Today we got an earlier start, 8:30, and got the car a
much needed car wash before heading toward Sioux Falls, ID our destination for
tonight. We hadn’t gone five miles down
the road when Babs told me that I had missed telling you that yesterday we saw
the world’s biggest coffee pot.
This National Treasure is located just before Kimble,
Nebraska. Consider my omission corrected!
After getting the car washed we plugged the address of
the Train Control Tower into our Garmin (Gi Gi) because we didn’t know exactly
where in North Platte it was located. Gi Gi proceeded to take us down a dirt
road. No way in my newly cleaned car. So I pulled out my back-up navigation
system, Babs, and she was able to get us there on paved roads.
The Bailey Yard is certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the
worlds largest railroad yard. It has more than 315 miles of track and accommodates
more than 150 trains a day.
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| Train yard control tower |
Back onto I-80, we headed to Gothenburg, NE to a park
which is the spot of an original Pony Express Way Station. When we were getting out of our car, this guy
in a new Subaru pulled up onto the park grass right in front of the Way Station
and took photos of the car. He said it
was new and he was driving around the country documenting the trip with his
car. Weird!
Turns out that Gothenburg is a Mecca of treasures! It
is also home to the Sod House Museum and the world’s largest plow. Both are “must
see” items if one is in the area! Fortunately, the museum was closed so we could
just get away with gazing from afar and snapping photos.
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| Make sure that you read this sign |
Another 60, or so, miles down the road in Kearney, NE
the Great Plains Cultural Learning Center Arch is located. Now, that’s a
mouthful! The arch spans I-80 and is chock full of electronic exhibits and
interactive learning things. Now, I don’t know if it is that time of year or if
Babs planned it this way, but it was also closed!
In case you didn’t know I-80 pretty much follows the
Platte River. The same river the early settlers of the Great Plains followed.
By now, I know that you are holding your breath in
anticipation of the next wonder you might hear about! Well right down I-80 from Kearney is the metropolis (not), of Milton. Milton is the home of the world’s
largest Covered Wagon. It is actually a converted barn with a canvas wagon
top.
We stopped in Lincoln, Nebraska’s capital city to get a
photo of the capital dome. After
numerous shots, this is the only one that resembles the capital building and I
had to do some severe cropping!
After Lincoln, the rest of the trip to Sioux falls, SD
was unremarkable except for contrails in the sky and the double bridge across
the Missouri River from Nebraska to Iowa.
We ate dinner at an Outback which shares a parking lot
with the Hampton Inn where we are staying tonight. I couldn’t remember the last
time that I ate at an Outback. It was good food.
Right now it has started to snow. Unlike the snow at
West Yellowstone and Jackson Hole, it is more slippery because the temperature
is not as cold here.
Babs
Says: I had prime rib at Outback (founded by a Blair alum)
and it was delicious until I remembered all of the feeding lots we have passed.
Poor cows! Yummy meat.
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