I'm leaving deadwood

[KingKolzig]

your lucky you werent the target of a group of meth heads

 

did you have protection?

[Jimmy Hoffa]

Did you visit the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs? 

[mikeman]

1 hour ago, Jimmy Hoffa said:

Did you visit the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs? 

negatory.

[mikeman]

Ok folks, I'm gonna recap my trip - I'm sure many of you are on pins and needles.

I visited the following states, SD, WY, NE, KS,OK, NM, CO, drove 3100 miles in 6 days, which I must admit was too much, because of the route I took the vast majority was not on interstates, which means I was always on 2 lane roads - sometimes decent, sometimes not so good. That got old in a hurry since you have to stay focused or you'll run off the road(no shoulders in many places). Drove through many small dying towns who's best days were 70-80 years ago , many had 70-80% of the buildings seemingly abandoned, very sad to see.

My hotel rooms were all fine for the most part(priced from $45-75) - i did notice that mexicans - working types, were prob half the guests at most  places except deadwood. In  my Dodge city motel they would sit outside their rooms and chat and drink - one guy(non mexican - just some old white guy) was crazy and everytime I walked by he would say something to me - one time he said "you are somebody, you matter", I'd just nod.

Food is not an important part of my trip and I had no top 5 meals - the two most expensive were a chinese buffet in dodge city(terrible) and I also had a fancy chorrizo burger in clayton NM at a nice little family mexican joint(that set me back close to 20 large with fries added) - I had a free buffet in deadwood which was decent and also had a burger meal in sidney NE in a bar where I played pulltabs(lost $14).

I gambled in deadwwod(won maybe $140) and in dodge city at a casino where I lost 50ish - couldn't play BJ because they only had one table(full).

The attractions I visited were deadwood, the badlands, scottsbluff NE, and I also climbed the highest points in NE, KS and NM, i also saw a volcano in NM and the great sand dunes in CO where they're still living in 2020 because masks were required.

 

My ultra cool 2008 toyota ran great(avg about 37 MPG) and I came home with only $50 less than I left with, other than gas/rooms I paid cash for everything. The highest priced gas was $4.88 in Co springs, the lowest $4.37 in NE - most places were $4.59 - 4.69

overall a good trip but like I said too much driving - here's the highlight pics.

Badlands

Wyoming

Scottsbluff

Highest point in nebraska - the height almost makes you dizzy.

Mt sunflower kansas - another epic view, drove 15 miles down a dirt road to see this

A place called monument rocks in kansas - more dirt road driving in the middle of nowhere

Dodge city stockyards as seen form the scenic overlook

Black mesa OK - highest point in oklahoma - was a 9 mile hike rd trip

My deluxe shower control in clayton NM

The view from capulan volcano in NM - you drive to near the top and then hike to the very tip. this pic is for the ladies.

great sand dunes

[Dingo]

Nice,was it just a random trip or was it something you did to bring back childhood memories?
 

[mikeman]

1 minute ago, Dingo said:

Nice,was it just a random trip or was it something you did to bring back childhood memories?
 

Most of these I've never been to, i haven't been able to travel much for several years because of covid and the fact my cat had diabetes(needed shots daily and couldn't leave him).

[Jimmy Hoffa]

Excellent report Mike.

Personally speaking, I'm not interested in ever visiting New Mexico again...

[mikeman]

I forgot one pic - this is for KK - he always thinks I was born lucky or something, not true, I am watched over however. i was getting ready to take a pic and I noticed this reflection in the cell phone.

[Dingo]

5 minutes ago, mikeman said:

I forgot one pic - this is for KK - he always thinks I was born lucky or something, not true, I am watched over however. i was getting ready to take a pic and I noticed this reflection in the cell phone.

You were born lucky,you’re not KK

[KingKolzig]

wait what?

 

thats a statue?

[MonkeyF0cker]

37 minutes ago, mikeman said:

I forgot one pic - this is for KK - he always thinks I was born lucky or something, not true, I am watched over however. i was getting ready to take a pic and I noticed this reflection in the cell phone.

Is that on I-40 in New Mexico?  I think I drove past that this spring.

[mikeman]

8 minutes ago, KingKolzig said:

wait what?

 

thats a statue?

Yup, I was driving through some little town in western nebraska and there it was. I was like WTF is that, turned around to check it out.

 

[MonkeyF0cker]

2 minutes ago, mikeman said:

Yup, I was driving through some little town in western nebraska and there it was. I was like WTF is that, turned around to check it out.

 

Ahh.  Definitely different than the one I saw.

I might have seen a couple of them actually.  Between Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Was there a church there too?

[mikeman]

i guess it was pine bluffs Wyoming.

http://www.avemaria.org/pine-bluffs-statue.html

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/3163

[Jimmy Hoffa]

When will your travels get you out to the Pacific coastline?

[KingKolzig]

4 hours ago, Jimmy Hoffa said:

Did you visit the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs? 

if you lived in C.Springs you could just bet on AFA every single game every sport. they are always under-valued. would win enough to cover attendance, 4 beers and a burger for each event

[Jimmy Hoffa]

3 minutes ago, KingKolzig said:

if you lived in C.Springs you could just bet on AFA every single game every sport. they are always under-valued. would win enough to cover attendance, 4 beers and a burger for each event

Their football team gives 100% even when they lose. You never see any academy teams dogging it.

[mikeman]

1 hour ago, Jimmy Hoffa said:

When will your travels get you out to the Pacific coastline?

I've never been to oregon, washington or idaho, which is better?

[sleepy]

Glad you stayed on the trails

Amazing how many people disappear off the face of the earth never to be seen again.

[Jimmy Hoffa]

8 minutes ago, mikeman said:

I've never been to oregon, washington or idaho, which is better?

Washington and Idaho visually.

Tax free shopping in Oregon is the only appeal there.

The California coastline is the best of the three.

[mikeman]

12 minutes ago, sleepy said:

Glad you stayed on the trails

Amazing how many people disappear off the face of the earth never to be seen again.

Yup, remember when gabby pitino who was murdered out there by the teton's? When they searched for her they found several other bodies, most would prob never have been found.

It would be interesting to fly drones over the edges of the grand canyon(down the cliff faces), normally no one can see or access many of the areas. I bet if you just cruised them along the edges where hikers might go you'd find all kinds of bodies/clothes/backpacks, etc wedged out of view.

[KingKolzig]

I used to get Killer Weekly mailed to me. lot of guys just quit when DNA came out. then others after the Patriot act was put in. some guys still kill and swear they are doing well. id expect the few that remain do well in the national parks. a good looking Park Ranger shirt tucked in and you have a great start right there. 

[vitalyo]

4 hours ago, mikeman said:

 

I visited the following states, SD, WY, NE, KS,OK, NM, CO, drove 3100 miles in 6 days,  Drove through many small dying towns who's best days were 70-80 years ago , many had 70-80% of the buildings seemingly abandoned, very sad to see.

 

 

Nice. My kind of trip, I love driving through the country. Northern Pennsylvania is full of the ghost towns it is actually scary. 

[KingKolzig]

laid awake for hours almost every night as a kid worrying about ghosts. what a fool 

[IAG]

Very cool.  Thanks for sharing.