Monday: West to Nebraska

Today is our 3rd wedding anniversary. We celebrated by driving up from Kansas to Nebraska and westward to the town of North Platte. The Platte River figures largely in James Michener's novel Centennial (if I remember correctly). We're worried about our air conditioner croaking, so we alternated 10 minutes of cool air with 30 minutes of 90-degree breezes through the open car windows. We also made several wrong turns which added about 90 minutes to the drive. Our GPS betrayed us and landed us on Turnpike 35 going south to Wichita. On the turnpike, exits are few; it was 35 miles before we could get off (by paying $1.60) and head north. This took us through many historic towns. The midwest is stuffed with history and interesting stories. We read about them in the guidebook as we zoomed past them. Some day we'll come back and explore them all. Here is the ornate courthouse and frontier-style main street of Cottonwood Falls, KS:

Kansas is full of beautiful farms, their peaceful look belying the hard labor that's required to run them. There are also vast cattle ranches and oil fields. Here's just one Kansas oil rig we passed at 75mph (love those midwest highways).

It clouded over for a brief, wonderfully shady moment when we crossed into Nebraska. Alas, the sun soon banished those sheltering clouds.

There were so many picturesque dilapidated buildings - we just didn't have time to stop (waaaa). Here is one standing like a sentinel in the middle of a knee-high corn field.

I love all the "alien heads" that proclaim the name of each town. You see them in most rural areas (in Washington, too). This one was unusual because of the colorful stripes and the fact that it looks more like a hot air balloon than an alien head.

About 50 miles from our night's destination, we tried to find the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles. It was supposed to contain 60+ military vehicles of all types, including a rare Downed Airman Retriever, two Bradley Fighting Vehicles and an M-60 Main Battle Tank. We couldn't find it. The GPS led us to a dirt crossroad with corn fields in every direction but no building. We called them and they tried to give us directions, but we could not find the place. Very frustrated and very hot and sweaty, we grabbed a soda and burger at McDonalds (air conditioned! clean!) and toughed out the last 50 miles to our lovely Holiday Inn Express room (air conditioned! clean!). A nice glass of wine at the manager's reception, a cool shower, and we're good as new.

Tomorrow we head for Buffalo, Wyoming via Cheyenne and Casper. But for tonight - happy anniversary to us!