36. Illinois

       We landed in Chicago after an overnight flight from the West coast. Our hotel finally found a room so we could check in early and freshen up before our day's adventure in Chicago. After a couple hours of rest we set out. We had two missions; eat pizza at Lou Malnati's and find a FedEx to ship some clothes home so we could lighten our load. We decided to rely on the "L" for this portion of our trip. The "L" is Chicago's elevated train system and is a great way to get around. I had the address and knew which stop to take. I just wasn't sure which way to go once we got off the "L". There are several restaurants and I chose the one Lincoln Park location near Wrigley Field.  We exited the "L" and on Dennis's advice we went right. When we came to the next "L" stop I knew we should have gone left instead of right so we turned around and walked back the way we came. Now remember we're still on the lookout for a FedEx or someplace to mail our stuff home. I was sure we'd come across one, after all if we weren't looking there'd be one on every corner. By this time, I'm tired, hungry, and exhausted from all the walking and carrying the bag of clothes.

Finally we see Wrigley Field and across the street we see Lou Malnati's. Oh no, they're only open for lunch Friday - Sunday and it's Tuesday. They open at 4pm and it's not even 2. Change of game plan time. We decide to walk back to the "L" and head towards downtown because I'm sure there's a FedEx someplace in the city. We take the loop in and exit near Macy's. Macy's has a Starbucks on the corner with some tables outside so I sit down and log on to the Internet so I can find the closest FedEx while Dennis grabs us a drink. Good news, there’s a FedEx only a couple of blocks away. Now to locate a Lou Malnati's that is also close by. There is one near the Merchandise Mart. Now that we have our game plan we head to FedEx and ship off the clothes. Load lightened finally. We board the "L" and get off at the Merchandise Mart stop and guess what is right there. You got it, a FedEx. Like I said earlier, now we'll see one on every corner. A couple of blocks down we locate the restaurant and they're open. Yeah!

   Lou Malnati's is decorated with sports memorabilia and I always enjoy looking at the different ways memorabilia is framed and showcased. We sit down and enjoy some of the best pizza. Chicago is famous for its deep dish pizza and we've had some of it on past trips but this was by far the cream of the crop. The other deep dish pizzas are heavy on the dough but this one is light. Almost like a thin crust deep dish. We order the “Malnati Chicago Classic” which is their special lean sausage blend, lots of cheese, and vine-ripened tomato sauce. The thin crust is buttery and flaky with the ingredients layered on top. The cheese is actually at the bottom and there is so much sausage. You get sausage in every bite. It is so filling that we actually have to take a slice home. Dennis and I have decided that this is the best pizza.

 

www.loumalnatis.com

35. Oregon

     Once we were sure Ben and Kevin were on their way, we could enjoy Portland. First on our list was Voodoo Doughnuts. There was a line out the door and we waited about 45 minutes before we entered the small shop. People were carrying out pink boxes of doughnuts and my mouth was salivating in anticipation. As we entered the shop we could see glass cases showcasing the choices. I new I wanted to try the signature voodoo doughnut and the maple bacon bar. I couldn't resist ordering a Captain My Captain doughnut. It was a doughnut covered in Cap'n Crunch cereal. Dennis ordered a chocolate crueller and the girl behind the counter went and dipped the crueller in melted chocolate. Yum Yum! She even offered to stop the rotating case and put Flat Stanley in it so he could have his picture taken with all the doughnuts. How kind and accommodating considering the line out the door. We took our doughnuts and headed to the car. We couldn't wait to bite into one of them. Dennis

said the crueller was one of the best he's had and I tried the Cap'n Crunch one first. Oh my, who knew the combination of doughnut and cereal could be so good. It was hard for me to leave a bite for Dennis but I did.

     I didn't realize Portland is the "City of Roses".  My aunt had told me about some roses so we found the International Rose Test Garden. What a beautiful and fragrant place. There are thousands of roses. We walked and smelled to our heart's delight. My favorite was the Cinco de Mayo rose. How lucky Portland is to have such a fabulous place to sit and relax in such a beautiful place. It was a nice distraction from

the bustling city and the homeless people panhandling in the streets.

