Monday, May 23, 2016

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 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 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 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 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 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.

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