And it really is historic - all the funky-cool shops and eateries are tucked into tall narrow building along the streets that border the RR tracks - just like they were 100 years ago. First goal was to find a secondary general science book so Sophia can keep up with Mrs. Wiatrek's lesson plans. Night Heron Books had just the right text, plus huge muffins and home made sardough breads! Now, Soph can get the real scientific description of chemical equations and tectonics without my somewhat muddled interpretations. Although, I am pretty good about pointing out real-world applications, i.e. adding sugar to your hot tea or driving over the Continental Divide.
Also took the opportunity to stray from the standard road fare of bacon & eggs and CFS to enjoy a nice Italian hamburger (spicy Italian sausage + beef on Italian roll with basil and fresh romas) and mushroom soup at Lucianos for brunch, then roasted duck curry and pot stickers at Anong's Thai for dinner. If you find yourself in Laramie, can readily recommend both, but Anong's gets the nod for a RAVE!
Spent the afternoon watching the Ags beat up on 'Bama. Not that you'll hear it often, but glad one of those silly Big 12 offenses showed up the vaunted SEC defenses...tired of the east coast love affairs with the SEC. Hoping it's K-State and Oregon or ND this year. And who knows, maybe now that they feel like they're out from under the shadow of Texas, the Aggies might turn out to be relevant...
Finished the evening watching the UW Cowgirls vs. UNLV in volleyball. Appreciation of volleyball is just one of the many benefits derived from having daughters. Those athletes, even on two teams that won't be in the post-season, could run rings around most football players. Non-stop flying around the court, diving, leaping, pounding each other with spikes ... and they're such gracious players, sticking around after the matches to chat with fans. I was frankly amazed - the wind chill was -8 as we walked to the arena and there weren't many seats available on a Saturday night! Good stuff.
Let it warm up to 20 before we headed west on Sunday morning - north to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons NPs looks like it's out of the question due to heavy snow, but we'll see later this week. Secondary routes were marginal, so we stuck to IH-80. Lots of blowing snow with the 30-40 mph winds (didn't even want to know the wind chill), but the road was relatively dry and I have a lot of confidence in UPLNDR's tires and auto-4WD. Made for a great teaching moment for Soph about driving in hairy conditions ... and about idiot drivers and how to predict/react to them.
Also had her look up the origins of Veterans' Day and the significance of the Nov. 11 date (not the bank holiday). Discussed US troops on foreign soil during WWI and times after. Made of list of all the folks we know that have military service. She wondered why most didn't discuss it much ... obviously can't speak to that personally, but did relay the feelings and comments these fine men have passed along to me.
Were able to hit a few historical points along the way ... Flaming Gorge wasn't flaming much under its 6" snow blanket, but it is pretty and Green River was the starting point for Powell's exploratory expedition - we'll cross his path numerous times as we trek south later...
Jim Bridger is one of my favorite mountain men and was widely recognized for his trapping, exploring, and guiding prowess. He built a stockade on the Black's Fork River in western WY that was later used by the Army ... I bet it looked like this very frequently during his tenure!
Stayed up too late watching Band of Brothers and now headed for Salt Lake City...
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