You know its a good tailwind when . . .

So here's what I learned on Ride the Rockies 2008: You know its a good tailwind when you can smell your own farts. I also found out that old truckers never die -- they just get a new Peterbilt (oh come on -- it's a truck!!!). Can't wait to see what I learn this year!

There is a HUGE wind farm just West of Salina Kansas (remember the tornado story -- obviously an ample supply of wind). Tough taking photos out of a moving car but what a site. Renewable energy -- some debate over impact to environment particularly in the path of migratory birds but the blades move quite slowly. The blades are HUGE -- saw one on a semi -- we think they are about 100' long!

Did you know that the person that penned "America the Beautiful" got their inspiration while at the top of Pikes Peak -- which is in Colorado of course. Here's what they meant by "amber waves of grain". Obviously there is nothing about overcast skies -- seeing lots of that this trip.

If you read yesterday's blog you read about the tornado last year in Salina Kansas. It was such a big deal there was a front page article in the paper. 4 cars of storm chases passed us on the road -- radios, cameras, plexi-glass covering for their windows -- very cool! Unfortunately they were headed the way we were headed and they were actually heading -- well to a tornadoe. So this is what a storm with a strong possibility of producing a tornado looks like from a vehicle on I-70.

Beautiful, scary, and weirdly wonderful all at once. So we went from the view from the windshield above to this:

Yea - it was worth it!

In Marietta we saw the importance of river transport to a city. In Colorado it was all about the Iron Horse -- the railroad. Mining villages would hope upon hope that folks thought their mines were worthy of a stop on the rail line -- it guaranteed the health of the town. No railroad, no town. And once the mines dried up, the railroad moved on -- and towns died. Thanks to tourism, skiing, and other trends these cities are living again -- thanks to Eisenhower and I-70 and other major highways he helped get built during his administration.

So I'll leave you with some photos of Idaho Springs -- a successful mining town that has successfully made the transition to a modern day town. Hope to ride tomorrow -- will post more photos and maybe video.