Day Two, September 14, Mileage 497, 1,244 total

The cold front that brought the rain last night also brought much colder temps. I left the campsite at 68 degrees and an hour down the road it was down to the low 50s. I also saw something that I have never seen in Kansas or Eastern Colorado – a completely cloudy sky.

I did make my pilgrimage to the McDonalds in Hays.

Alas, thanks to that cold front it was way too windy for a frisbee to get even close. Maybe next time.

I was headed to Denver to spend time with Aunt Patty (Aunt Panda to her grandnieces) and Uncle Russ (Runcle Ussel to many people). There is nothing like visiting family that you don’t see very often. It is even better if you really enjoy each other! I love visiting Patty and Russ, as between the great conversations and the great beer (Russell has been homebrewing for 25 years!), it is simply a delight to spend time with them. It has been over four years since I had last visited them in Denver, giving me the chance to meet their new dog, Rosebud. We caught up on each other’s lives and pondered things like family dynamics, getting older, the joys of our own house, and wondering why we don’t live closer to each other.

I am finally to the front range of the Rockies and have ended the arduous crossing of the plains. It is simply a slog across Kansas and Eastern Colorado. I was often wondering how the early settlers did it. Amazing.

But now that I am officially out of the East, I hope to slow down a bit and enjoy some scenery. Next stop? Goblin Valley State Park in Utah. I hope.