Re-entering the Rockies…

To balance our itinerary, we decided to stop in Kearny, Nebraska. This small city of 34,000 people is home to the University of Nebraska. The westward push of the railroad as the Civil War ended gave new birth to that community.

What we didn’t know though, was that 500,000 sandhill cranes annually descend on Kearney, along with thousands of birders, making the place the number spot to observe and study this species of birds. 

One thing we were lucky with, so far, was the weather that remained sunny, but not too hot and just perfect, it’s only when we woke up in Kearny, that we realized that it had rained overnight. As we got back on the road, we encountered a few light showers that turned into partially sunny skies as we approached Wyoming and ended up the day in Laramie. 

This is a typical western town as they exist all over the Rockies with wide streets, wild business signage and hodgepodge activity and architecture. Still, Laramie seems to be a vibrant college town (university of Wyoming) and a hub for outdoor recreation and Western culture. 

Probably not a gastronomic spot, but its hard to have it all! However, its 7,200 feet high elevation and harsh, windy winters and limited access means a tough life for people who live there. With our trip now coming to a close with just one-fifth left to travel, we were seriously looking forward to reaching our Park City home tomorrow night…