     We boarded our plane with pink box in hand. You didn’t think we could eat all those doughnuts at one time did you? We did finally eat the other two doughnuts the next day. Even a day old, they were the best we’d had. The voodoo doughnut had a raspberry filling and yes that is a pretzel sticking out of it. The chocolate was more like the chocolate on an éclair not like a glazed chocolate. The thick maple icing combined with bacon was like breakfast heaven.  There’s just no comparison, these were the absolutely best doughnuts. I don’t think either of us will ever be able to eat another doughnut from anywhere else.

http://voodoodoughnut.com/index.php

http://www.rosegardenstore.org/thegardens.cfm

34. Arizona

     It was a short drive from Boulder City to Hoover Dam. Hoover Dam borders Arizona and Nevada. There is still a checkpoint that you go through but it is really relaxed. Now that the new Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge over the Colorado River has been completed the traffic is not like it used to be. Through traffic uses the new Memorial Bridge. We crossed the dam into Arizona to take a few pictures. The Colorado River and Lake Mead are really low. You can see in the pictures the white water line. We then drove back over Hoover Dam so we could walk along the new bridge. The trail and stairs up to the bridge looked daunting from the road and we weren't sure if I could walk up the steep incline. I was determined to try and once we reached the parking area we realized there was a winding ramp in addition to the stairs. We grabbed our waters and started the hike. It was close to noon and the hottest part of the day but well worth the hike. The bridge is in Arizona so you cross the state line as you walk across. The view from the bridge of Hoover Dam is phenomenal.

It gives you a whole different perspective of the dam. The sidewalk is approximately 900 feet above the Colorado River. We wanted to drive on the bridge as well to check out that view but you can't see the dam or Colorado River when driving over the bridge due to the height of the side walls so you have to walk on the bridge to get the view.

    We had purchased a cinnamon roll at the cafe so we pulled off at the first exit to officially eat something in Arizona before heading back to Vegas. The heat really wiped us out so we were glad we had a little time to rejuvenate before Ben and Kevin arrived.

33. Nevada

     We arrived into Las Vegas on a Wednesday which means it's senior day at the Station casinos and Dennis just can't pass up a chance to earn extra points. He entered the tournament while Mike and I watched since we're not seniors yet. His score was high enough that he qualified for at least some sort of payout. We'd have to wait till the end of the tournament to find out how much so we went to eat.

Champion Pizza   
     Mike introduced us to Champion Pizza in Henderson a few visits back and since it now had new owners we wanted to see what changes had been made and if the pizza still met our expectations. Mike and Tammy did not disappoint us. We started with the wings. The wings are baked before fried and the seasoning resulted in a robust flavor. The large meat lover's pizza sans the salami but with mushrooms instead came out piping hot. The buttery crust was a wonderful addition. We had ordered a large thinking that with the wings and the three of us eating that there might be some to take home. Forget that. It was so good we weren't about to leave a crumb. Mike soon sat down in front of us a slice of cheesecake with different sauces. There was white chocolate, key lime, mango, raspberry, chocolate, and caramel. It was fun combining the sauces and trying to figure out which was the best. I think we decided the white chocolate and raspberry combination was our favorite but the chocolate and key lime was a close second. Champion Pizza in Henderson will always be on our "to do list" whenever we are in Vegas. Rumor has it that on Friday nights they serve a delicious prime rib. Reservations recommended for that. Mike and Tammy are looking into expansion opportunities and I can't wait to see what they do with the place. We wish them luck with this new endeavor.
     After a wonderful meal we checked the board and while Dennis did not have the highest score he was the recipient of $25. At least we're starting the trip ahead. While trying to claim his prize he realized his driver's license was gone. We had an early morning flight to Los Angeles and I was a little panicked. We checked with security and near all the machines we had been to but no license. He swore he had it when he entered the tournament. We called Tammy at Champion Pizza and it wasn't there either. They did allow him to claim his prize with his Southwest ID. Now all we had to worry about was TSA in the morning. On Thursday morning Dennis went back down to security and to the front desk to see if it had been turned in. No luck. As I was getting ready I thought about how I hadn't remembered seeing my license when looking for Dennis's. The only time we had both of them together was when we were getting a safe deposit box at the hotel and they had made a copy of the licenses. Checking at the front desk they found both licenses still in the copier from the day before. Whew, catastrophe avoided.
   Friday finally arrived and Benjamin and Kevin were scheduled to arrive this evening for Benjamin's 21st birthday. We had a whole day to wait and since we were so close to Hoover Dam and Arizona we decided to make a day trip to Hoover Dam to see the new bridge that had been built. Mike had already told us about a place in Boulder City that we needed to try so the three of us set out for an adventure.

