Day 3 - Denver to Green River UT

It’s Sunday morning and I have reformed DJ from the pile of goo that resulted in yesterdays Nebraska meltdown back into her pre-Nebraska self. All is good.

I’m sure that Nebraska has many nice spots but they certainly do not go near I-80.

We got gas at 2.77 which was the most expensive gas yet and because the pump was not working correctly the owner gave us a free $8 car wash. Then DJ went in to get a banana and she gave it to her free. DJ LOVES Denver.

Today we entered the mountains and it was amazing. I could have stopped every 10 seconds for a photo. Every single turn was another outstanding scenic.

After perhaps 20 minutes a sign appeared. “7% grade Trucks MUST use low gear - next 2 miles”. As soon as we read it we were on a roller coaster downhill. For any of you that read the Virgin Island adventure we all know how DJ reacts to a 25% downhill grade at 5 mph. Well, 7% at 65mph was pretty exciting. She kept telling me “Speed Limit is 55. Speed Limit is 55. Speed Limit is 55" as we cart wheeled down the hill at 65 and 70 with cars catching up to us.

In 2 minutes it was OVER and we both yelled “WHOO HOO!!”

Then we were both talking at once "Look at that, look at THAT, no look over there” just amazing beauty.

We started to climb, and climb. The odd thing was that there is a optical illusion. There were times when I swear we were on a downhill slop, yet I was stepping on the accelerator, HARD. Was I driving in molasses? The steep mountains all around were playing tricks on me. I continued to step on the accelerator as we passed the 11,000 foot mark and entered the 1.7 mile long Eisenhower Tunnel and went over the Continental Divide.

Then “Next 8 miles - 8% down grade”. I loved the “Runaway Truck Lanes” where every 5 miles any truck that lost it’s breaks would roll up a VERY steep hill and hopefully come to a stop.

We past Vail which is a large city that is S T R E A C H E D into a long valley and then a big surprise, Glenwood Canyon.

Glenwood Canyon has been called “one of the most scenic sections of roadway in the country” and is “one of the great engineering achievements of the U.S.” The photo is near the end of the canyon. Basically it is two 16 mile long bridges and is beautiful.

After that we started to get into the high desert area and entered Utah. I am once again amazed at what the settlers had to go through.

NEBRASKA - if they survived that place then they had a hundred miles of mountains, THEN a few hundred miles of 100 degree desert. Lovely.

We entered Utah at 100 degrees and while it was high desert (not a dessert high which is completely different) it was still very very picturesque and we were not complaining. This is from on top of a hill looking back at I70.

We ended today's journey in Green River Utah. A very plain little 1000 person town with a Best Western. We had to “Amazing Race-it” to get a room as 5 cars all hit the exit at the same time and the BW look full. We parked and jumped out almost running to the front desk to get the final room with a queen size bed.

So tomorrow we hit Las Vegas. I won $52 last night playing poker for 45 minutes in a $5/10 game and as you all know, this entire vacation is being paid from poker winnings (not unlike going to the virgin Islands).

I took all of it from one guy. He was being a bully and flaunting his bluffs, I just waited and got lucky when he slow played AA to my 63o in the big blind. He limped in (I would have folded) and the flop was 966. I came out betting as I am SURE he thought "I" was bluffing and he called. The turn was a rag and I checked like I did not have a thing and he bet, I called so I could "spring the trap the next card". The flop was garbage and I checked, he raised, I reraised he reraised and I caledl and won about $100 and felt VERY good.

BUT - this is the wrong blog for that kind of talk.

SO far, 64.431 gallons of gas 2.79 per gallon. We filled up at 2.97 tonight at the last gas station for 70 miles. The car is running great at 27 mpg

Las Vegas here we come.


Rod and DJ - off to catch some z’s.