Larkspur, Colorado to the middle of fucking nowhere, Nebraska, and then off to Hammond, Indiana.

Took off from Brian and LA's in the late morning and braved the fifteen different types of toll booths on the road around Denver. Made it, after a long, flat, boring drive to a place called "Mormon Lake". Thinking this sounded like a good place to party, we set up camp and went for a swim. Being a little close to the freeway and due to the steady 15 Mph wind rattling the tent, it was kinda difficult sleeping. At about 3:45am, Deb shakes me awake and says "Honey? Is that lightning?" My brain starts working and I realize that the tent is being illuminated by blue flashes and it smells like ozone and rain. We unzip the tent window and look out over the plains into the oncoming jaws of a HUGE lightning storm. "OK, Kids? Get up girls. we're movin'." Half an hour later, just as the first drops start falling, we're on the road amidst flashes of lightning and thunder that is literally coming every second or two.

Close escape.

Drove yesterday (the 8th) for a solid 13 hours through Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and into Indiana. We really couldn't find much to take pictures of. Either that, or I was just too thrashed from the early morning adreneline rush to care about photography.

Found a Marriott hotel in Hammond after a long slog through Illinois Friday night rush hour (wheee) and dove into the pool.

Off to Niagra Falls today!

Pics:

Satellite view of the flatness that is the "Great Plains".

Kenna's photography is entering it's "Shadow Period".

The "Rock River", which, since we couldn't find a way to easily get to the banks of the Mississippi, had to do.

Kaya at the Rock River, looking for turtles, of which there were plenty.

Kenna at the river control lock on the Rock river.

Definitely in the Heartland. The folks here are interested in us, kinda like "Hey Ma! Look at the man with the earrings!". I had a woman ask me if I was from "around here" last night. When I said I wasn't, she smiled and gave me the up and down look and said "I didn't think so".