World Famous Coffee Cup Cafe   
    The Coffee Cup Cafe in Boulder City is located right downtown amidst antique stores. The diner is decorated with skis and surfboards and from the amount of people it is a popular place. Mike ordered the mushroom burger with onion rings, Dennis ordered French toast, and I ordered the Pork Chili Verde Omelet. The French toast was thick and covered with powdered sugar and cinnamon. The Pork Chili Verde Omelet was delicious. The tender pork combined with the green chili sauce and cheese melted in my mouth.  Dennis and Mike are always on the lookout for something to have Rick restore so of course we had to take a look around. We didn't find anything but the two of them could be the next American Pickers. Check out the blog on Arizona to read about our visit to Hoover Dam.

Ben and Kevin arrived just in time for Ben to turn 21. First order of business - get a player's card from TI. Second order of business - shots to celebrate this momentous occasion. We let the boys have their fun and to wait for Will and Katie to arrive. Dennis made a quick trip to Master Donuts on Saturday morning for donuts and ham and cheese breakfast sandwiches for the group. We all met for lunch at Kahunaville located in Treasure Island. It was so good to see Will and to meet Katie. It was fun seeing the three boys together again.  I couldn't resist taking a picture of Katie's meal. What a neat and easy presentation for a Chinese meal.  The four of them attended Ka, the Cirque du Soleil show at the MGM, on Saturday evening. Will and Katie had to leave early on Sunday morning for the drive back to Los Angeles so we said our goodbyes as they ate pizza after the show.
     We had been planning on taking Benjamin to Hash Hash A Go Go ever since we ate there last year. We had even purchased a gift card for the occasion. We knew the wait would get longer and longer as the day went on so we planned to get there around 11am. The wait was 30 minutes which really wasn't too bad. We had already told the guys about the extremely large servings but that didn't deter them. The Bloody Mary was as spicy as ever and no one could finish the only one we ordered. Kevin ordered the blueberry pecan pancake

and it was as large as the plate. Benjamin ordered the chorizo quesadilla which was even a little too spicy for him. Of course, it could have been due to all the fun he had been having. Maybe he forgot to take the aspirin we had added to the goodie basket in his room. Dennis and I split the sage fried chicken and waffle. The fried chicken was delicious and not greasy. The waffles had bacon cooked in them, what

an ingenious way to serve bacon and waffles. There was so much food and even after splitting one of the meals, we still left plenty of food on the table. 
   We spent the afternoon at Boulder Station teaching the boys how to play blackjack and when to get up.  Everyone came away a winner except for Dennis. He should have gotten up sooner but we were having so much fun with the guys, plus he was trying to help Benjamin while I helped Kevin.  Dennis took the boys to In and Out for burgers while I went to the laundromat to wash clothes so we could lighten our load and ship clean clothes home. We still had a little time to play before our early morning flights and I think everyone came out ahead for the day. We had a great time in Vegas and hopefully Benjamin enjoyed his birthday celebration.

