Winter Trip 2023/24 - Nebraska

We head to Nebraska and layover at Holiday RV Park In North Platte, about the 1/2 way point. 

On our way out, we have to see Bailey Yard,  the world's largest classification yard. 

The 80 story tower represents the golden Spike

 This massive yard covers 2,850 acres, reaching a total length of eight miles and 2 miles wide.  It has 200 tracks totaling 315 miles of track, 985 switches, 766 turnouts, and 17 receiving and 16 departure tracks.  Every 24 hours, Bailey Yard handles 10,000 railroad cars.  

In 1947 Washington, D.C., columnist Drew Pearson initiated a friendship train, funded entirely through personal donations, which provided $40 million worth of supplies to help France recover. To show their appreciation French citizens gathered forty-nine boxcars, decorated with plaques representing the forty provinces of France, and filled them with gifts for Americans. This “Gratitude Train” or “Merci Train” arrived in New York City in February 1949, with a boxcar designated for each state (the District of Columbia and the territory of Hawaii shared a boxcar).

 The golden spike is the ceremonial 17.6-karat gold final spike driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States connecting the Central Pacific Railroad from Sacramento and the Union Pacific Railroad from Omaha on May 10, 1869 

The final stretch

We made it!

We have a comfortable living space downstairs with access to the lake 

Gary relaxes in the sitting room above ours with a the great view of the Lake.

Tucson loves the Beach

Dave took a dip in the Lake every morning in the cold water around 5 am before work.  He went in at a more reasonable hour on the weekend.

He also enjoyed the paddle board we gave them as a house warming present

A nice visit.  Next stop Brandon, MOm

 

Winter Trip 2023/24 - Idaho to Colorado

 We start our trek to Nebraska to visit Gary's daughter and to see their new house.

First stop is the Hitch-in Post in Snowville, UT.  How did they get that name?

We stop at the Hansen Bridge to eat lunch

Great view of the Snake River and Gorge

And stay at the Hitching Post

Tucson quickly finds a friend, who Gary threatens to dognap.

Lots of space, but had to move twice to get working electricity

We wake up to some frost.

We drive by the Devil's Slide 

And arrive at Fort Bridger, WY

There is an RV Park right next door

On our way to our next stop we stop and see the Wyoming State Penitentiary 

A beautiful building 

But the prison had a poor heating system and temps were at most 20 degrees above the outdoor temperature which could go to below zero in the Winter and there's was no hot water 

The gas chamber

The Barber Shop

They did let Gary out for good behavior! 

A quick layover in Rawlins, WY

and we blow out the next morning.

We still haven't shaken the snow

But we make it to Colorado!

And St. Vrain State Park

A nice site

But not what I had in mind when I said I wanted to see Cranes and Deer on my site

Came to see Gary's grandsons here, but one of them went to Nebraska and will leave before we make it up there, so we will just see Jakoby. 

He works so we won't see him before the weekend but did get a chance to see our good friend Judy

We walked around a couple of the lakes at St. Vrain

They had nice easy trails

And we did get to see lots of birds

Great Blue herons 

Osprey

Even Pelicans

And an Eagle!

Finally got to see Jakoby and took him out for lunch

A very nice stop

We continue on towards Nebraska