Utah Trip, Part 1 -- One Guy, Seven Girls, and an RV

A few years ago my brother-in-law Sean had asked us about the possibility of Bridget and me taking his five daughters out to the Tour of Utah -- one of the cycling races he worked over the years as press officer for the various teams he represented. 

It sounded like it might be fun, but it just hadn't worked out (as is often the case with these sorts of things in life). 

Bridget and I had taken a day trip with Sean down to Kansas for KCCX (Kansas City Cyclocross) back in 2008, and had had a good time (you can read about that journey in Sean's blog here). 

After Sean's death in May, Bridget decided it might be fun for us to make good on Sean's idea, and take the girls out for the multi-stage race in Utah. She also had the idea to rent an RV for the excursion. 

I'm not a big traveler, although each time I travel I say, "I really should travel more." 

(I'm kind of like those aspiring writers who "love to have written" more than they "love to write" -- I really enjoy trips once I am on them... I just don't love the logistics and anticipation.)

Our journey began on Sunday, July 30... early! We departed Omaha at 5 a.m. and trekked west across on I-80 toward Utah (a stretch of interstate that can take travelers straight from New York to California). 

The passengers for this voyage were Bridget and myself... our nieces Emily, Lauren, Julia, Olivia and Veronica.. and their mom, Danielle. 

The nieces had loaded up the RV with snacks and supplies. We brought along a DVD player to hook up to the camper's TV, and had plenty of movies along for the ride. 

Western Nebraska isn't the most scenic place in the world. The terrain is primarily a series of farm fields, rolling grasslands, and soft-sloped sandhills. But our state does have a lot of towns along the way, and plenty of rest stops. 

We made a pitstop in Sidney, NE (a town whose claim to fame is being the global headquarters of wilderness-gear retailer Cabela's -- whose fate is now uncertain after a recent acquisition by Bass Pro Shops). 

We ate lunch at a Dairy Queen (owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway), and took pictures by this Union Pacific train caboose (which was by a visitor center).

We also managed to kill the RV when we left the lights on (rookie mistake), but were able to get it back up and running with the backup power supply (and a quick call to Tony from the RV center where we rented the vehicle). 

Sidney sits out in Nebraska's panhandle, and we were just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Wyoming border. 

While I am a sucker for cowboy terrain, Wyoming is a long haul. 

Don't get me wrong, there were some interesting sights along the way, like this stone statue of Abraham Lincoln:

We also saw a couple of these power plants (that look like something out of a "Mad Max" movie). 

After what seemed like an interminable amount of time, we finally made it to the western part of Wyoming -- an area where the land becomes more scenic, and the vibe more touristy. 

We stayed in the Rock Springs/Green River area, and had dinner at Penny's Diner (the food was "decent"... I had pancakes, bacon, sausage and eggs).

While it wouldn't rate at the top of my diner experiences, the place did have a nice ambiance, and the girls got to write messages with markers on the wall of the restaurant. 

As the sun dropped over the western horizon, and the day wound down, the first chapter in our trip was coming to a close. I was exhausted from the early departure (I only slept for two hours the night before), and ready to get some shut-eye...

Stay Tuned Tomorrow for "Utah Trip, Part II"... 

And while you're waiting, check out: Dunkirk Review: "There's No Hiding From This, Son."