     Leaving Vegas can always be interesting, especially when flying standby. Benjamin and Kevin had confirmed seats on the way to Vegas but we decided to send them home standby. Originally we had planned to send them back to Texas on Southwest since Ben's car was at Love Field, but after looking at the flight loads we altered the plan. American had an early morning flight that was wide open in coach nonstop to DFW. We exchanged car keys and parking tickets (our car was at DFW). I got them checked in and through security while Dennis returned the rental car. They had seat assignments so I wasn't worried about them. Famous last words. We were flying to Portland on Southwest from a different concourse and had a connection in San Jose. When we arrived into San Jose I had a phone call from Ben letting me know the American plane had to go back to Vegas and was cancelled due to two of the four generators not working. He had already called Southwest and was booked on a flight through El Paso and would land at Love Field. Oops, he had the keys for the car at DFW. Not a problem, they had already contacted Kevin's mom and she would pick them up. We had looked at that option and knew they could get out of Vegas but El Paso was a different story. They had boarding passes to El Paso and were getting ready to board. We flew to Portland and waited to hear from them. I was already checking the American option from El Paso to DFW when Ben called to say they didn’t get on the Southwest flight I told him to have Kevin change into his khakis and there was an American flight leaving in less than an hour with seats in First Class available. He wasn’t happy about having to go through security for a fourth time but he would do it. We waited at the Portland airport so I could keep an eye on the flight via the internet until I knew they had boarding passes issued. They were safe and sound and we could continue on.

http://www.championpizzahenderson.com/

http://www.worldfamouscoffeecup.com/

http://www.hashhouseagogo.com/vegas

 

 

32. California

 A quick, early morning flight took us from Vegas to Los Angeles. We first made a stop at Venice Beach to check out the surfers. The waves were few and far between but some managed to catch a wave or two. We still had a few hours before our Spago reservation so we decided to have dessert first. We drove from the beach, through Beverly Hills, to a neighborhood area just east of Hollywood to House of Pies, located at the corner of Franklin and Vermont.  It did take longer then expected to finally reach our destination but we did it. This is not a place you would just happen upon and if you passed it looking for a place to stop you might not. A perfect example of “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”  It was hard to decide because everything looked so good. I opted for coconut cream pie and Dennis chose the key lime pie. While waiting for our slices of pie we noticed the breakfasts that were being served. If we had not had lunch reservations in an hour we would have ordered breakfast. The examples we saw looked delicious and the portions were large. The pies were a little “slice of heaven”.  The key lime had just the right amount of tartness and the coconut cream had a very light, flaky crust and was topped with a whipped cream topping as opposed to a meringue topping. I didn’t think the service was that great but the pies made up for it. Both were scrumptious, well worth the time and trouble to find it. It was time for us to be on our way but we of course made sure to stop and take a picture of the Hollywood sign on our way back to Beverly Hills.

Spago

     Spago’s was everything I had expected and imagined. I know there are other locations but ever since it opened I have always wanted to go to the one in Beverly Hills.  We had a wonderful view of the patio. We began our expedition into one of the most delectable meals I’ve encountered with the Handmade Sweet Corn Agnolotti.  Agnolotti are stuffed 

half-mooned shaped pasta, similar to ravioli, but this is no ravioli that you’re used to. Each bite was just as good as the first and we savored each and every one of them.      For our main course, Dennis ordered the Grilled Lobster Club sandwich and I ordered the Grilled Prime Ribeye. The lobster club was so thick that Dennis had to remove the center piece of bread in order to eat it. While the lobster had a different flavor than what we had in Rhode Island it was still delicious and who can go wrong with anything that has smoked bacon on it. My dish was to die for. The steak was grilled a perfect medium rare

and the flavor of the seasoning was delightful. The dish was served with chard and mashed potatoes blended with melted cheese, I don’t tend to eat soft, cooked, green foods so I passed on the chard but the mashed potatoes were another story.  The potatoes were blended with cheese and even the way the server dished mine onto my plate was a presentation in and of itself. I tried but couldn’t duplicate it. Each and every bite was delicious. We’ll have to try it at another location sometime to see if it’s consistent. If you remember we had dessert earlier but who could resist sampling one of the wonderful options Spago had to offer.  We decided on the Torte which was a

 flourless 12 layer cake with a chocolate mousse and chocolate sorbet. A chocolate lover’s dream dessert.      
      After a few pictures in Beverly Hills we were on our way back to Vegas.

http://www.house-of-pies.net/

www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3635

31. Colorado

     We arrived back into Colorado later then we had planned but watching the sunset in Wyoming was worth it. The original restaurant we had planned on eating closes at 10pm and it would be cutting it too close to try to make it. I had read about these large cinnamon rolls in Loveland, Colorado at a truck stop and thought they would be open. I called to make sure and they were. I had hoped to order the fried chicken and it must be good because they were sold out. I ended up with the fried fish dinner and Dennis had the chicken fried steak. Both were good but we were waiting to try their “World Famous Cinnamon Roll”.  The cinnamon roll was as large as the plate and smothered in icing. It was served warm with a side of butter but with that much icing who needs butter. That didn’t stop us from trying it both ways though. After getting our sugar fix we continued on to Denver to find our hotel. Dennis and I both know when we’re tired and it was apparent by our tone of voice that we needed to find the hotel and get a decent night’s sleep.  

