Rawlins, Wyo., April 27 -- Well look what the wind blew in . . . us!! Actually, for almost all of our 510 miles today from Okaley, Kansas, to Rawlins, Wyoming, we drove headlong INTO the wind. That got very tricky when we were climbing up the big “hill” between Cheyenne and Laramie. This stretch is 8,640 feet high, the “highest point on the transcontinental I-80” according to the Wyoming map. I expected mountains but this was just high plains and buttes; pretty in it’s way but not striking. There is snow in many places, though it looks like it’s been there awhile and it’s not even close to the roads so it’s okay.
I’ve never been in this part of Wyoming and I have to say it is bleakly beautiful but very, very windy. Kansas and Nebraska were every bit as windy, though. We drove north out of Kansas on 83, a two-lane very interesting road past old cornfields and new grainfields, but thankfully it’s not well used on Sundays. We connected with I-80 in North Platte, Neb. At least my awning didn’t come loose today. One big gust of wind blew me halfway into the next lane, but thankfully there were no trucks or other vehicles next to me at the time.
Between the headwind and the climb we got terrible mileage today. We also are towing the Saturn so we can take turns driving the Mo and that probably adds a little pressure on the fuel economy. We filled up before leaving Oakely but were down to below a 1/4 tank (this is a 75-gallon tank -- imagine filling that up at $4.15 or more a gallon!!) by the time we got to the western border of Nebraska.
We pulled off at one area that advertised diesel and turned into the place only to find a chain across the entry and no room to really turn around. Little by little, inch by inch, backing a little -- tricky with the Saturn attached, pulling forward a little, back and forth, with the help of Jeff who was outside watching my corners and the Grace of God, we FINALLY managed to get turned out of the driveway. We ended up having to slip between a couple of posts and under a telephone guidewire. It only took us about 15 minutes and lots of patience. Needless to say I was stressed and swearing by the time we got out of there.
We managed to find diesel just across the border in Wyoming. Diesel isn’t too bad here in Wyoming; by that I mean it’s less than $4.20 a gallon which isn’t saying much. We’ve seen it for around $4.03 in places, though we paid $4.15 as we were feeling desperate and stopped at the first place we found. We are easily spending $250 a day on diesel. I suppose it’s cheaper now than it will be in another month or two. Whatever, we need to get home so we will pay what we have to pay. Thank heavens the stimulus checks will be out next week! That will buy me a tank or two of diesel.
Tomorrow we finish off Wyoming and will connect with 84 in Utah and then cross Idaho toward Oregon. I doubt we’ll make it to Oregon by Monday . . . I’m guessing we’ll spend Monday night somewhere in Idaho. Then Oregon by Tuesday and Portland by late Tuesday or sometime Wednesday. Whew!
This has been a marathon, averaging just under 500 miles a day. I’m exhausted. Charlie’s exhausted, Jeff is probably exhausted but he’s being brave and strong and not whining as much as I am.
But I still think that once we get home the work starts. I have to figure out what I want to do, try to sell the motorhome, try to find a place to live. Then since I sold everything I’ll have to start reacquiring furniture and furnishings. Slowly. Maybe I’ll hit some estate sales since my things went so cheaply maybe I can find some nice things inexpensively to replace some of my furniture. Then, do I work or write or what will I do? I still don’t know. Do you have any suggestions?
TravelinLady
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