nebraska

August 20, 2020

Gering, NE - Robidoux RV Park.  

This is a city owned park and so far one of our favorites.  Where most parks will put two RVs this has just one.  So very nice spacing between campers.  There is even a bit landscaping at the sites, albeit a little dry with the drought, there are trees on our site and actual grass!  I have missed the grass as much over the last month there has been nothing but dirt and gravel. So much dust it was making me crazy.  This place is great.  

We got here and pulled into our spot and immediately noticed the strange rigs all over this park.  They are solid white motor homes with semi rig cabs pulling solid white trailers.  We finally got to see what was in those trailers, race cars.  There are probably 10 here.  

 

So Dennis found that there is a drag strip nearby and we just assumed that was what they were all here for.  But I noticed the license plates - Several were from Texas but there are other states represented including Florida and Oklahoma.  As we were pulling out to explore I asked one of the groups from Texas when they were racing, we are fellow Texans and may go support them.  That is when things got weird.  Being Texans - RVers I expected some friendly banter.  I got elusive stares and only one guy spoke.  I supposed he was he guy in charge.  He said they were racing tonight on the road, but we are filming a show and no spectators are allowed.  So fine! I tuck my tail and head to the truck.  We start talking about how strange they behaved and went to town.  That night we met another couple, they are from Colorado trying to escape the smoke.  So sorry that it has followed us all here.  They said they tried to talk to some of those guys and they just looked at them and did not say a word. I suppose they have been sworn to secrecy, or at least that is how it appears.  We found the local news channel and thought we would see if there was anything on the air about this secret filming that is shutting down a state highway. Well there was.  Apparently, The Discovery Channel is filming an episode of their “Street Outlaws” program here and they have shut down Nebraska Highway 71 from 7pm to 7am.  They have some clout.  I am sure there was another road somewhere that would not have interrupted so many people’s driving plans.

 

We did get out to see the Scotts Bluff National Monument.  This is the bluff that settlers would see as they were crossing the plains heading west.  They would see this bluff for days before they actually made it to them and cut through to carry on.  They would be traveling on the Oregon Trail and/or the Morman Trail.  Many chose to go around the bluffs - wow.  That would have taken forever.  But there were also many who plowed through the gap in the bluffs.  It is a breathtaking site, except that we could probably seen the curve of the earth had it not been for all that Colorado and California smoke in our way.

The view from the North Overlook

This is basically a view from the parking area near the summit looking toward Saddle Rock. If you look closely there is a path that leads to a cave in that rock and that goes to the other side for your viewing pleasure.  Dennis kept saying we are going to have to come back up this rock so we don’t need to go that far.  I think the way they have done this in the past is there is a shuttle that takes you to the summit and you go down this path.  That, we could have certainly handled.  Going back up, not so sure.  Since the shuttles weren’t working, due to Covid, all bets were off for us.  

The view from the South Overlook.

This was a great trek and I am sure it is so much more beautiful without the haze.  But we enjoyed every minute of it.

While we were in Wyoming my selfie stick stopped working.  We had just bought the adapter I needed to make it work for crying out loud.  So off to Wally World we go and find me an awesome $5 selfie stick.  Man these prices have gone down. So we are now back in business.

Saturday comes and we don’t have much else to see in Gering, NE so I set out to find a much needed pedicure.  So, they don’t do things like we do back home.  There is not one on every corner and they are not all open on Saturday and Sunday.  So I call several, but I get answering machines.  I don’t leave a message, just figure I can wait until I get to South Dakota.  But one calls me back.  The Nail Bar is a solo operation and the woman just moved from Denver (yes, for a man) and tried to open up her business when Covid struck.  She had to get a job at Safeway to tide her over and she has been doing this for thirty years. I was so glad I got her.  She did a perfect job and had so many tips for me to help with my lack of services during our travels.  She even gave me a bottle of laquer to make my polish last longer.

So we met two couples here in Gering and got to sit out in the beautiful night air and visit till the wee hours. I just love how friendly RVers are!

Our next stop is the grand finale. Mount Rushmore!!! Finally!