     We woke up refreshed and were ready to head towards the Rocky Mountains. We drove towards Idaho Springs, a mining town, just west of Denver. It was just breathtaking to see the snow-topped Rockies in the distance. Clear Creek runs through Idaho Springs and if whitewater rafting is your thing, this might be one stop on your journey. I wish we had the time to try it out.

     On our way to Idaho Springs we drove past some bison on the other side of the highway so when we drove back I had to stop for more pictures. I must have some sort of fascination with the American buffalo because I can’t seem to get enough pictures. We drove up to Lookout Mountain for another breathtaking view. What a splendid way to end this leg of the journey.

    Oh wait, there’s more. We had plenty of time at the Denver airport to get a bite to eat. I know, I originally made some sort of comment about airport food but we splurged and sat down at Denver ChopHouse. I ate the most delicious buffalo burger and Dennis ate the honey chicken sandwich.  

    Leg 11
     4 days
     3 flights
     1052 miles driven
                                          = 4 states visited
                                     19 states to go!

http://www.johnsonscorner.com/

http://www.denverchophouse.com/

30. Nebraska

     We entered the grasslands of Nebraska and the yellow wildflowers gave off a beautiful hue to the landscape. We had just commented how we had not seen any cornfields when all of a sudden there they were. Soon after the cornfields came the fields of wheat. It was getting late and we still had not had lunch so we turned off into the small town of Crawford. Surely even with a population of less than 1,200 there would be a place to eat.

     We drove up and down Crawford’s main street and finally decided to try the Frontier Bar and Restaurant. There really weren’t many choices; in fact we only saw two. As we walked in, I knew we weren’t in the right place. It was no longer the Frontier Bar and Restaurant but just the Frontier Bar. The bartender asked if he could help us and we asked if he served any sort of sandwiches. He said no, but we could go next door to The Wagon Wheel and they had hamburgers and he recommended the hot dogs. It was located next to his beer garden and we could bring them back to the bar and eat if we wanted to. Now, why would he say we could bring it back there to eat? Once we walked outside we knew, next door was a food truck. We’ve eaten at food trucks before, but not usually in a small town. The lady who operated the truck came from the bar to cook my hamburger and Dennis’s beef Angus hot dog.  Once we had our food in hand we walked to the beer garden to sit and eat. We could tell by the decorations they were getting ready for their big Independence celebration.  The food was decent, you really can’t ruin a hamburger or a hot dog, the weather was nice, and the people were friendly. It was time to get back on the road and head south.

     It didn’t take us long to reach Scotts Bluff, Nebraska. We hadn’t seen much in Nebraska except for grasslands and Dennis noticed the sign to a national monument. We could see the bluff but weren’t sure what was significant about it.  We weren’t sure whether we really wanted to explore or keep going. With Dennis’s urging we turned down the two lane road and headed to the monument. I’m glad we did. We paid the fee to enter the park and drove to the summit so we could walk to the South Overlook trail. The trail gave us a view of Mitchell Pass which was part of The Oregon Trail.  Wow, this was where the pioneers crossed. The view is terrific now but I doubt if the pioneers thought so. This is where they would be leaving the plains and entering the mountainous area. It also looked like a perfect place for an ambush. Mitchell Pass was also part of the Pony Express route.

     The North Overlook gave us a view of the North Platte River and valley. After taking in the views we drove to the visitor center and took a look around the museum while we recharged the camera battery. Since Scotts Bluff was also on the Pony Express route it was fitting that its mailbox be a Pony Express bag. Hopefully the post card I mailed to the third graders will get back to Oakridge a little faster then when the Pony Express was operating.

