "Morman Vatican" and epicenter of LDS religious and cultural beliefs.  We toured numerous buildings including the impressive Convention Center and the famous Mormon Tabernacle.  The area has a highly visible number of volunteers and young missionaries throughout the complex.  It is all very well done and reflects the dedication and financial commitments of church members and leaders to support and spread the word of their religious beliefs.

Day 2 Pictures

Day 3-May 18 - Salt Lake City - Rawlins, WY

• A fairly long drive over high plains and mountain passes. Almost all of our travel was above 7,000-8,500 ft.  The roads were dry however and we only had a little wind along the way.

Day 3 Pictures

Day 4-May 19 - Rawlins - Ogallala, NE

• More high mountains until Cheyenne, WY then a descent to the plains in eastern WY and Western NE.  The winds got much stronger at that point and we had a strong crosswind out of the south into Ogallala in the afternoon.  We celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary with dinner in the RV and early to bed.

Day 5-May 20 - Ogallala - Lincoln, NE

• It was a straight shot to Lincoln and the wind had subsided a bit.  After we arrived at our RV park in Lincoln (Camp-A-Away RV Park) and settled in, we went over to Brian & April's house. We had carry-out pizza and pasta for dinner while helping them get ready for Cole's graduation party tomorrow.

Day 5 Pictures

Day 6-May 21 - Lincoln

• Today was Cole's graduation party in the afternoon.  We went over to the house in the morning and helped them set-up and get ready for the party.  Judy made Santa Maria Barbeque baked beans and I helped with the inside and outside arrangements.  The party was a great success and everyone attending had a good time.  Karin and her friend Jerry were also there after visiting the St. Louis, MO area.

Day 7- May 22 - Lincoln

• Cole's graduation today was held at the Pinnacle Bank Arena, a large and impressive arena in downtown Lincoln, adjacent to the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) football stadium, the UNL baseball stadium and the downtown restaurant and entertainment district, Haymarket Square.  The graduation ceremony was very well done, recognizing the 370 graduates.  Cole graduated with honors as member of the National Honor Society and will be studying Computer Science at UNL beginning in the Fall.  After the graduation we all went to a nearby restaurant for a late lunch/early graduation dinner.  We then returned to Brian and April's house for pictures before returning to the RV after a very busy but enjoyable day.

Day 7 Pictures

Day 8 - May 23 - Lincoln

• We all met today for lunch.  Brian worked until noon and is back to his normal schedule tomorrow.  April had to work today, Jerry and Karin were flying home this afternoon, Meagan had to work that evening, Isabelle continued to enjoy her summer vacation and Cole now getting ready for college in August.  We went back to the RV and got ready for the trip to Denver tomorrow, stopping again in Ogallala for the night.

Nebraska/Utah Trip 2016 - Day 0

We are leaving tomorrow for Nebraska for our grandson's high school graduation (Cole).  He is graduating with honors, will be attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the fall and will be studying Computer Science.

After the graduation we will be travelling to Denver for our granddaughter Isabelle's soccer tournament on Memorial Day weekend.  After that, we will travel to Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and maybe Zion National Park in Utah.

We will be back on June 12th, following Judy's medical appointments in SF and a weekend in Napa.