Headed East (Different Trip)

Good morning!

We left at what I like to refer to as "Butt-Ugly-Early O'Clock" and are headed east. My dad's annual spring party is tomorrow in Minnesota and Kathi and I are headed to it.

Why leave at this ungodly hour? Well, for one thing, I prefer driving early in the day. For another, this gets us into North Platte, Nebraska before the sun rises into the area I have to stare into to drive and I am headed north for long enough to get the sun overhead. But mainly, this will put us into Minnesota at a reasonable hour and allow us to spend some time with Dad and Flo before we have to collapse.

Kathi has been a good sport about it. She didn't even complain (much) when I said what time I wanted to leave Denver. She just said that I was a complete nut case and that she planned on sleeping most of the trip. I must say, she didn't and she even noticed when the voice on the audiobook changed.

The trip through Northeastern Colorado and Nebraska was completely uneventful and it wasn't until South Dakota that we had our first noteworthy experience. (Unless you call lovely driving weather - albeit a bit windy - noteworthy.)

I can now say that I have done something on this trip that I have never done before. I have been to the corn palace in Mitchell, SD. Kathi asked "What's a Corn Palace?" as we passed the first of the eighty gajillion signs for the Corn Palace on I-80 and I explained that it was a tourist-trap that was set-up in Mitchell. (Follow the link above for pictures...) There is not a lot there. It is a building that is decorated in Corn. I have never been there because Dad never took us to South Dakota. When I started driving past it regularly it was Rampant Apathy that explains the fact that I have never stopped there. Having been there once I can say that it is interesting to "See" in much the same way that Dave Barry says you should "See" things on vacation. But only if by "See" you mean "Drive By without stopping."

We made great time on this trip (stops at Cabela's and The Corn Palace aside) because Kathi did part of the driving so I could snooze and thereby did not need my customary nap in the rest area. We arrived to a dinner that Dad had prepared of Italian Sausage and conversation. Then we all went off to our rooms to sleep. Tomorrow is the party.

I hope wherever you are, your day passed as pleasantly!

Don Bergquist - 27, May, 2005 - Kensington, Minnesota