From Highway 61 To Wyoming

     Last night's digs were near the Mississippi, just off the Great River Road. . .Highway 61!  We've ridden or driven parts of that road all up and down the river valley including the section near Baton Rouge.  That section is in trouble right now.  Tonight, we are in Sidney, Neb. after a 700+ riding day in and out of rain, sun, fog, cold, and traffic.  Twice we wandered off  I-80 to pursue towns with water names and to get out of the strong winds.  The places along US 30 are reminiscent of  US 66.  I guess all those original US highways were much the same.  They are all marked by small storefronts, elaborately decorated hotels and banks, and abandoned department stores and old gas stations.  Broad streets with little traffic or pedestrians seems to be the rule.  The sidecar, however, is a magnet.  We park it to get a picture or check out a map and. . .we have an audience.  They've all seen plenty of motorcycles but few tugging big hacks. 
     Arrival tonight at dusk was notable.  From fifty miles away,  the glorious sunset was suddenly covered by gray then black clouds, layered and swirling.  Rain storms were evident in isolated locations miles apart.  Some lightening seemed horizontal.  And then, below all the mess, the sun appeared as if light were being allowed from under a closed door.  The one hole in the clouds settled over the road and we drove through it barely getting wet though the temps dropped from 64 to 46 in about half an hour.  To the south, toward Denver, the sky was clear and the blue faded away gently.  To the northwest, the sunset was a brilliant orange.  Anyone know the allegorical paintings of Thomas Cole?  These were his skies.
     Robin was pretty calm through all this though both of us slipped quite comfortably into the motel's hot tub.  Armed with a little traveling juice, it was pretty easy to relax knowing what was going on just up the road.  With the bike tucked under the entrance roof, it was pretty easy to settle in to a night in Nebraska.  We have about 1400 to go to get to the California Redwoods, our first real destination and the location of one of the remaining required National Park Stamps.  Tomorrow we'll get past Salt lake City and then see what the route will require.  There are some mountains in our way and some snow is out and about.  Must do what we can to avoid that! Robin is getting pretty good with her GPS so lots of planning is happening on the fly.  I love it.