One more cross-country road binge

Well, sure. I was tired of the 14 hour day hustling between two different countries and many airports in between on the trip, a week ago now, back from Nica. I was ready for driving. But, no I was not ready to shove 2500 miles+ into 5 days. One of those days, mind you, included the width of Montana and Wyoming. The next day included the entire boring width of Nebraska. Sure, I love farmland. I definitely love driving 80ish (okay, officially I went exactly 75mph, the posted speed limit). The trip, while often mind numbing, wasn't so bad.


After a long detour off of I-90, and finally back on it, I arrived in Douglas, WY the first night. A little town 50mi east of Casper, WY (the hotspot, mind you), Douglas admires the jackalope. I have proof. They post it right on the watertower.
Here, I found a quiet the hotel off the highway, the Alpine Inn. I had bypassed the Days Inn and other familiar, antiseptic chains in favor of something other than the Complimentary USA Today and Bad Wall Art-offering joints. I didn't have my hopes up. I was exhausted, and I landed right next to a gas station.
I walked in to the office of the Alpine Inn, eyes dried and bloodshot from poor car air reservations for people they've never spoken to. Boo on big companies hurting the little guy a la circulation, and asked for a room, any room -- a I'll Sleep on the Floor room. The husband of the owner was at the computer there, repeating some well known I Will Fear No Evil psalm lyrics. Turns out, he was hunting for some love song lyrics for his wife. She dismayed at the song options including hunting, fishing, death, taxes, etc. I'm not sure if one was every found to her liking, but I'm glad he was hunting for her. In the morning, over coffee, I talked to her for a bit about her family and running a motel. She first told me how awful those big time travel booking sites are (you know the ones, I know the ones, we all know the William Shatner-type outfits on TV). Turns out, the smaller little hotel guys can't really keep up, because they have no control over the incentives/reduced prices the booking sites offer. The hotels don't find out what their rooms are selling for until they receive non-cancelable (that's not a word, is it?)Wal*Mart. So, when you're in Douglas, clearly lost, go to the Alpine Inn. Go for the Alpine Inns anywhere in the country. And forget reservations. Who needs 'em?

The shining star of Nebraska? Lincoln. Sure, maybe Omaha, but I don't know about that yet. I like Lincoln. They like corn & apparently nutcrackers. I could tell you all about the University of Nebraska. And the hip bit of Haymarket District. But, maybe just the nutcracker will get you to believe me. And if you look closely enough, that disgusting smear in the foreground? That's proof that even the bugs in Nebraska leave really wonderful smears on your windshield.







Eventually, I made it over to St. Louis. I did the obligatory tourist stop at the arch. Took this pod and climbed up in the arch. I kid you not. This little port-a-potty looking thing on the right here is the mini elevator car that takes groups up and down the arch.
I begrudgingly admit for all of the artificiality, man-made, AmericaLovesSteel hubris that may have gone into the monument, its creation is pretty remarkable. Yes, even the mini star ship pod elevator is ingenious, and it got me up to 630 feet in a steel tube to take these pictures, so I can't complain. Nor can I always be cynical, you know. Driving sucks it right out of me.