On the Road: Omaha to Laramie (Pt 2)

On the open road and feeling much better, we began to power our way through Nebraska, a flat and veritably joyless state. Lunch was eaten out of the car, as we parked outside an almost certainly haunted old building that once housed the Millford Inn. Creepy photos to come. It was likely the only time Israeli couscous had been eaten there. We considered a seance, but, discouraged by the handwritten sign outside - "No Wi-Fi" - we continued our drive.

On one of the few occasions that the radio was turned down, though, we heard a sound coming from Kitty Jo that most resembled soulful, atonal humming. This time, it was Dorothy's turn to lose her composure, to the detriment of the tabloid in her hand (sorry, Twilight stars). We pulled over and cooled down while KJ did the same. Fortunately, arching across Route 80 was a surefire cure for the blues: The Grande Platte River Road Archway Monument (or GPRRAM). KJ burned rubber turning into the exit, and before long we were greeted by Curly the prospector, who told us about buying tickets and receiving our electronic headsets. We were then ushered up Nebraska's second longest escalator (really!!) and learned about the opening up of the American West through the promise of "gold, gold, GOLD!!" We came away from it with a new appreciation of the cultural history of the West (sort of), a commemorative pressed penny, and a lucky, three-legged pig, who wards off evil spirits and would ensure an uncomplicated rest of our trip. Right?