29. South Dakota

 

    We finally reached the Black Hills of South Dakota and boy were we glad. The winding roads through the hills brought us to the town of Custer. We weren’t far from Mt. Rushmore and our level of excitement was growing. It was starting to get dark and I really wanted to see the evening lighting ceremony which started at 9pm. I wasn’t sure if we would make it when we ended up behind a large RV going up the mountain into the park. I kept expecting to see the faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln around every bend. Coming in from Custer you don’t see them until you reach the park gates. We pulled into the gate at 8:45pm. We parked and quickly walked through the lit Avenue of Flags to the viewing terrace. What a splendid sight it was at dusk. The amphitheater was packed but I found a dry spot to sit and wait. The park ranger was quite informative and interesting to listen to.  Did you know that Jefferson was originally supposed to be on the other side of Washington? After a short movie about Mt. Rushmore the lights slowly began to come up and illuminate the side of the mountain. Oh, what a beautiful sight to behold. The ranger requested all veterans, past and present, to line the stage. A roaring thunder of appreciation was given to the men and women on the stage who had or were serving our country. We all sang our National Anthem and then Boy Scout Troop 54 of Shawnee, Kansas retired the colors. What a way to celebrate our upcoming Independence Day.

     We waited for the park to clear so we could take more pictures and then headed down to the base of the mountain to Keystone to find a bite to eat. At that time of night there’s not much open. We happened upon Teddy’s Deli. We couldn’t decide what to order.  We both thought about the buffalo chili but with a drive to Rapid City still ahead of us and who knows how long that will take, we decided against it. The Reuben sounded delicious and the very nice guy behind the counter explained that the pound size sandwich was enough for the both of us to share. Decision made. The Reuben was absolutely delicious. I kept the sauerkraut on mine while Dennis removed his. The plentiful coating of Thousand Island dressing made it difficult to eat without getting a little messy but who cares, it was worth every bite. The homemade chips were crisp and firm.

    We drove to Rapid City for the night. Okay, we should have probably stayed in Keystone but we already had guaranteed reservations. We were exhausted by the time we checked in and it didn’t take long for us to go to sleep. Oops, I forgot to turn off my phone alarm that had been set for 3:30 am. Oops, I didn’t check the room alarm clock and see that it was set for 4:00am. I’m not sure how many times I hit the snooze button before I finally figured out how to turn it off.

     After finally getting some sleep, we woke up to head back to Mt. Rushmore. We had seen it at night and now we were ready to see it in the daylight. This time we approached it from Keystone and this time you could see the faces of these four great men when you rounded one of the bends. It had rained and was still a little misty so the granite was wet, almost as if tears were being shed. We walked along the President’s Trail, smelled the sweetness of the Ponderosa Pine, and gazed upward at the base of the mountain. The granite dried as the sun peaked through the clouds and the faces were bathed in sunlight. Breathtaking!

     Dennis had heard about the Crazy Horse Monument and wanted to see it. We had passed the entrance the day before so we headed in that direction.  The Crazy Horse Monument is a carving in progress less than 20 miles from Mt. Rushmore. It has been a work in progress for over 50 years and still has quite a bit more before it is finished. I’m not sure it will be finished in our lifetime, but what is complete at this time is Crazy Horse’s face and the beginnings of his horse. The complex is home to a vast collection of examples showcasing Native American history and culture. In the original lobby is a rock box where visitors can take home a piece of the mountain. Dennis reached in to pick up the perfect sample and was cut by the rock. His comment – “Now, I’m Crazy Horse’s blood brother.”  We did not hear any blasting while we were there but twice a year they hosts night blasts. We hope to return in the future for a night viewing and to see the progress made. The memorial is not state or federally funded but by admission fees and donations. The fee of $10 a person was well worth it.

