TAA #12 Salt Lake City, UT - Milwaukee, WI

In addition to our route to Omaha following a portion of the Transcontinental railroad, we will also be generally following the routes of the emigrant pioneers used including Oregon, Mormon and California Trails (except in the opposite direction).  These trails were the same trail westward from Omaha but the Mormon trail diverged from the Oregon Trail at Fr. Bridger (between Salt Lake and Rock Springs) and the California Traild in Soda Springs, ID.

Our first site is known at The Archway in Kearney, NE.  The monument spans more than 300 feet above Interstate 80 houses a historical experience that tells the story of Nebraska and the Platte River Valley in the development of America, particularly as it relates to the emigrant trails west.  

Then it was on to Lincoln, NE to visit the Museum of American Speed.  At overe 150,000 sf on three levels the museum is just overwhelming. 

Our day began with a two hour drive to the Scotts Bluff National Monument.  The bluff served as an important landmark on the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails. Over 250,000 westward emigrants passed by Scotts Bluff between 1843 and 1869. It was the second-most referred to landmark on the emigrant trails in pioneer journals and diaries.  In the 1930s, a road was developed to the top of Bluff.  Matt drove to the top while I walked the 1.6 mile Saddle Rock trail which gains 435’ of elevation before meeting Matt at the summit parking lot

That stop was followed another prominent geological rock formation known as Chimney Rock (or a term that meant elk penis by the Dakota Sioux native Americans).  Rising over 300 feet above the surrounding North Platte River valley, the formation also served as a landmark for all three emigrant trails mentioned above.  By that time is was 95º so we decided it was too hot to walk out to the rock and photographed from the visitor center.  

We then stopped for lunch in nearby Gering, NE at the Log Cabin Restaurant and Lounge before learning how to servicing the RV at a dump site - adding fresh water and getting rid of the waste. Then it was off to our destination for the evening, North Platte, NE.  Upon arrival we had a surprisingly interesting view of the Union Pacific Bailey Yards, the largest rail classification yard in the world.  At 2,850 acres, the Bailey Yard has 17 receiving and 16 departure tracks handling 14,000 rail cars every 24 hours.  We started our tour from the outdoor observation platform of the Golden Spike Tower and could not figure out why we were seeing in a distance one, two of three cars with no locomotive slowing proceeding down and sorted into one of the 114 parallel “bowl” tracks.  They told us a retired UP yard employee was stationed in the 7th floor displays and he told us classifications are hump yards, where they create 20’-30’ tall gradual mounds at the start of the sorting process.  A locomotive pushes the cars from a entering train to be sorted up that side of the hump and each car is separated roll down the backside of the hump and the turnouts (switches) are set to direct the next car in line to one of the tracks in the bowl based on its destination.  

Then finally we made a quick stop Fort Cody Trading, touristy chotchke store with the only reason to visit is to see Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show hand carved in Miniature!  The narrated diorama, took 12 years to complete and contains over 20,000 pieces many of which are animated.

With only chain hotels in North Platte, we checked into the Hilton Tru, a new Hilton concept appealing to travelers with a “millennial mindsight.  Not really us, but it did make it more interesting than a typical stay at a roadside Hilton.  Before retiring for a big day tomorrow we ubered downtown for dinner at the Cedar Room where I enjoyed my second chicken fried steak of the trip.  

Our day began with a triple-2 breakfast at the Chicago Pizza included with our stay at the Holiday Inn - two eggs, 2 pieces of bacon or sausage and 2 pancakes or pieces of toast.  After that was a quick stop at Walmart for some provisioning (but for the Walmart app listing what aisle to find something we would have been wandering around for hours) we continued our journey that began in Salt Lake along the Union Pacific section of the Transcontinental Railroad.  The Transcontinental Railroad was ran from Omaha to Sacramento and was operated by Union Pacific east of Promontory Point UT and Central Pacific west of Promontory Point. 

The railroad opened for through traffic between Sacramento and Omaha on May 10, 1869, when CPRR President Leland Stanford ceremonially tapped the gold "Last Spike" (later often referred to as the "Golden Spike") with a silver hammer at Promontory Summit. The resulting coast-to-coast railroad connection revolutionized the settlement and economy of the American West.  It brought the western states and territories into alignment with the northern Union states and made transporting passengers and goods coast-to-coast considerably quicker, safer and less expensive

We stopped along the way to Cheyenne, WY in downtown Laramie, WY for lunch at Born in Barn before arriving at the Cheyenne Depot Museum.  The museum is located inside the 1880s Cheyenne Depot, a National Historic Landmark, largest west of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and a major western example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. The museum details the history of the transcontinental railroad, the establishment of Cheyenne, and the building's architecture. It also houses Harry Brunk's extensive, hand-crafted on30 scale model railroad 

That was followed by a quick stop ad the Cheyenne Frontier Days Museum which chronicles the history Cheyenne Frontier Days, an outdoor rodeo and western celebration in the United States, held annually since 1897.  The event, claimed to be one of the largest of its kind in the world, draws nearly 200,000 annually

We stayed for the night right across the plaza from the Depot in the historic Plains Hotel.  Unfortunately, it was not maintained well nor quiet due to its location so that was a misfire.  We did have an enjoyable dinner right across the street at The Albany known for its prime rib.

We left bright and early at 6:30 with a lot of ground to cover in our first day.  I had purchased an Italian made Wingamm 18’ long mini-RV to complete the balance of the Trip Across America that we suspended heading west from Milwaukee on August 31, 2012.  We put completion on hold when Timi and I bought the first of three yachts and backtracked over the next dozen years by sea from Chicago to Miami, then Pacific Northwest then Southern California.  

The RV is new to the US so I ordered it sight unseen last December and it finally arrived at the only west coast dealer in Salt Lake City, UT ready for travel this month.  After picking up the RV our first activity was an audio tour of of the Mormon center of worship, Temple Square and the Utah State Capital. No better way to quick learn about a few sights than through a GPS based audio tour.  In 1847, when Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, church president Brigham Young selected a plot of the desert ground, initially referred to as Temple Block and proclaimed, "Here we will build a temple to our God." Temple Square remains the global spiritual headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and serves as a major 10-acre cultural and historical landmark. It is significant as the religious center for church members and a monument to early Mormon pioneer history and faith. 

We accidentally left a drivers side door open when leaving the RV from the passenger side to begin our tour and even though it beeped like the doors were locked, it wasn’t.  Fortunately when returned two hours later, everything was still there as we left it.  Next was Mexican lunch in Salt Lake at the Red Iguana featured on Drive Ins, Diners and Drives to refuel and logging over 10,000 steps before 1:00 from our audio tour.  We then set out on a 3 1/2 drive to our overnight in Rock Springs, WY.  Matt drove the first half so I could organize the stuff I purchased for the RV and get the Starlink internet and TV set up and running.  Nothing to write home about in Rock Springs other than a decent Holiday Inn connected to the Chicago Pizza and Pub where we enjoyed drinks and dinner before heading to bed for the evening.