July 4th was a beautiful day for traveling, which was good, because we had a lot of it to do. We celebrated our Independence by driving 600 miles across the fruited plains of Kansas and Colorado. "Plain" is a good description of the landscape in more ways than one. We ended the day with about 1500 miles on the trip odometer - almost 1/3 of the driving done!
Speaking of driving, Daniel got his feet wet by driving for several hours today for a total of over 200 miles. He enjoyed the 75 mph speed limit on I-70 through Kansas. Bethany wants to drive also, but with only a learner's permit and a few minutes of driving experience, we're going to wait until the next trip for her!
It wasn't long before we made our first stop...
In Abilene, there is a Russell Stover Chocolate Factory with an outlet store. Ever since Zane Ziegler told me about this place, it's been calling my name! Inside were stacks and stacks of chocolates, some seconds, some out-of-date seasonal. We ended up buying $25 worth, which is quite a lot of discounted chocolate!
We stopped for lunch at Hays, Kansas. (Can you think of a more rural-sounding name than "Hays, Kansas?") There were lots of options, but we chose a double-decker KFC and, of course, ate atop the second floor which had its own private restroom.
Western Kansas and eastern Colorado is a whole lot of empty. We saw many abandoned farmsteads, miles and miles of gigantic windmills, and lots of nothing. There are still a lot of wide open spaces out west! Sometimes my kids complain about Alliance being small and uneventful, but we look like a booming metropolis compared to this region.
We arrived at our destination of the Lee's family EARLY (about 10 minutes!) and there was much rejoicing as sisters and cousins greeted each other. Addison took us on a tour of their home, and we enjoyed catching up on life with one another. Megan wasn't too sure of Daniel with his goatee, but started warming up to him by the end of the night. Adam and Patti very generously provided a delicious supper of salad, grilled chicken and corn on the cob.
After dinner, we headed to a local golf course for fireworks and the chance for more conversation. All in all, it was a great way to celebrate our nation's independence.
Since I had planned this whole trip in advance, but had left the next two days open for whatever Adam and Patti recommended, I told Debbie that she could make the choices regarding our activities. She, in turn, asked the kids. Daniel said he wanted to go mountain climbing. I quickly reminded Debbie that I had asked HER, not Daniel, for a plan. But it was too late. The die was cast. Adam said he had a great spot in mind for us tomorrow to get up early and be out by 7 a.m. - to climb the Flatirons.
Sounds fun.
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