     We drove south towards Nebraska and passed some more beautiful landscapes. As we entered the Wind Cave National Park area we saw mule deer grazing on the side of the road. We soon arrived into the small town of Hot Springs, SD where the architecture of red sandstone buildings was wonderful to admire.  While driving I noticed a really neat stone building and quickly took a picture of it. Dennis noticed that it was actually the

jailhouse and asked if I got pictures of the prisoners. In the corner of the picture you can actually see them in their black and white striped and solid orange jumpsuits. There was also a waterfall right in the midst of the quaint downtown area.

www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm

www.crazyhorsememoral.org

www.nps.gov/wica/index.htm





28. Wyoming

     Traveling in the summer can get a little tricky for us non-revers. The flights to Denver weren’t looking so good for Thursday morning so while Dennis was at work, I was home on the computer looking for other options. We were checking both American and Southwest options.  It was 4:30, Dennis was off at 6:15, and there was an open flight to Vegas at 8:30pm on American and then Southwest had an early morning flight to Denver. Could we make it? Luckily, I was just about packed, but we hadn’t planned on Vegas so we had no room or car reserved. Oh well, we’ve traveled many a time without knowing where we would stay, that was the fun and adventure of it all. Luckily, we have friends in Vegas who are more than willing to shuttle us to and from the airport, make a casino stop (you can’t go to Vegas without one), allow us to sleep in the extra bedroom with no advance notice (impossible at my house), and introduce us to a fabulous donut at 4:30 in the morning. Dennis did have an ulterior motive; he had not seen the finished product on the restored Pepsi machine and could not wait another few days to see it. I have to admit, it does look fabulous. Thanks Mike and Casa de Champion!

    After finally arriving in Denver we drove north to Wyoming. Right on the border is the Terry Bison Ranch. It is on the list of “must-dos” while in Cheyenne so of course we had to stop. The one thing not on their website is the train tour schedule so we just missed the noon train tour.While we waited for the 1:30 departure we moseyed on down to the Brass Buffalo Saloon and Senator’s Restaurant to chow down on some midday vittles. The restaurant is

located in a barn-like wood building. The building has a few leaky spots when it rains and I sat down in probably the only chair that was still wet from the rain the night before or the only one that didn’t get dried off. “I’ll have a towel with my sarsaparilla, please.” .  I ordered the buffalo burger which was served with thick cut fries. Dennis ordered the buffalo meatball sub. Bison meat is really quite good. I thought it might have a gamey flavor but it doesn’t. It is also leaner than other red meat. After eating lunch and drying off, we were ready for our train tour. We boarded a train pulled by a locomotive built by the ranch’s owner for the hour long tour. The ranch and track extend into Colorado and we saw many animals on this working ranch. We saw horses, goats, chickens, alpacas, camels, prairie dogs, and of course a herd of bison.

     Bison are known as American buffalo but they’re not really buffalos at all. They do belong to the same family but buffalos live in either Asia or Africa while bison live in North America. Whether you call them bison or buffalo, they are still massive animals. We had purchased food to feed them but when the train whistle sounded and they came running towards us, I wasn’t so sure. It was quite obvious who the dominant bison were. As smaller ones would try to approach the train to be fed a few of the larger ones would push them away with their massive head and horns. There was one bull in particular that was quite large but willing to be hand fed. He stayed next to the train the entire time eating the large pellets placed on his long tongue. He was so spoiled that if it fell to the ground he would leave it for the others and only eat what was placed on his tongue. I finally managed to get one on his tongue. The bison were shedding their winter coats so they looked a little mangy.  After feeding the bison the train returned back to the ranch while passing the trout stocked pond and “Chicken Bus”.  

     We wanted to reach Mt. Rushmore before the evening lighting ceremony so we headed north to South Dakota. We missed our intended exit but decided to keep going to the next one instead of going back. We should have gone back. The rural highway took us out of the way but through the grasslands. The only sights along this rural highway were grasslands and a few coal-filled trains. Yes, there is coal mining in Wyoming. There was a constant reminder of how bad it gets when it snows every time we passed a sign that said road closed if lights flashing. Thankfully there were no flashing lights but we did hear how just a few days before there had been some road closures to the west of us and it was the end of June.

     Cheyenne has a number of things to see and when we passed back through it on our way back to Denver we paused to watch the beautiful sunset.  The largest steam locomotive is in Cheyenne  but we were a little disappointed to see that it was not spotlighted at night.

http://www.terrybisonranch.com/