Thursday, July 17, 2008

On The Road with Alec: Limon Colorado

Limon Colorado. Just over 500 miles from Kansas City. Headed to Granby Colorado and the Rocky Mountain National Park.

We left Overland Park right at noon - got a late start but it doesn't matter, because we are on vacation! No schedules, no deadlines, just do what we're doing.

Drove clear across Kansas, stopped just for fuel, food and a few rest areas. Alec was great - played game boy, ate Mc Donalds, Burger King and Taco Tico. Soda and junk food - diet of great explorers!

At one rest area in Western Kansas, they were repainting the pavement markings. The paint crew was just wrapping up as we got there. As we were getting ready to leave, one of the crew came over and showed us how they make the paint reflective - they spray it with little tiny glass beads! He had a paint can full of glass beads they spray on the wet paint and showed Alec and I. I had heard of this but never seen the material before. Alec was fascinated. I was too...

Earlier in the day Alec saw his first wind farm. All along I-70 they are planting 300 foot wind turbines. We got to drive past a set right next to the highway and Alec got a good look. Some time back I got a chance to sit right under a turbine in South West Kansas somewhere - they are really fascinating. Alec was concerned about the animals living in the fields with the turbines - they had horses corralled in one field. He thought they might get electrocuted.

Leaving Goodland, KS we stopped at another rest area to look for motel coupons and found Sunflowers instead - great huge sunflowers. They were so big I thought they were statues or fakes. No - they were real, seven foot tall sunflowers with flowers bigger than dinner plates. Amazing!

Pulling into Colorado, Alec saw a grain elevator and was fascinated by it - he said he likes grain elevators. Come to think of it, so do I. Pure function no thought to design or 'pretty', just great big tools to get a job done.

Stopped for the night here in Limon at some random motor hotel. I simply cannot stay in a modern motel with interior corridors. I love having the car 8 feet from the door. Plus, as a smoker I can get a non-smoking room and just step out the door to pound another nail in the coffin...

More to come as we travel...

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