This continues my coverage of our trip out west … the move to Portland. This leg is from Omaha, NE to Cheyenne, WY.

You might as well look at these and these while you read.

Nebraska started getting hilly, rocky and very pretty near the end. The first ¾ was pretty boring. As we neared Wyoming the rocks and cliffs started getting higher. The sparse clouds were low and scattered the low flat land, and some of the hillsides, with pronounced patches of shade.

We pulled off at the rest area near Pine Bluffs to wait out a rainstorm that was moving across the interstate 20 miles away. It looked like a bad storm too, so we didn’t want to chance it. We hadn’t hit anything heavier than sprinkles up to this point (and actually never did). After feeling comfortable that we would miss the storm we started driving again, anxious to see what the La Quinta in Cheyenne, WY had in store for us.

Cheyenne isn’t a ghost town, but it’s as close as I ever want to come to one. There were signs of life, but none that I’d like to test for vital signs. A biker bar or two, a 6 foot boot sculpture in front of a local bank, a collapsed two-story building, a creepy “meth makes your mouth look like shit” billboard; those were some of the many things that greeted us when we drove around to take pictures. Then another storm rolled in and the whole place got dark. Time to go back to the hotel.

Our food choices were: Village Inn. Yep, that’s all we saw. It was late and this felt like one of those towns where restaurants close at or before dinner time. Though, come to think of it, I don’t remember seeing any other restaurants. Either way, we were tired of driving and Village Inn was next to the La Quinta.

Might I mention this was the last time we stayed at a La Quinta? It wasn’t horrible, but when compared to a Holiday Inn Express you notice the difference. Sure, you can say it. We’re spoiled. But it’s so much better when your continental breakfast has fruit as an option, when you don’t have to wait for the internet, when your showerhead isn’t clogged, when the towels are soft, and when the coffee is strong(er). Yep, spoiled.