I have to admit that I have fallen behind on my Blog.
Suzie and I were sooooo busy visiting various places that I just couldn't keep up.
We are now back in Florida and are still busy every day but I am going to try to get you caught up on what happened between Mexico and here, so ........ here we go!
After we crossed the border back into the U.S. we spent some time visiting with family in Southern California.
Then it was time to start heading home to Marathon, Florida.
This year, we decided that we were starting our eastbound trip late enough in the spring that we would try to take a northerly route if the weather stayed warm enough and dry enough that we could avoid snow.
We started the journey with a couple of nights in Las Vegas. We always find interesting things to see there.
Then we started out traveling northbound on Interstate 15 into Utah. We love the drive through the interesting rock formations in the Utah desert.
The trip took us to Interstate 70 where we turned eastbound toward Colorado.
When we got to Grand Junction, Colorado, we spent 2 nights.
We arrived the day before we had reservations to visit the Yampah Hot Springs and Vapor Caves in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
We have made many visits to the Yampah Spa located at the Yampah Hot Springs and have always enjoyed it so we were really looking forward to our visit.
We were not disappointed.
Yampah Spa is located right next to the Colorado River and is a very old facility that is built right into the side of the Rocky Mountains in Glenwood Springs.
Once inside, you get signed in for your massage and then head off to the locker rooms to change into your bathing suit.
Then you walk down some steps that lead you into an underground vapor cave that goes back into the mountain. It is so hot and steamy that we couldn't take our camera in without steaming it to death so we got some internet pictures to help explain.
The pictures show a well lit cave but the actual cave is very dark and mysterious. There are several short tunnels that lead to small cavelike rooms. In each room are several large slabs of smooth marble that are arranged so that you can sit or lie on them. The entire atmosphere is very hot and steamy and the stone benches are the same hot temperature as the air.
When you lie on the bench, you can feel the heat start to soak into your aching muscles and can feel the tension of the day just melt away.
We can usually stay in the cave for 10-15 minutes before we are so sweaty and hot that we have to take a break. You walk back upstairs and go out to a small patio where the cool mountain air quickly takes the heat away.
After a few minutes of cooling down, we head back into the cave for round 2. We usually take 3-4 trips down into the cave with cool downs in between and then it is time for a quick shower before our massages.
After the shower, you put on the bathrobe they provide and then we usually spend about 1/2 hour before the massage lying in the comfortably warm solarium.
They have very pleasant "spa" music tinkling in the background which mixes nicely with the splashing sounds of the fountain in the solarium which quickly lulls you into semi-consciousness.
Just about the time you are about to fall completely asleep, the nice lady calls your name and takes you to your private massage room. The individual rooms are warm and dark and as soon as you are comfortably arranged on the massage table, the lady comes back in and provides the best massage either one of us has ever had.
We think the effect is probably enhanced by the time spent in the vapor cave and solarium but the cumulative effect is amazing and we always leave the spa wishing that we lived close enough to make this a weekly event.
Next to the spa is the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool and Hotel which is the world's largest outdoor mineral pool.
We have never been in town long enough to visit the pool, but it is gigantic and is on our list of places to visit on a future trip.
Across the street from the pool is the Hotel Colorado. It is fun to walk through this historic old hotel.
Another interesting place to visit is the old Linwood Cemetery. It is located on a hillside above town and is a nice hike from a parking lot.
This is a beautiful, old cemetery where Doc Holliday is buried.
It is believed that Doc Holliday spent his last days in Glenwood Springs because he was suffering from Tuberculosis and thought the vapor caves might help his condition.
After enjoying our visit in Grand Junction and Glenwood Springs, it was time to continue eastbound.
The trip over the Rocky Mountains is always spectacular and this time was no exception. We encountered a short stretch where we were being snowed upon but it didn't stick to the roadway and added to the beauty of the drive.
Driving beside the Colorado River is just a beautiful sight.
The engineering and sheer determination that they used to place the roadway over the Rockies was amazing.
As we got into the higher elevations, the weather changed and the temperature dropped.
It is a long, steep climb to the top of the mountain before you start to drop down the eastern slope into Denver.
You don't actually get to the top of the mountains because they dug a huge tunnel through the mountain before you actually crest the top.
As you can see from the sign, the tunnel is very high.
Once through the tunnel, it is all downhill to Denver.
When we arrived at Denver, we got off of Interstate 70 and took Interstate 76 up to Interstate 80 where we continued eastbound to North Platte, Nebraska.
At North Platte, we set up camp in a nice RV park and then went exploring.
Suzie had read about an interesting attraction on our Roadside America App. so we headed for the west end of town to visit the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center.
This visitor center is built next to the Union Pacific "Bailey Yard".
Bailey Yard is the world's largest train yard. It covers 2,850 acres and every day Bailey Yard handles 10,000 railroad cars. 3,000 of those cars are sorted to make sure the cargo reaches it's final destination.
This internet picture gives a good view of the action.
The yard is almost completely automated and each of the cars is sorted and routed onto the correct track to build complete trains that then head off to the correct destination.
The cars are automatically routed onto the correct track after going over a "Hump" which is a small hill just before a bunch of switches that are computer controlled to shift each car from the main track to a siding where they build up the trains that move on to their final destination.
This diagram shows how the humps route the cars to one of many tracks.
We also visited Buffalo Bills ranch but we were there too late to take the tour.
We did visit a touristy junk store where Suzie bought some post cards.
They had lots of interesting displays including this 2 headed calf.
They had a very educational T-shirt.
I can't write any more right now because it is hot outside and time to go ride on the jet skis. I will write more soon.
Get out there and see something and please send pictures.
Tom & Suzie
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