Time Travel

Another great day.

Last night I lost consciousness shortly after seven-thirty, and didn't wake up until about five-thirty, so clearly my body was trying to do some catching up. I had breakfast at a little diner in Glendo, and rolled out about seven-thirty. Unfortunately, I took the wrong road out of town, including a nice little warm-up hill climb, and before I realized it, I was a mile and a half out. So, turned around and just figured it would be three bonus miles for the day.

I got on the I-25 southbound, for my final twenty miles of freeway travel. Shoulders not quite as smooth as yesterday, but still a far sight nicer than the no-shoulder chipseal Old Glendo Highway.

The miles went quickly and soon I was turning off to rejoin highway 26 eastbound towards Fort Laramie, and ultimately, Scottsbluff. Traveling this roadway takes me back to the many summers we'd cover it in the family car, after days of driving, knowing we'd be reaching my grandparents home soon. This highway, like others in the area, is red due to the type of stone used in paving it.

I stopped briefly in Guernsey, and a bar kind of place called Crazy Tony's, looking for a sandwich. They were still serving breakfast, so I had a breakfast sandwich. Most of the people coming in were ordering beers, and complaining about how hung over they were. I cleared out as quickly as I could eat and pay.

I pulled into the town of Fort Laramie, and coasted down the gravel drive of the Chuckwagon RV Campground, and paid for my $10.00 grassy space. This is the nicest RV Park I've camped in. Everyone is super friendly and it's nice and quiet. There's been a constant breeze which is refreshing. The owner just came over on his golf cart and handed me a bag of fresh vegetables from their garden. I immediately sliced up a tomato and devoured it.

It was not quite two when I arrived, so I showered, got on my bike (sans trailer) and pedaled out (in very leisurely fashion) three miles to the Fort Laramie Historic Site. Fort Laramie was a major crossroads for Plains Indians, Fur Traders, the Army, and Emigrants from the mid to late 1880's. It was sold at auction in (I think) 1909, and gradually fell into ruin until 1939, when the State of Wyoming cquired it ,and eventually gave it to the National Park Service. Since then, many of the buildings have been restored, and you can look into the rooms and see the clothing, gear and furnishings, looking just as they would have in the fort's prime.

I spent a leisurely three hours strolling around, listening to the park ranger tell stories, and just exploring. There's a really nice Visitor Center, and sometimes they hae people dressed in period clothing staffing the shops, or the bakery or garden. I love these kinds of places, where you can immerse yourself into what it might have felt like to be there. Reminds me just a little of that Christopher Reeve movie... Somewhere In Time. Of course anyone transporting themselves back to old Fort Laramie would be setting themselves up for some hard living.

Well, there is a little restaurant here, but they don't open until nine am, so I think I'll be up and out as close to sunrise as I can, and look for breakfast in Lingle, about ten miles away. Tomorrow's my last day riding! (I added the word "riding" after re-reading how the sentence appeared without it).