Day Twenty: Casper, WY to Denver, CO

We've had a long day, and I'm feeling wiped out, so I'll post today's update and work on the Yellowstone update tomorrow or Monday. Here's highlights from Saturday, 9 August:

• We had a very nice stay at the Sleep Inn in Casper (actually Evansville, just next to Casper). The continental breakfast included waffles, so it was basically a whole meal. Kiersten misbehaved a little, but this was probably because she enjoyed not being in a car.
• We checked out a little later than usual, because we had to finish packing. However, today was a shorter drive, so we didn't feel the urgency to get moving. We planned on going back to the Wal-Mart in Casper for groceries, but it occurs to us that we want to go East, not West. Fortunately, I found a free publication which outlines what's at each exit on Wyoming's highways. Between that and the advice from the hotel clerk, we decide to press East and find food in that direction.
• Travel on I-25 is great. The speed limit is mostly 75 mph, so the miles roll by very quickly.
• We stop at a Subway in Wheatland, WY for lunch. Thank goodness the $5 footlong program is still going.
• After a short time, we pass by Cheyenne, WY. Unfortunately, we forgot that F.E. Warren Air Force Base is nearby. We also forgot that we could have stopped at the base commissary for even cheaper groceries. Nuts.
• We cross from Wyoming into Colorado shortly after that. For some reason, I use Kiersten's Hello Kitty book to quiz Christina on state nicknames. Colorado is the "Centennial State" for reasons we don't understand. (Later, we learn it's because Colorado received its statehood 100 years after the U.S. was founded.)
• It takes us a little longer to get to Denver, as traffic increases and the speed limit drops around the city. We finally arrive at our destination around 3:30. We're now staying with our friends Mark and Danielle, whom we knew from law school and haven't seen in 5 years.
• Mark and Danielle have two kids, one of whom is a girl named Isabel who's only two years older than Kiersten. They play independently at first, but they seem to become more interested in each other as the evening goes on. By the end of the night, the girls are sharing a room and playing with each other's baby dolls. We're glad Kiersten found a friend on this trip.
• Mark and Danielle prepare a fabulous dinner, and we later relax while watching a movie. It's great catching up, and we're grateful for the room and board for the night.

Tomorrow, we'll be off to church and brunch, followed by a lengthy drive through Kansas. We presume we'll be stopping in Salina, KS, but we don't have a set destination yet.

Rating: A good day with a short drive. Grade: A.

Total miles driven to date: 3,848 miles. (We need an oil change!)