Nous Arrivons- We Be Here

We left Lamar CO this a.m. at 06:14 and rolled south towards the Oklahoma line. This was an unusual day since we would pass through a total of 4 states, but actually only be in three states.

I will explain. We went from Colorado into Oklahoma and then crossed the Panhandle and entered Texas, at the Texas Panhandle. Then we left Texas and entered Oklahoma...again for the remainder of our days journey.

In short order we arrived in Amarillo TX.

The downtown area was very quiet and I took the opportunity to grab a couple of pictures. Amarillo is a fairly large city.

Amarillo National Bank seems to have grown from it's humble beginnings.

The current Amarillo Town Hall is located on the same block as the original Potter County Library. The library was not relocated when the new hall was built.
  

This is the original Amarillo Federal Building. It is built in Spanish Colonial Style. I find it very appealing.

Across the street you can do some financial business. I do not know if utilizing this institution makes you happy, or whether your money is happy. I suspect that the people who run the bank are the happy ones if you choose their services.

We passed through Clarendon TX. As you can see Clarendon is quiet today. I suspect that might be the case most days.

The next town on the hit parade was Memphis. In Memphis there is another financial institution that gives me cause to wonder. Is this where you save your catch? If you withdraw do they pay out in Herring? Perhaps the tellers are hard of herring? Say what? You decide.

We pass through Childress. Not exactly inspirational.

Next came Hollis. Sadly a lot of these towns are dying. As Agri-Business gets larger, the number of people working on or owning family farms declines. Most of these towns have lost their population, and thus their tax base. A few people are bravely holding on.

Finally we arrive at our destination, Lawton OK. Time to relax.

copyright 2016 Google Maps - used with attribution and permission.

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Wy not Colorado

When we got up this morning it was chilly. I loaded the bags into the van and we headed out. It was 15F at 6:12a.m....Brrrrrr.  The road beckoned as the first few rays of dawn painted the sky in glorious colors.

The wheels hummed as we chatted quietly and in no time we were 150 miles south in Cheyenne. We got gas and continued south into Colorado. By the time we got to Loveland CO where we were to turn east, it was time for a bite to eat. Here is the Trippin' Sista looking relaxed as we wait for our chow.

I asked if she was ready for some curly fries and she replied in the affirmative. Although we are not overfond of fast food we will make an exception from time to time, and time was up. A Reuben sandwich and curly fries hit the spot.

All the employees seem to be seniors and they have a help wanted sign in the window. Apparently Colorado is hiring.

We drove another hour east to Wiggins, and stopped at a Rest Area. To me it looks like a train station. My beloved disagreed. I stand on my original opinion.

No fuel was required, but it's good to know that had we needed to gas up, some top-quality Dino Juice was just next door at the Sinclair station.

We passed through Fort Morgan. It seemed sleepy and nondescript.

Shortly thereafter we reached Brush CO where we were to turn south.

The road south of Brush was fairly quiet. Well. perhaps fairly was an overstatement of the amount of traffic. This is a shot to the north.

and this is a view looking towards the south.

The surroundings seemed likewise quiet. The only thing moving was the wind. Looking east we see plenty of nothing.

To gain perspective on the true extent of the nothing previously mentioned, we can look to the west and add the descriptor absolutely!

Some three quarters of an hour later we finally come to some civilization. This is a picture as we enter Hugo CO. Hugo is a virtual metropolis by comparison boasting a population of 86

Hugo's main street is, as one can plainly see, a virtual hive of activity. Yeah, not so much. If one were looking for peace and quiet, I could recommend Hugo.

After another hour and a half we stop at Eads CO. They have a grain elevator and rail line. So many of these western towns grew up largely because there was railroad access for shipment of cattle and grain and importation of durable goods.

The grain elevator was not the only reason we stopped at Eads. Fortunately, they anticipated travelers needs. I was glad of it.

There were a number of plaques with information about the area including The Salt Creek Massacre . The next plaque celebrates the halfway point on the The Transamerica Bike Trail . A little too ambitious for my consideration at present.

