We ate outside briefly before packing up and heading about 25 minutes down the road. Wind Cave National Park was our important destination of the morning, and we arrived in time for a 10:20am Field tour. Even though we weren’t supposed to have any food or drink with us, Arielle brought some Starbursts with her in case she got weak and claustrophobic. We descended a few hundred feet over the course of the tour, which lasted about an hour and a half, and got to see some pretty incredible formations while going up and down 495 steps, learning about its mythical origins and how so much of the cave is still being excavated. This $12 per person tour was a very worthwhile stop.
We got on the road, following country roads into Wyoming. The drive south through the state wasn’t anywhere near as beautiful as it was when we drove west through Wyoming back in August, but it was relatively uneventful. The apocalyptic clouds we saw above us barely materialized into any precipitation, which was a relief. Eventually, we got to a major highway and drove through Cheyenne, crossing soon after into Colorado.
Our aim was to arrive in Fort Collins by 5pm so Arielle could attend the opening dinner for the Kavod v’Nichum Jewish Funerals and Burial Conference, and we pulled into the Best Western University Inn at around 5:15pm. It’s a strange hotel that features a secret parking lot accessible only through an underpass from the main parking lot, and so we had to drive through that every time we went to our room, which was in the second tower. After checking in, we drove about five minutes to the Colorado State University campus, where it took us some time to find the dining hall where dinner was being held. We registered for the conference and Arielle remained there for dinner and some sessions. Abe drove back towards the hotel, stopping at Noodles and Company to try a modified dish with zucchini noodles, asparagus, garlic, and white wine. He ate it back at the hotel while catching up on TV and blogging, and opted not to get it again since the flavors didn’t mix all that superbly. Abe drove to pick up Arielle later that night when she was done, and we spent some time in the hot tub relaxing before heading to bed.
Approximate number of miles covered: 304
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