Going down the descent was kinda exhausting and, even though we didn’t eat very long ago, we were hungry for lunch.  I was finally getting to go to Beau Jo’s for pizza—mountain pies and prairie pies.  I had been debating all week which kind of pizza I wanted to order, then when we get to the restaurant, we find out that they have a lunch buffet with 6 different pizzas and a full salad bar.  We were even instructed how to eat the mountain pie crust with honey.  I tried every type of pizza, got some pasta salad and they even had lime jell-o, which is my dad’s favorite.  I stuffed myself to the point where it hurt to stand up.  The restaurant was expecting more of a crowd, so they made a couple additional pizzas and told us that we could take leftovers in a box.  My dad made a box and I couldn’t even stand up yet.  When my dad left, she gave him a bag with honey in it for the crust.  Wow.  By the time I did stand up, my waitress would not let me go without filling a box of pizza.  I saw they brought out a new pizza with some caramelized fruit on it.  I really wanted to try it, but I was just too darn full and I couldn’t even think about putting anything else in my mouth.
We then drove down 1-25 to Pueblo, which is at a lower elevation and is a half hour  and there was a huge back-up for a few miles along I-25.  Traffic was moving maybe 3 miles per hour and all of a sudden this Oklahoma truck in front of me.

Pulled off and drove across the grass easement onto the parallel highway road.  Other trucks and a couple cars started jumping ship too, but we stayed in the line considering how low my car sits.  The further along, the steeper the easement got anyway…someone was bound to flip if they tried.

We get to the La Quinta in Pueblo and we get the stuff brought in.  My dad wants to go out and get food, so he does and asks me if I want any more of the pizza.  As much as I wanted totry that new pizza, I still could not force anything down my throat.  So my dad goes and offers the pizza to the girl about to get off her shift.  I later find out she didn’t take it and if I had known, I would have probably eaten the pizza the next day…or maybe not.  We will never know.

Anyway, my dad goes out to get food, brings me back Wendy’s that I force down my throat.  I sit in the hotel watching some celebrity memorabilia auction show on SyFy and wind up falling asleep not long after for a long, fun day planned tomorrow.  It’ll be the day we leave Colorado, so we gotta make the best of it!

Hey guys - sorry for any typos or improper grammar in these recent blogs. I am writing these quickly in the morning between getting breakfast and packing things up with my dad.  Eight hour drives take a long time and the earlier we can get out the better.  I apologize if my rushed mornings hinder my writing here...or I can just blame Greenup, Illinois...right?  (And you didn't need to apologize for all of Illinois, Anuja...you're all I care about in the state anyway ;) )

Crossing into The West.  Everyone who really knows me knows that I love John Ford westerns-- John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, etc.  Not only did I see the gateway to The West, dad and I went up it!  That's right, we went up the St. Louis Arch!  At 630 feet, it's not as tall as the Sears Tower, but the structure itself is immaculate and the ride up is worth the 10 dollars.  The little 4 foot round space pod rotates as you go up, so you always stay in place inside the pod.  The views at the top were amazing, everyone working there was so nice-- even the trash man at the lot we parked in was incredibly joyful.  He's a single dad eith a 6 year old son who holds down 2 jobs to support his song and himself.  Great story and a great man.  You really can't appreciate the size of the Arch until you see it, but man you have to see it and you have to take the trip up it in the little pod.  It's a little crammed, so lose 5 pounds to make it more comfortable :P  In all seriousness, St. Louis is an amazing city.  In fact, I have thoroughly enjoyed every major city I have visitied in the Midwest so far.  The people are so friendly, especially compared to DC, and I just have this striking feeling that I am going to feel the same way about Colorado.  We'll see in 8 hours!

So, Effingham, IL to Junction City, KS where they have an atomic cannon, Buffalo Bill historic material (maybe even his tomb), an obsession with neon lights (a flashing bullseye at a gun store and 3 of the 4 banks have neon signs of increasing gaudiness) and an active train railroad.  Dad and I got caught at the railroad crossing after crossing to the other side of Chestnut Street in search of dinner.  I was so out of it when we first got to the hotel that I didn't even realize he was waiting for me for 20 minutes outside to go get food.  Seems like the 3 places to get food that weren't burger joints (we stopped at Steak n Shake for lunch...first time and yummy!) and settled on Church's fried chciken, which has the most disgusting gravy for their mashed potatoes I've eaten.  (Yes, McD buds, worse than Glar!)

Of course, after crossing the railroad track, my dad said that he didn't know why it was there, not like a train is going to come through.  We cross over and get to Sonic, and that's when we hear the train.  We drive down past the wrap around building and the stripper bar and we hear another train, which may have been the same train actually.  We get to the crossing, wait 5 min or so, figuring the train is loading or unloading...and then the train starts moving backwards!

The guys in front of us ask us to move back, we ask them for a detour and got our way back to the Quality Inn and instantly fell asleep.

Now, as has been the case with the last two days, it is time for breakfast.  More tomorrow...from Colorado!!!  ...There's no place like home, but I have definitely gotten this Kansas experience!  I'm sure there is more to see and I'll see that part of the state when I come back...you know, when my best friend and I drive all our stuff out here on our way to Colorado.  (Don't worry, Ajay...cornfrield pictures a comin'!)

Breakfast.  Later.

Never EVER stay in Greenup, IUllinois!!!!

We get there and the sign is dimly lit with "Vacany available" like in those scary little motel places.  The owner, who lookerd Indian, was telling us how they have permanent residents who live there for $100 a week and that there is KKK there who have scared off minoeity families.  We ask if there is Internet and he said that the wind blew out the Internet a few days ago, but you might get a signal.  The password is sleepwellm which of course did not work.  I should have taken that as a sign...

Go into the room and the bathroom has rings around it, the knobs to the bathtub and the sink are slimy and the room smelled of mold.  I will post pictures when I get home, but the tub was seriously stained pale green.  I wanted to experience America...I guess I didn't know what I was bargaining for.

Went to this barnyard sized shack cvalled Stagecoach for dinner, which was pleasantly amusing.  From the outside, it looked like another Greenup Inn.  Inside, it was the farthest from that that you could expect in that town.  It even had christmas lights...and Halloween lights.  ...It is a hick town.  Heck, this old guy, standing by the old shoe factory, which was destroyed by arson over the summer, even aswked my dad "Why are you staying here?!?!"

That being said, we left, got the payment voided and...I STAYED AT A HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS LAST NIGHT!  And it was fantastic.  We check in, tell the gfirl at the front desk, who is quite cute by the way, the story and it was a very pleasant stay.  More to tell about this, but I'm hungrey and I want breakfast before hewading out to Junction City, MO!  ...It can't get worse than Greenup.  I'll keep my eyes peeled for Holiday Inn Express, haha!