SmithTrip2025

Day 3: Sunday June 8

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We drove until 1:30am last night and slept in the parking lot of The Archway in Kearney Nebraska. The Archway is a big arch over the I80 which is home of “The Journey to Build America”.

We started driving again at 6am. The kids and I napped while Joel drove. Around 7:30am we stopped for gas and coffee. It was the cheapest coffee of the trip so far – $2.45 for a small and large.

Nebraska, along the I80 is flat with black cows scattered everywhere.

The cows. We are listening to Matthew Perry’s memoir so don’t mind the sad talking in the background.

Did you know that Matthew Perry beat up Justin Trudeau in grade 5? Matthew’s mom was Pierre Trudeau’s press secretary in Ottawa.

Isla: There are 81 cars on that train!

Entered into Wyoming this morning. This is all new roads for us now. On our Southwest trip in 2023 we left the I80 to the I76 in the top North East corner of Colorado. We won’t be going to Colorado this trip.

Tracy: Smile for the first family photo in Wyoming. Joel: It’s even flatter here than Nebraska. Isla: Just making sure you remember I have to pee – hello cow! Caleb: Dad did you see that Rivian?
Joel: “Look kids, an oil refinery!”. Isla: “Ohhhh pollution”
Cows, oil well and wind mills
Driving through the clouds.
Lincoln Monument at 2682meters above see level. I don’t think it looks like our Lincoln…
Caleb’s first view of snow on this trip. As we drove through the Snowy Range we hit an elevation of 7,781 feet. Within an hour we went from 18 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees to 26 degrees.
Elk Mountain

1:45pm Caleb was the first one of the trip to say “I’m tired of driving”.

Still in Wyoming but starting to look more like Utah.
Highway to Heaven (because on many different times when you crest the hill it looks like the road ends).
We keep leap frogging this truck full of Rivians which Caleb is more excited about than the snow covered mountain ranges.
Two of my favourite things welcome us to Utah – red rocks and longer than believable trains!
At 5:30pm we pulled into our first real campground: Great Salt Lake State Park Campground in Salt Lake City Utah. It’s 32 degrees Celsius.

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