4 March

Well, having a hot bath relaxed me all right. The summary for today then is I got up, drove and went to bed.


But in the greater detail all my readers have come to expect, I continue (until sleep takes over).

I was awake not long before 6 and then was up not long after 6. After the usual, I had my breakfast (and was asked about how to easily cash work cheques by a fellow breakfaster, but had to admit that as a traveller from overseas I couldn’t assist). I packed the car, then checked out and left at just after 7. As I had enough petrol, I was quickly onto the Interstate and heading west.
The scenery was very familiar, to the rubbish in the farmers’ paddocks to the wheat bins. I had forgotten to mention that in Ohio I had seen “silage sausages”, so I was feeling as if I was driving through homelands. I had still not been able to get a map of Kansas, so I looked at the next rest stop, but no luck. Then I saw a Visitor Centre in a little town called Colby. I called in but it wasn’t yet open, so I went over the road (actually) and filled up with petrol. When I returned, the operator was there and flipped his sign around to “OPEN”, and I went in. It was small but neat, with a desk, computer for public access, coffee and water, many brochures, toilets and a small picture gallery (in a stylised silo). After a quick chat (and getting a Kansas map at last), another person called in. He was a local policeman, showing off his new Dodge Charger; so we discussed cars and the Charger advertising campaign (Hey Charger!). Then it was a summary of a trip to Australia to see the country with his son (fly into Darwin, Ghan to Adelaide and then a coastal drive to Sydney through Melbourne and fly back to the US).
After that, and a chat about tourism in small towns with Ralph, the operator, I left and went down to the Post Office and posted a parcel and two postcards. I still have to pack up my parcel to go home, as I need good weather and the car right next to the motel and enough time.
Back on the Interstate (70) I was now an hour behind schedule. I could not resist stopping at the Welcome Centre for Colorado (got a map) and filled in the Visitors’ Book. The older person behind the counter asked if I had been in the forces in World War Two. I wasn’t quite sure how to react, but replied I hadn’t even been born. He then asked if dad had trained in the US (a lot of people believe the US trained almost everyone who fought in both wars), but I said no, he trained in Australia.
Off again, I rang Pat. He is about to become Velma’s husband, but Velma is away at sea. We arranged to meet at the place I had found to cash my traveller’s cheques. I found it, cashed them and then rang Pat – to find he was parked just opposite and recognised me from pictures he had seen. We met, then headed off to have lunch together. We found we had a lot in common in our work and our careers. Finally we parted and I headed off to the airport to visit an Alamo rental car agency. I parked outside their compound (the driveway had spikes to prevent driveouts). I went in, a little hyped up because of the treatment when I had picked the car up and found an empty counter and staff. I explained the situation and Michelle cleared it all up in a few seconds, printed out another agreement and explained everything. I couldn’t resist and wrote a commendation for her – after all, if I complain when service is bad, I should praise when service is good. As I went out, I marvelled at the size of their operation – five rows of cars to be serviced and cleaned and to be out soon again. But then I recalled Bayswater, and that with them the cars wouldn’t even have been sitting there (they would have been out again).
Filled with optimism, I headed out and found that I was just over an hour from Colorado Springs. After a quick trip down I booked into a Howard Johnson (no laundry, so I’ll have to do it tomorrow or the next day – because I’ll be out of clean clothes by then). I decided to have an early night, had a bath and then did the rest of my computer work. Then I settled early to go off to sleep with the TV to put me to sleep.
Currently my plan is the Chapel at the Colorado Springs USAF Academy tomorrow, then head off into Utah to see the natural features including Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon, Page (Lake Powell), Hoover Dam and then visit (or more properly, pass through) Las Vegas on my way to Yosemite and Death Valley.