Day Seven: Welcome to Colorado

January 20th, 2010

Wednesday started out cold and overcast. Seriously, there is no place like Kansas. I just wonder why anyone would want to go back!

Van repacked and more tearful good byes said, we were on the road west. Well, actually we had to go north first, to get back to I-70. We finally got to see a bit of the landscape. I found this windfarm fascinating:

See those low clouds beyond the windmills? Yup. Fog. Thick, horrible “oh dear where did that car in front of us go?” fog.

I officially hate Kansas and its fog. Also- “freezing fog”- what is up with THAT?

We stopped in Colby, Kansas for lunch at an Arby’s. I have to say that the corporate Arby’s marketing decisions regarding their menu choices need serious re-evaluation. I’m glad I don’t work there anymore, my head would have exploded from the idiocy.

The fog lifted and we could see far enough ahead that we could point and say “Look boys, Colorado!”. Of course eastern Colorado looks pretty much exactly like western Kansas, but it was the thought that counted. We were officially on “Mountain Time” now.

I don’t have a picture of the Welcome to Colorado sign. It is small and whipped past faster than the shutter speed on my camera. At least I could see beyond the roadside. Colorado was already higher than Kansas in my esteem.

Just as the sun was setting we crested a rise (Mark made several “High Plains Drifter” comments throughout the day’s drive. Yup, I married Tony Di’Nozzo.) and could see the front range of the Rockies rising in the distance.

As the mountains grew higher above the landscape the boy’s eyes grew wider.

We arrived in Superior just before 5pm. First item on the agenda was to stop and sign-in to our apartment complex. Keys in hand we drove to the apartment, walked Katya, and unloaded items from the van that we didn’t need with us.

The moving truck wasn’t due to arrive until Friday, so we needed a hotel room for the next two nights. Nearby Louisville provided us with a pet friendly hotel and a nearby Outback steakhouse. Mark and Ethan celebrated with coconut shrimp while Ian and I devoured warm bread.

Our first night in Colorado ended late as the boys took awhile to wind down. I was happy that the long drives were over and looking forward to doing laundry. Crazy, I know, but living out of suitcases for eight days is hard when you have kids.