Day Three - Cheyenne

Day Three - to Cheyenne: On this third day of travel we had one goal in mind - making it to Wyoming. Who knew that Nebraska was such a long state. To keep ourselves occupied we listend to CDs of David Sedaris and, when we could, NPR. However NPR soon lost its value as, due to the time change from Eastern to Central to Mountain Time, we began hearing the same reports over again. I don't think I will soon forget learning about Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation or about the triumphant return of Laura Ling and Euna Lee. By the third go-around, Jamie and I were reciting the news reports.

Once we had finished listening to our CDs, Jamie began teaching me Portuguese. I would say a sentence in English such as, "We have been driving on I-80 for over 1,200 miles." Jamie would repeat it back to me in Portuguese. Our game evolved as I began jumping in with the French translation as well. Our sentences became more complex with our final one being, "If I had known there was so much corn in Nebraska, I would have driven down to Florida instead."

Despite our long journey along the corn fields, the sight that greeted us as we entered Wyoming was well-worth the long hours. As you enter Wyoming the land shifts into gently rolling hills and the sky is vast and wide. The cloud formations were spectacular set against the blue sky. Freight trains roll beside the highway and their colorful cars provide a wonderful contrast to the green and yellow earth.

As we drove into Cheyenne we were awed by our ability to see nothing but sky for miles. We parked in downtown Cheyenne and made our way to the Depot - an outdoor picnic area with live music. We walked around the city and had our first interactions with "real live" Wyomingers. We saw cowboy hats, brass belts, and cowboy boots. Yes, we had finally left the mid-west and had officially entered the wild west - our home for the next year.

Tomorrow we will drive to Kelly, Wyoming where we will set up camp at the Gros Ventre Campsite. Tomorrow we will arrive.