Greetings from Kearney, Nebraska!

Now, you're wondering, what the heck is there to do in Kearney (pronounced "Carnie") Nebraska?

The answer, as far as I can tell after 3 hours here, consists of the following:

• Eat at Grandpa's Steak House (pretty decent filet, preceded by a ragingly bad salad bar experience. Let's just say smoked herring played a primary role.);
• Go to a conference, since Kearney is the Conference Capital of the state of Nebraska;
• Post to your blog from the lobby of the Americ-Inn Lodge & Suites;
• Visit Harold Warp's Pioneer Village.

Not that SAL and I have made it to the latter. While I'm a closet fan of the historical village experience, SAL--who has always been a fancy-shoe type of person--is rather traumatized by childhood memories of churning butter on a field trip to Connor Prairie outside of our hometown of Indianapolis. Her reluctance, combined with the fact that we got a late start out of Des Moines (a surprisingly cool and fun little town) this morning, meant that I didn't push the envelope. Instead, we spent what free time we had this afternoon at the Hastings Museum's permanent Birthplace of Kool-Aid exhibit. (I'm no fool. I may like a historical village, but I know a not-to-be-missed encounter with kitsch when I see it.)

Our only regret? Not budgeting the time to make a side trip to Alliance, NE to visit Carhenge. I never thought I'd say this, but there may in fact be a reason to return to Nebraska.

Moving on to the Weirdest Moment of the Day Award, we come to our sighting, right outside of Omaha, of a white claw-footed bathtub in the left-hand lane of Hwy 80. Once we got over the Near-Death-Experience of it all (I mean, my little Forester is proving a terrific road-trip vehicle but I can't say how she'd fare in the face of pure porcelain), we decided we needed to report this thing.

Me [practically hysterical]: Hello? Hello?

911: You're breaking up on me. How can I help you?

Me: I'm calling to report a bathtub on Highway 80! In the westbound lane, just past 193rd Street!

911 [bored, thinking she's being pranked]: Ma'am, 193rd Street doesn't intersect with Highway 80.

Me: SAL! She says 193rd Street doesn't intersect with Highway 80!

SAL [from the passenger's seat]: It was just past the 193rd Street overpass! The overpass!

Me [into the phone]: The overpass!

Needless to say it emotions were running high. And you thought Nebraska was boring.

Tomorrow, we will drive the final leg into the great state of Colorado. We plan to get up early and be on the road by 7:30 or so, after partaking of our complimentary "Expanded Continental Breakfast" here at the Americ-Inn. This should give us our first views of the Flatirons at around noon, Mountain time. Wish us luck!