Day Four:
Twin Falls, Idaho to Pendleton, Oregon
350 miles
6.5 hours
Sunny
Click on photos for larger view.
Excellent coffee at the Lucky Perk in Meridian, Idaho.
We made it!
Heading toward Baker City with the Umatilla National Forest on the horizon.
Baker City, Oregon.
Found this great little cafe (Lone Pine Cafe) on Tripadvisor.
Hipster jukebox.
Probably the best carnitas I've ever tasted! The Rogue Dead Guy was pretty good, too.
Had to check out this independent bookstore. Only bought one book (If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name by Heather Lende), but I could have easily walked out with a lot more.
I-84 at Cabbage Hill. We had heard a lot about Deadman Pass, so we were prepared for the steep descent (6% downgrade for seven miles). It wasn't nearly as stressful as I'd anticipated, but I wouldn't want to drive it in the winter or at night!
Runaway truck ramp. Thankfully, the Silverado has an engine breaking switch, which I used quite a lot on this trip.
Another Tripadvisor find! Hamley's is a great restaurant that we'll definitely return to, if we're ever back in Pendleton.
Rod's dream bar!
Day Three:
Rock Springs, Wyoming to Twin Falls, Idaho
364 miles
6.75 hours
Mostly sunny
Had we not had beautiful weather and the gorgeous scenery to admire as we drove, this would have been a pretty boring day. As it was, the leg from Ogden to Twin Falls was not my favorite part.
Click on photos for larger view.
Gorgeous red rocks!
The Wasatch Mountains took my breath away with their beauty!
Roosters Brewing Company
Ogden, Utah
Excellent fish tacos and a Junction City Chocolate Stout.
Ogden, Utah
Somewhere in Idaho. It reminded me of Nebraska.
The Snake River
Twin Falls, Idaho
Day Two:
Sidney, Nebraska to Rock Springs, Wyoming
370 miles
7 hours (driving time)
Cold departure, but sunny from Laramie to Rock Springs
We were concerned about a possible delay between Cheyenne and Laramie, due to a late spring snow storm, which left Cheyenne with 8 1/2 inches of snow. However, the road, which had been closed for a couple of days, had reopened and was perfectly clear by the time we were ready to leave Sidney. We had a great lunch (clam chowder and a BLT) at Jeffrey's Bistro in Laramie and an excellent coffee just down the street at Night Heron Bookstore. Cute town!
The drive to Rock Springs was beautiful. We saw lots of wind-turbines, which looked pretty against the snowy hillsides. After settling in at our hotel and checking out recommendations on TripAdvisor, we headed out for dinner. We wound up at Bitter Creek Brewing, which had great beer and decent food.
Click on photos for larger view.
The view from Sierra Trading Post
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Lots of snow!
Heading to Laramie. Love the red rocks!
Delicious clam chowder
Jeffrey's Bistro
Laramie, Wyoming
Excellent coffee! Wish we could've spent more time relaxing here.
Reminded me of The Mill in Lincoln. I would definitely hang out here!
Roadkill and Sweetwater Wheat
Bitter Creek Brewing
Rock Springs, Wyoming
Our goofy waiter!
