Day 15 - still at Scottsbluff, NE - Nebraska on the Open Road

August 19, 2019

Day 15 - still at Scottsbluff, NE

It was quite foggy and damp this morning when I got up at six. I stayed in the tent writing until the sun broke through around 9:30am. I was happy with the progress I was making catching up, so stopped that and headed out at 11:24am for breakfast, which would be at the Log Cabin Restaurant and Lounge in Gering. I was happy to find an AC outlet at the booth I'd selected there. I wanted a full charge on the phone for afternoon picture-taking.

My afternoon plan was to visit Legacy of the Plains Museum, up the road near Scotts Bluff Monument. I arrived there at 12:58pm. After paying the $10 admission fee, I was given an overview of the museum's layout, which is color-coded according to topic. Picture-taking is allowed, and I went at that big-time. Many pictures are of text panels that I'll read in detail when I get back home. There are four video stations, as well as the introduction one, and I viewed them all. I was there until 4:30pm. It was a fun afternoon for me.

I headed back east to Runza, which is next door to where I ate breakfast. I had supper this time: bacon cheeseburger, side salad, and strawberry shake. Done at 5:08pm and on my way back to Riverview Campground.

The shoulder on the road I was on (Five Rocks Road) has a lot of debris. As I was coasting toward the bridge over the North Platte River, my rear tire picked up a decking screw. I was a half-mile from the campground, so I walked the bike back, arriving at 5:48pm. I was determined not to let anything keep me from getting the reports done, so I just let the bike sit.

The old Chevy Suburban was back at the campground this evening, and the owner was working on it. I went over and made my best guess as to the year - 1962. I was right! The owner, JD, is on a trip from California to the East Coast. It's fun for me to see this truck making a road trip. The truck has a few dents now, thanks to the recent hail storm. JD had a similar experience to the trailer owner I talked to yesterday morning, with hail stones crashing into his trailer.

At 6:45pm I decided I'd better use the last light of day to address the tire situation. The tube was obviously beyond repair, and I think the tire may be as well. I decided to see if I could get that solid-fill tire on. It went on quite easily. The hardware store worker who sold it to me said I would probably need to use a screwdriver, but I didn't. Now for a short test ride around the campground. The tire stayed on the rim, so maybe it will work. I flipped the bike back over to check for debris in the front tire. Then I noticed that the rear tire had already started to tear off tread at one spot along the edge. I'm curious to see what this tire will look like after a day's loaded riding. Maybe I'll find out tomorrow.

I checked Google Maps and there is a bike shop in Scottsbluff. I think I'll visit them in the morning on my way out of town. I need another spare tube, at least.

On with report writing, outside until the mosquitoes started biting, then in the tent. Finally, all caught up - at midnight.

Back on the road tomorrow.

Jeff

Spent: $12.84 plus $3 (lunch) + $20 (museum admission, donation) + $9.72 (supper) + $10 (campsite) = $55.56.