. . . And So It Begins!

We decided to get on the road early to begin our adventure. So we loaded the car and we left Santa Fe around 5:00am. It wasn’t long before the sun began to reveal itself and the day started to brighten. We had a spectacular view of the sunrise as we neared Las Vegas (the one in New Mexico). Our drive was quiet and traffic free on this early Saturday morning. We had no plans to stop while in New Mexico so we just trudged along I25 enjoying the solitude. One thing I noticed along the drive was an unusual abundance of antelope. On this drive to Colorado we normally see a few of these beautiful animals but this morning we were graced with a larger number. Another thing I noticed was the dryness of the landscape. Everything was still brown and dead looking and since it is June I thought it would have been greener. We could also see a haze off to our left as we passed the are of the Ute Park fire.

As we made our way over Raton Pass and into Colorado things changed. The landscape became greener and there was a little more traffic on the roads. In Pueblo we decided to stop for gas and to get something to eat. We had a nice relaxing breakfast and then filled the car up before continuing on our drive. Leaving Pueblo we joined the increasing traffic headed north on I25. The traffic was non-stop from just north of Pueblo all the way through Denver and up to Fort Collins. Pretty much bumper to bumper with a few total stops thrown in. It took us about three hours and 15 minutes to get from Pueblo to Fort Collins. After Fort Collins the traffic cleared and it was smooth sailing heading up into Wyoming.

Once we reached Cheyenne we stopped to do a little letterboxing. We stopped at Lakeview Cemetery and looked for two boxes. We were lucky and found both boxes - Rocky Mountain Harry by Silver Eagle and Tubular Dude by Taken to the Woodshed. Both were easy finds and we were soon on our way again. This time heading up to Fort Laramie. We made our way to Fort Laramie National Historic Site. First, we checked in at the Visitor Center where I got my cancellation stamps and we picked up a map and some postcards. I also decided to do the Junior Ranger program. Second, we left the Visitor Center and toured the grounds. While walking around I answered the questions in the Junior Ranger booklet. Once we were done we returned to the Visitor Center so I could turn in my booklet and get my Junior Ranger badge. Then it was time to head out. Just after leaving Fort Laramie National Historic Site we stopped at a cemetery to look for a series of letterboxes. We found Famous Sightings Along the Nebraska Road (4 boxes) by The Bear Team. Once we were done with these boxes we continued on to Guernsey. Here we went to a parking area along the Guernsey Fish Pond. We followed the paved path along the pond and found Azroadie's Wyoming Tree. After a nice walk and finding the box we returned to the car to head to our hotel for the night.

An hour after leaving Guernsey we arrived in Douglas. We stopped for dinner and then headed to the hotel. After a much desired shower it is time to get some rest. We continue on tomorrow making our way to Rapid City.