50 States Day 27

Minden to Alliance, NE    305 miles

"There's nothing like biting off more than you can chew, and then chewing anyway."

~Mark Burnett

Today we travelled quite a bit. The weather, between 55 and 65 with wind, threatened to rain on us all day. The (PP!) Gerbing gear, without plugging it into the bike, worked great. Enough of the trip, time for more culture!

Ladies and gentlemen, just oustide of Alliance, Nebraska, lies the centerpiece of Americana, of a cultural icon like no other. I am proud to present to you (drumroll, please);

Carhenge!

Built to the exact dimensions of a similar yet much less worthy art form known as Stonehenge, these cars represent... well, we don't know what they represent, but what innovation, what creative genius, to create this testament to the car!

Nothing inspires like seeing a '63 Plymouth Valiant stacked on top of a couple station wagons, painted '50s puke green. 

Truly inspiring.

I walked this hallowed place, in awe, among the greats; (PP!) '58 Cadillac, Willys Jeep, Vega station wagon, Plymouth coupe with those awesome fins. 

Truly I stood in the midst of greatness.

I've seen the others. Stonehenge. Bunch of rocks. Truckhenge, not bad. But Carhenge? The pinnacle of hengeing, to be sure!

They say it has mystical powers, a spiritual awakening, just like Stonehenge. 

I believe.

I stood in the middle, eyes closed. Deep breaths. Hands outstretched, palms up. Emptied my mind.

And a small voice captured my mind.

It said,

"I think I need to change my oil."

         ~

CAMPGROUND REVIEW

We stopped a few days ago at (PP!) Pioneer village Campground. Parked the bike in front. Went in to the front desk. The guy saw the bike with the website on it and asked, "Are you a blogger?" I said yes.

"I'll give you a free night for a good review."

What!? That sounded like a bribe!

I said, "Well, if it's great, I'll give it a good review."

He assured me it was great and gave me a free night.

Not real comfortable with this. Oh, well. I examined my conscience and after staying there two nights, I decided to do a completely positive review of the place:

It's off the highway enough so you don't hear traffic. Very nice!

The spots are level, and even after the horrendous stormy night,our tent stayed dry. Excellent.

They have marvelous trees, and they are labelled. Cool.

They mow the grass. Thank you.

The most important aspect of camping for us is the bathrooms, as we live in our own little house. We enjoyed their unique motif and decor. 

For instance, when we turned on the water it came out in a nice cinnamon color, much better than boring clear water we have come to expect.

The architect, in keeping up the cinnamon theme, provided the color relief to that boring white tile. 

After two days I didn't feel compelled to take a shower, but to 'take one for the team' and provide you with an actual shower experience, I took one. And, positively, it was very very wet.

You know how modern restaurants and building have a 'deconstruction' look, like with exposed heat ducts in the ceiling? The architect took great pains to create this image too, with good results:

The trash can remained full for the two days we were there, and thank the Lord for it! You may be thinking, "Oh, come on, it's tough to keep up with six campers. They're just overwhelmed." However, the trash cans didn't budge in the wind. Imagine the irritating sound of a garbage can crashing around the place in the middle of the night. But no sir! They stayed put.

Finally, this is the closest campground, no other in the country, to Pioneer Museum. 

In summary, there are thousands of campgrounds across America, and I can say with absolute authority, with passion and commitment;

This is one of them.