Road Trip 2012: Sunday 10/21

250 miles: camped at Swanson Reservoir State Recreation Area, Trenton, Nebraska.  We are in the Central Time Zone now!!

Fort Collins, Colorado to Swanson Reservoir State Recreation Area, Trenton, Nebraska

Campsite overlooking Swanson Reservoir.

Almost all to ourself.  There was only one other camper here.

After our midnight session last night, none of us, including Zoey, got up early this morning.  I had breakfast with Betsy and Stan, and then we went for a walk.  Their neighborhood has this neat project with Front Range Community College.  The homeowners own an observatory building in the development.  Front Range College owns the telescope and manages the observatory.  The local residents get to sit in on workshops.  Really neat partnership.  Next to the observatory is a small neighborhood park designed around the concept of the solar system.  The "sun" is located in the middle, and in the summer the sun combines as a fountain.

Solar system pavilion with Saturn in view.

"Sun orb" fountain with Mercury and Venus.

Stan, Betsy, and Zoey.

Zoey and I in front of Jupiter.

Observatory managed by Front Range Community College.

We walked by the Fossil Ridge High School, just down the street from Stan and Betsy's house.  I marvel at the view of the Front Range of the Rockies that the students get to see.

Fossil Ridge High School athletic fields, with Rocky Mountains in the background.

I finally packed up and got on the road about 10:30.  Zoey and I had a really, really great time with Betsy and Stan, but is was time to get closer to home.  Looking back, this is my last view of the Rocky Mountains.

Last view.

I chose the two lane roads today instead of the interstates.  I have the time and don't need to rush.  We took Rt. 14 from Fort Collins, which connected with Rt. 6.  It was great traveling.  Almost no traffic, and speed limits of 65.  The elevation of Fort Collins is about 5,000 feet.  Trenton is about 2,600 feet.  Hard to believe I drove almost half a mile downhill today.  Once you leave the Rocky Mountains, it is all downhill to Gouverneur.  The farms in western Nebraska were in full corn harvest mode.  The combines and trucks were busy, even though it was Sunday.

Combing corn.

We pulled into Swanson Reservoir about 5:30.  That's after I moved the clocks ahead one hour because we entered the Central Time Zone.  It was a warm, sunny afternoon, so Zoey and I took a walk before dinner.

Hiking along Swanson Reservoir.

Tomorrow, we push further east.  We plan to be in West Virginia Thursday afternoon.