There is a bronze statue showing three women. One is a native elder, one a young native woman and one a homesteading settler. Although they come from differing backgrounds there is commonality in the struggle women faced in the untamed west. It is titled Kindred Spirits.

Although the tracks are little used, and passenger service has probably been discontinued long ago, the old Railroad Station stands as a mute testament to the comings and goings of yesteryear.

There is a map on the wall that lists areas of interest in Colorado. One could probably spend weeks discovering the history and geography of The Centennial State.

We arrived in Lamar CO around 3;00 p.m.and checked into a Day's Inn that we have stayed at before. The room is immediately adjacent to the lobby. Same as last time. The hosts are very accommodating.

Thus concludes our 4th day on the road. For further video please visit The Trippin' Sista Don't forget to like and subscribe. Your feedback is appreciated, all comments are welcome. Thanks for coming along.

Several Hundred Dusty Miles Later

When last we spoke Dear Reader, we were in Bozeman MT. My how the time does fly, as do the miles at 80 mph. We got up at the unGodly hour of 04:45 this a.m. with the intention of being away sooner than yesterday. With the van loaded we attacked the Breakfast Room. The selection was not overly inspiring this a.m. I settled for Raisin Bran and a Banana.

Passing through the lobby I grabbed a couple photos. It was well appointed with seating area and fireplace. The fireplace was especially welcome this morning as it was a frosty 18 F.

Jare was standing ready to answer any guest query at the reception desk. He was very solicitous of our departure and wished us a good trip. It's nice to meet a diligent conscientious young man for as change.

We drove for several hours until hunger forced us to consider lunch. We stopped at the Sagebrush Cafe in Buffalo WY. The front of the cafe was a store with decor and kitchen items.

In the back the cafe was domiciled. Although this picture is slightly out of focus you get the idea. Wild West meets hometown eatery.

The decor is situational and homey, if you live in ranch quarters. Can you say Yippee I-O Ki Yay? I know you can.

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After lunch I walked down the block to get a few pictures. This is Cedar Creek. It's just about ice-out time. There is a trail system that follows the creek and a defunct rail line roadbed. A little chilly today for further trail exploration though.

There is a very patient sheepdog  keeping watch over a few sheep that seem rather docile, frozen in time actually. Though there were shepherds in WY back in the day, they generally were at odds with cattle ranchers who felt sheep grazing ruined good cattle ranching land.

There is a community band stand in Crazy Woman Square. It is named after a woman whose husband and children were killed in a inter-tribal skirmish. She was so distraught that she fled from the village in emotional disarray and took up solitary residence in the mountains that came to be named after her.

A series of murals line the side of a building on the south side of the square. This first picture shows Main St. back in the day.

A group of cowboys stand around in this cow camp. Living was pretty spartan in those times. Even so when the herd was sold at end of season, the first priority for most was a trip to town for a bath, shave and a drink, usually in that order.

The next two panels show a cowboy driving a herd of horses across a verdant prairie. We can imagine that this mural depicts springtime when cowboy and equine spirits are high. The prairie is green with recent rain and the blood runs hot with the joy of the chase.

This is not the Sheriff's Office. The storefront was used during the attack of the movie people when a series was recorded. This is an ongoing western whodunit named Longmire. More information is located here

 As we look back towards the car, those same sheep serve as a forefront for another large mural on the side of a building on the other side of the creek.

Here we see the creek entering downtown. It must be cheerful during the heat of summer with the trees all leafed out and a cool breeze traveling down the watercourse.

On this bank of the creek is the Bee Cafe, which looks like a popular spot for breakfast. Our cafe was across the street. Also visible in this shot is the Occidental Hotel

This unassuming building is the Buffalo City Hall. The town boasts a population of 4,720 so I guess it is in proportion.

We carried on for another 90 minutes before stopping in Casper WY.

copyright 2016 Google Maps used with attribution and permission


This is but leg three of our current adventure. We will continue our 

reportage tomorrow. If you wish to see the day's vlog entries you will find 

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