Pink Piggie Travels

      We woke early and headed out on the long drive to Amarillo, TX. Our destination,  The Big Texan RV Park . Getting into the park the navigation had us taking some back roads that seemed a bit shady and I was nervous about what we'd gotten ourselves into. But, as usual, Jodi had picked a great spot. The park was big and accommodating and we had no problems pulling into our spot even with the bike trailered behind us.     Once we got settled in and had a bite to eat, we decided to go for a walk. As we walked towards the front of the park, we could hear music coming from across the street and decided to go investigate. As we got closer, we discovered that they were having a concert at  The Starlight Ranch Event Center . We walked up to the gate to see who was performing and discovered that none other than Mark Chestnut was playing. Well, we weren't going to pay to go in, but the woman in the ticket booth asked if we were staying at the RV Park. When ...

      Off to Colorado. We drove most of the day into Canon City, CO and got set up in our campsite. It was fairly quiet as it was the end of the season, and most people weren't camping anymore. That's ok, I like it when there are less people around. Jodi and I headed out to grab dinner. Again, since it was the end of the season the only place open close-by was 8 Mile Bar and Grill . Sure, I could stand a burger. Well, it was worth it. It was their last night open before closing for the season and they had a local musician in singing. He was really good, and the place was packed. We ate and stayed for a while to listen before heading back to get a good night sleep.     The next morning, we got up and headed into  town to explore. On the way in the previous day we had passed a winery,  The Winery at Holy Cross Abby , so we swung in. It was a cute little winery, and we grabbed a couple of bottles for some friends we would see later in our trip. One of the...

    After Sheridan we headed out to Saratoga, WY. Known for its trout fishing. Along the way we went through Medicine Bow WY. Now for those of you that don't know Medicine Bow, don't feel bad, I didn't either. As it turns out it's a pretty infamous town.  To start with the town only has about 250 people residing in it. It mainly exists because of the first transcontinental railroad that passed through the area. Its post office has been in continuous service since 1869 and Dippy the dino was found nearby. Because of this it became a stopping point for paleontologists looking for more dino bones, including Brontosaurus bones. However, the town was plagued by crime in the late 1800s and Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch robbed a train nearby. On 07OCT55, United Flight 409 crashed into Medicine Bow Peak during bad weather, killing all sixty-six passengers and crew onboard. You can still see the black marks on the side of the granite where the plane exploded on impact.  I ...

 We left out of the badlands around mid-morning heading for Sheridan, WY. On the way out we finally got to see a Bighorn Sheep in the wild. As we were heading out of the park, I looked over to say something to Jodi and there, resting on the side of some rocks was a ram. Well obviously, we had to pull over and get a better look and get some pictures. Jodi was ecstatic that we finally got to see one. I'll admit, I was pretty happy about it as well. And I was surprised at just how big they are. Bighorn Sheep in the Badlands, SD. After a few minutes we got back on the road and proceeded on our way. Since we knew we'd be passing close by we decided to swing by Devils Tower, made famous in 'Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind'. Local Indian legend has it that a group of warriors were chased to the top of the tower by a giant bear. The bear was unable to climb up but, in its attempts, left claw marks in the side. After a while the bear gave up and left. Or so the legend goes. Wha...

      Leaving Nebraska, we headed for the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. While most of us have seen the Badlands in various movies until you are actually there and see it in person you don't fully appreciate both the beauty and the hardships that early settlers in the area endured.     One of the big features the area is known for is it's fossils. We went through the nature center and saw some of the reconstructed fossils that have been put together as well as the displays of what the area looked like as it slowly transitioned from a vast inland sea to a swamp, then savannah and finally into the very arid region it is today.     One of our days we went into town to Wall Drugs. Back in the 1930s as the country was really starting to stretch its legs via automobiles, a popular spot to pull over and get a free glass of cold water and a quick bite to eat was Wall Drugs, located in... wait for it.... Wall, SD. Since th...