Lincoln Highway and Mayonnaise Sandwiches

We got a fairly early start from Laramie, getting on the road right after picking up some of the hotel breakfast. It was what has kind of become the standard for hotel breakfast, complete with waffle maker. This one was extra nice because it had the machine that you push a button and it makes two pancakes.

We hadn't even made it down the on ramp before I asked Jason of we could visit the next rest area. Not because I forgot to go at the hotel but because it featured a tribute to Abraham Lincoln. The first road to cross the United States was the Lincoln Highway and I-80 mostly follows the route (at least through Wyoming). The rest area is also a state park and very nice. There is a full visitor center but it was closed. Pretty cool stop.

The rest area was at the highest elevation of I-80. The few miles around it were more like what I thought Wyoming would look like. Pretty but brief.

Nebraska started out a lot like Wyoming. They slowly introduced corn but the cattle were there mile 1. The roads in Nebraska are pretty nice. Pretty much all cast concrete. There are a few construction zones and a few miles that could use improvement but overall very good. It was nearly all two lanes each direction, though. This can slow things as trucks decide to pass each other.

We had an option to dip into Colorado by taking a ten mile or so detour but there was a lot of construction in the area and it didn't seem worth it. Sorry Colorado. I'll have to visit you properly on another trip.

Somewhere along the way, signs told us that we entered the Central Time Zone. In Henderson, Nebraska, we stopped for lunch at a Subway. When I asked for some sauce on my wrap, I heard the lady mutter something and as she started going crazy, I realized she had said "say when". I quickly said "WHEN!" Jason didn't hear her say anything and ended up with a mayonnaise sandwich.

In Lincoln, we left I-80 to continue due East. It's a nice city, being both a capital and a college town. The highway (Nebraska 2) took us around the outside edge of town before becoming a full fledged divided highway through the countryside.

As we approached the Missouri River, more construction welcomed us. The roads were clearly in pretty rough shape. I thought the river served as the state line into Iowa but there there was no sign saying so. A few miles later near I-29, a small sign pointed the direction to an Iowa visitor's center. We must have made it? At this point, Bryan was asleep in the back seat and he missed the dozen or so miles of Iowa. The interstate was a slight improvement. The vegetation in the median and off the shoulder was unkempt and not very nice. The road itself was actually fairly smooth despite looking pretty rough.

The last mile or two of Iowa featured more construction, which continued into Missouri. There was no mistaking this state line, and a huge sign welcomed us. A few miles later, there was an incredibly nice rest area we visited. It's Sunday afternoon.

Breakfast with Tiffany

As we entered Oregon on I-205, the sun glowed a strange red from the wildfire smoke. It was so thick you could pretty much look at it. I think we determined that you're not really supposed to, though. We stopped by Boardman for gas it was the first time actually out in the air. It was pretty unhealthy.

Bryan drove through eastern Oregon while I rode shotgun. I've been through there on I-84 a few times but for some reason, I didn't really remember how curvy it is. Coming through at night is interesting. Fortunately, Oregon has great freeways and they were in great shape. We crossed into Mountain time while still in Oregon but it wasn't long before were in Idaho.

The first thing you notice when entering Idaho is the speed. Oregon has always resisted higher speed limits and only reluctantly increased to 70 in the rural areas the past few years. Idaho welcomes you with 80 mph. That makes for ticking off miles at a good clip. At least, that's how they start you out. Boise and they surrounding areas have had tremendous growth the past twenty years and it wasn't long before we encountered construction. That 80 dropped to 55. I should say there wasn't any work happening but there was slower speeds and lane reductions.

In Nampa, Idaho, we met up with someone we worked with years ago in theater. Because of the nature of plays, you end up getting to know people of all ages, younger and older. Tiffany was just a teenager when she acted alongside us in several Driftwood shows. Truth be told, I think she preferred to spend more time hanging out with the adults than the other teenagers, though. Since then, she has become an actual adult, moving for a few opportunities and just recently settling into the Boise area.

I had let Tiffany know that "we" would be passing through on a road trip and it would be great to catch up over breakfast. On arriving, I pointed out that I hadn't really defined who "we" were. Then she noticed Jason and Bryan behind me. She seemed genuinely happy and surprised. Her husband wasn't able to join (yeah, husband, she's really a full adult these days) as he's been putting in long hours for lineman school.

We had a nice breakfast (okay, the restaurant wasn't great but it was open) and caught up a bit. We were a bit tired but it was still nice. We teased her a bit about not having been back to Grays Harbor at all since leaving. Truth be told, though, I don't blame her. Her parents don't live on the Harbor anymore and there really isn't a lot of reason for her to come down. I don't go back to where I went to school very often and it's always strange.

We struggled with lighting for a photo and it really shows. But we got to visit and that was the important part. I really wish for a happy future for Tiffany and Jacob (her husband has a name and everything). She seems happy, which is wonderful.

We continued on across Idaho and I would elaborate on its remarkableness but it was Idaho. It was smoky, there was a lot of construction that wasn't actually being worked on, and rolling farmland.

The theme continued into Utah, except the roads were a little nicer and there wasn't quite as much construction. Stopping at Maverik station, we needed to put the sunglasses on. By now, on the north edges of the SLC area (I'm sure it has fancy name like Milk & Honey Valley or something), we could see mountains to the east. Real mountains. I-84 continues into those passing through some real beautiful landscapes. We made to the end of 84, having driven its entire length, except the first 9 miles back in Portland.

We joined I-80 shortly before entering Wyoming. This is my first time in Wyoming, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought it would be like a big mountain pass and that really hasn't been the experience. It's a lot more like Nevada or even Arizona or dare I say it, California. You can see for miles and miles across rolling hills and buttes. So many buttes. Scrubland that is mostly grasses.

We got gas at Little America, which is a big gas station, hotel and souvenir shop. I would have maybe got souvenirs but there was a lot of people and I didn't want to be around a lot of people. You wouldn't think that would be a problem in Wyoming. Roadwise, Wyoming has a lot of construction. It may not be a populous state but there is a ton of traffic coming across. The air has cleared up and we are past the smoke.

We've stopped in Laramie for the night, exhausted from a LOT of driving. The elevation changes haven't helped, either. Laramie sits at 7,165' and I can feel it. I don't do well with pressure changes and there has been a lot. I'm doing okay but looking forward to settling into some flatter land. I passed out before 8:00. Good thing, as I'm excited for this next leg of the trip.