The SOL Tour - July 20-22

After staying in Las Vegas seemingly almost long enough to establish residency, we were on our way back to Virginia. The unusually cloudy day helped set the mood as we turned on our satellite radio to the Sinatra channel and listened to the standards and wistfully made our way across the Strip and out of town.

Our intended destination was a yet-to-be determined location in Utah. We were surprised to find out that we would have to travel through a sliver of Arizona to get there. Here's a picture from our brief return to AZ.

We decided to stop for a quick tour and late lunch in Saint George, Utah. Like many cities and towns in the state, it was surrounded by picturesque mountains. The center of town seemed to be designed for tourists as there were a lot of motels along the main streets. The overall sights impressed Cathy enough that she half-jokingly suggested that we consider Saint George as a retirement destination. I said, "Sure...as long as I can go to Vegas once a month!"

We decided to have lunch at Jimmy John's, a fast-food restaurant that was referenced on a random Jerry Springer show we happened to catch before leaving for our road trip. Their tag line is that they make "freaky good" food "freaky fast!" I don't know about the "freak factor" but we received our sandwiches quickly enough - we were the only customers at the time - and  enjoyed them well enough.

Within twenty minutes of leaving sunny and warm Saint George, I was shocked - and Cathy relieved - that the temperature dropped thirty degrees with an accompanying drizzle as rode higher into the mountains. We took the following picture at a rest stop.

Eventually we arrived at in Richfield, UT, a town sandwiched between two national forests that we could not see due to darkness. The hotel, a Hampton Inn, was fine if not as outstanding as others we had or would visit. My most distinct memory was, as I was unable to deny my dinner hunger, finding out the one casual dining restaurant on our street was closed (at 9:00pm) and having to cross a sparsely lit thoroughfare to the convenience store across the street. After picking up a store-made sandwich, chips and soda for myself,  I spotted an "instant" milkshake machine and thought I'd give it a try as a surprise for Cathy. Unfortunately, it took many instances to get the milkshake together as even the staff person that helped me was having issues with this relatively new device. Eventually I did get the shake and, after playing "Frogger" across the street once again, all was well. The next day we were off to...

                            

                            

                            

We specifically chose the Staybridge Suites near the Denver International Airport for our next stay. This hotel ranked up there with the Hampton Inn in Phoenix as being the most comfortable place we stayed during our trip. I also recall the front desk staff being rather friendly as well.

The next morning, we toured a few sights, including a wild goose chase for Mile High Comics, a notable retailer for devoted fans such as yours truly. We would later find out that the location we found on the GPS was actually a distribution center and eventually found a location out in the 'burbs.

As you'll see, the main reason I was looking forward to Denver was to see their unique airport.

                           

                           

                           

                           

                           

Coors Field - Home of Colorado Rockies Baseball

Invesco Field at Mile High - Home of Broncos Football

Mile High Comics - Holy Grail to Geeks Everywhere

While getting ready to depart in the morning, Cathy noticed that we were only 90 miles away from Cheyenne, Wyoming. I had never thought I would ever see Wyoming, let alone on this trip.So we decided to satisfy our curiosity and make a slight detour north.

                           

We happened to stumble upon Cheyenne Frontier Days, possibly the biggest summer event in the city. If you have a hankering to see a rodeo and other things Western, this would be the time and place to do it.

                           

                           

                           

                           

       

Next stop....North Platte, Nebraska???

States visited:15.