Train's Great Western Adventure Travel Blog Part II

Day 2 – Abilene, KS to Lakewood, CO 6/26/08 Total milage to this point: 1025miles

We got a few hours sleep as we arose around 8 a.m. to go check out the ‘complimentary breakfast’. It was a couple different flavors of packaged donuts and bear claws and a dixie cup of orange juice. Little did I know that this would be one of the better breakfasts offered by the hotels we stayed in. After packing the car, Parker and I went outside to capture the squirrel and ashtray alongside the America’s Best Value Inn sign. It was planned to do it everywhere we went but it failed to materialize. Then we were on the road. More exciting scenery of Kansas. After two hours of driving, Emma became quite insistant that she eat. This meant a well received break from driving. We pulled off the road somewhere near Hays, KS and I spotted a park just off the main thoroughfare. So first we pulled in next to a quick stop to use the bathroom and get out the necessary items for Emma. Here’s where we saw the sign of the day. It was attached to the front door of the quick stop. “No Hand Grenades, No Nerve Gas, and No Farming!” You just can’t beat the weirdness of small town folks to entertain. On to the park. Jen fed Emma while Parker and I reconnoitered the F-14 plane they had parked in the park. Winthrop got a couple of pictures made and we trotted back over to grab Emma and go swinging for a few minutes before we had to get back on the road. After a while of driving, insanity started to set in and I started considering things I would never consider. Like stopping to see the largest Prairie Dog in the world near Oakley, KS. Enter #998 on the list. 998. See the biggest ‘something’ in America. After hours on the road in Kansas it sounded like a good idea. Jen must’ve still had her wits about her as she declined entry into this Barnumesque attraction. She stayed in the “gift shop” (and I do use that term loosely) while Parker and I paid $12.00 total to get in. Behind the secret door, they had many unusual attractions (especially for Kansas). There was an entire prairie dog town that you could walk through with prairie dogs running through your legs the entire time. Placed around the town were many cages of animals which I felt pretty sorry for since it was pushing 95 degrees outside. Among the oddities were a six legged steer, a donkey that was as small as a dog, and of course the biggest prairie dog in the world. In true “This way to the Egress!” fashion, the biggest prairie dog was made of concrete.

We hurried out of the freak show, dragging Parker out without the souvenir he wanted to buy, to get back on the road so we could make Denver by that evening.

The only thing exciting between Oakley and Burlington, CO was the huge windmills scattered everywhere along the landscape. It was kind of impressive. But you got the feeling no one really lived out in this part of the country by the signs on the side of the road that stated “FREE LAND!”

They can’t even give it away. I did see a contender for the stupid sign contest that read, “serving BBQ since 1925! Now OPEN!” I thought it was funny.

We stopped next at the Colorado Welcome Center in Burlington, CO to eat a picnic lunch and collect my free t-shirt what I signed up for on the internet.

It read “I dig Stegosaurus” with a silhouette of a Stegosaurus. I think Parker scooped it up from me. We spread out a sheet on the nicely manicured grass of the Welcome Center with the wind blowing 50 mph it was quite a challenge. Emma enjoyed playing on the sheet but even though I liked the wind, Jennifer hated the fact it was accompanied by 97 degree weather. (I thought we were going north?!)

We drove on after a quick bite to eat and bathroom break and hit Denver right at rush hour. It was almost exactly 5 pm when we hit the freeway. I called Scott and complained about his city’s traffic and we said we’d meet up for supper. We got to our hotel with little extra effort and de-stressed. Parker chose to do his de-stressing by swimming. Emma and I watched while Jennifer unpacked. After an hour or so of swimming, I gave Scott another call and he told us to meet him at his apartment which was right down the street and we’d go eat at Dave and Buster’s. Kind of like an adult’s version of Chuck E. Cheese. Only the food’s better.

So we programmed in his address to the GPS and drove down the street…to the wrong address. Of course at this point Scott and Carmen both weren’t answering their phones so we drove around in circles for a bit and I finally figured out a way to program in the address so that it picked the correct one. We were off by about half a mile. When we did get to his apartment building he forgot to mention it was surrounded by other apartment buildings so we had no idea which entrance was his. So we drove around a lot of the parking lots looking for states on license plates to get all 50 (list 789. Play the license plate game and get all states). While playing the game we spotted Carmen’s car with the Arkansas plate and knew we must be close. Just about then Scott called and he was standing outside the door. We went up and got the tour of Scott’s place and they got ready and we headed of to Dave and Buster’s. Programmed it in the GPS and it was no problem. We got there and caught up with Scott and Carmen and had a pretty good meal (Thanks Scott and Carmen!). Part of the meal was tokens to use in the gaming area. We all headed off after eating (I think everyone opted for the steak teriyaki) and played video games for a couple of hours. Jen got her Ms. Pac-Man fix and I got my Donkey Kong fix and Parker got his just general flashing lights and tickets fix. You got tickets for playing a lot of the games like foosball where you get to turn them in for prizes. Through the night Scott and I and Parker racked up hundreds of tickets mostly on the trivia games which Scott and I took turns dominating.

At the end of the evening, Emma was konked out from the noise and flashing lights and Parker had himself a Basketball and shirt via tickets. All in all we all had a blast. We wound up following Scott back to our hotel and getting in bed around 10 p.m. A very adventuresome, exciting, and fulfilling day.

Train’s Great Western Adventure Travel Blog

June 25, 2008 – Day 1

Jonesboro, AR to Abilene, KS ~ approximately 540miles driven.

Left work early around 3:30 p.m. to gas up the car and get ice for the cooler. When I arrive, Jen, Parker, and Emma all seem anxious to get on the road. But not as anxious as me. I crammed all of our luggage into the vehicle as well as the family and we were on the road by 4:17 p.m. Emma did well in her first long journey, sleeping a lot. The rest of us were sore from sitting. The only thing to report from day one was that my first experience with the GPS system was a positive one. It rerouted us in Springfield, MO after we had to detour due to an accident. Oh, and Kansas is still the most boring state. They do have some interesting signs though. The most interesting sign of the day was definitely the billboard advertising “The Museum of Independent Telephony”.

We also learned that Dwight D. Eisenhower was born in Abilene, KS. We stopped at a McDonalds in Willow Springs, MO for supper and the America’s Best Value Inn The toeless squirrel attacking the America's Best Value Inn sign

at $56.00 a night was a decent stay. We originally hadn’t planned on stopping in Kansas, but at 2 in the morning I was tired and had enough of the scenery. We used the GPS to find a hotel and a phone number in Abilene and booked it on the road. Score another one for the GPS. We awoke early and packed, getting a package of donuts and orange juice for breakfast before hitting the road around 9am.

Total of 10 hours on the road for the first day and three states.

Emma has the breakfast of champions

Things to Do Before I Die Clearinghouse month.

Everything must go!

The last month has been fruitful in my efforts to wipe the remaining list out.

The family took our yearly ‘big’ vacation to Yellowstone National Park and I

was able to make over a dozen checks on my checklist.

The first I will list completed is another month down on #525, Post once monthly.

The rest I will let my companion on my trip, and official list documentarian, Winthrop D. Goyeddi detail. But we just call him The Bumble.

“Hi thereth. Excuth my speech. It’s thankth to an elf dentisth.

Anywayth, the next few entries into the blog will be by yourth truly. I plan on detailing the exploith of the Chamberlain family on their great Western adventure.

Stay tuned for the travel blog!”

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