It felt great to wake up once again in Colorado! The sun was out, the air felt great, and the pillow business was for the moment forgotten. In fact the only thing that bugged me that morning was eating breakfast at IHOP!
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with IHOP apart from overpriced meals. It was just that after 2 mornings of eating at locally unique establishments, IHOP is a letdown. Oh well, it was time to grab some gas (not IHOP-sourced!) and head to I-25.
In fact, the next exit gave us access to the Budweiser brewery. We parked in the lot, went inside, and learned with great joy that tours are free! While waiting for our 1pm tour to start, we looked around the gift shop and found quite a few neat things. I did end up getting some dry rub and a cold drink, and Natalie got a trinket or 2 as well. Soon our tour began. The first stop was the stables that hold the Clydesdales when they're in town...smelled like it, too!
After that we went into the main brewhouse and learned all about the process of making beer from start to finish. If you want to know, go to a brewery yourself, there's only so much detail this 44-year old brain can hold. I can say, though, that the process is quite meticulous and is very dependent on a particular crop strain remaining intact. The tasting part was fun. I had a sample of Shock Top, a thick citrusy brew for sure.
Leaving the brewery soon after, we hopped back on to I 25 and soon entered Wyoming. We were hungry, so we began looking for a place to eat in Cheyenne. Working on a local tip, we found the Down Home Diner. Once again we were dealing with local establishments. After a hearty lunch, we returned to 25 for several miles, then began a series of turns and long stretches on local highways.
This is when I fell in love with Wyoming. There is an openness to that state, particularly in the eastern part. Gentle turns, rolling hills, and just beautiful countryside made it onto my list of favorite states. It made me realize how much I miss the blend of green and golden earth, I've been around brown too long now.
At one point, we stopped at the Lusk rest area. We learned something interesting there, that President LBJ and his wife enacted the construction of highway rest areas around the nation. Highways had apparently been overrun with billboards and needed beautification. The Lusk one was the first to be built in Wyoming. We let Natalie play in the playground area for a few minutes. We needed a rest and she needed to move around. It was 6pm and we had many miles to go.
Returning to the highway, the beauty of Wyoming continued.At one point, I made a decision to take a shorter route to Spearfish. It was a mistake! We could have been in Spearfish by 9:30 at the latest. Instead, we entered South Dakota on U.S. 85 on a VERY windy road. Not only was it windy and dark, but it was also populated with deer on the road. I had to hit the brakes many times to avoid a disaster. Later, we took U.S. 14a to Spearfish, encountering the same hazards.
At long last, around 10:30, we got into Spearfish. As it was later on a Monday night, we settled for Taco Bell dinnerwise. Afterward, we found our KOA campground and had a slightly easier time than previous setting up the tent. We also had an easier time blowing up the air mattress. Our sleep came much easier that night!
I will say it again, I LOVE Wyoming! However, the best was yet to come!
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