Miles: 392
Weather: Sunny, Windy
Lowest Gas Price: 3.58 (Montezuma, IA)
Johnny stops: N/A
Today I woke up without the aid of an alarm, a rarity in my world. It was about 7am and there was not way I was going to fall back asleep, I was too excited to see Colorado. We shower, grab some bagels from the motel breakfast station and hop back on I-80. Today has been a lot of car time, so not too much excitement. We see fields, lots and lots of fields. Oh, cows too. And snow. Stupid snow, but it's somewhere in the 60's so the snow doesn't bother me too much. Turns out there was a really bad snow storm, and if we would've been one day sooner we would be screwed. The local radio station reported that the middle of Nebraska received abut 16 inches of snow, trapping cars and closing down the interstate. Today, you would never be able to tell. There are just a few random drifts and snow on the hill tops.
We stop in North Platte, Nebraska for some lunch and tourist time. There is a Wild Bill Cody museum and gift shop right off of the highway. It's decorated in tacky fashion, but still old time goodness is among us. Inside there are antique clothing from the Buffalo Bill heyday, a two headed calf and all the touristy souvenirs you could ask for. I pick up a handful of postcards and a shotglass to add to my already too big collection. Jerry scouts out a cowboy hat that fits him perfectly, and looks damn good(don't tell his ego I said that.) Right across the corner is a diner that I spotted from the highway. It's an vintage 50's diner, complete with outrageously silver aluminum and neons. Penny's Diner, here we come. The inside was just as retro as the exterior, with black & white checkered floors, booths and vinyls decorating the walls. After getting an interrogation from all three working staff about my tattoos, we both order our first Buffalo Burger. Let me tell you, yummy goodness!
With our tummies full we jump back on the road, excited to meet Jerry's cousin Danielle. Shortly after departing North Platte the views start to change. It became less highway and more scenic views of rolling hills and the mountains far in the distance. Don't worry though, we still see cows. And lots of cows. We roll into Fort Morgan about 5pm, finding Danielle's house off of a dirt road(who knew they still existed?) Let me tell you about her awesome house: in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by fields, clean air, the sound of nothing but birds and the kids playing in the yard. It was almost magical. After introductions and catching up, Danielle throws some ribs on the grill and we chug down a few beers. Let me tell you, girl can cook some killer ribs. Dinner was DY-NO-MITE! Once the wind died down we threw together a bonfire and roasted some marshmallows. In between doing shots of tequila and chugging down some mixed drinks, I somewhere find a good buzz. We chill by the fire until our eyes could no longer fight the evil of night. I manage to throw on some pj's and pass the hell out.
