I must not get enough trains back east. They are all over the place here.
Loaded with coal heading east, empty coal cars heading west.

This is Dalton, NE. It's the first little town I've visited on this trip that has a store. The woman
at the store told me she had a 78 year old cycle through last year on his way from Alaska
to Key West. I ate a cookie.

After Dalton there was a long descent into the North Platte valley where I would join the route
of the westward pioneers. It would have been really awesome if it wasn't for the headwind slowing me down.

This is Courthouse Rock and Jail(house) Rock. These were key landmarks along the
pioneer trails that ran up the North Platte Valley--the Oregon Trail, the California Trail,
the Mormon Trail, and the Pony Express Route.
Someone rudely stepped right in front of Linda when she was taking this picture.

My daily complaint about the roads. When you repave the road, why not repave
the shoulder at the same time? I nearly bit it twice climbing up to the road. I can tell you the
pioneers on the Oregon Trail never had to deal with this kind of crap!

This one is Chimney Rock. It has a totally unnecessary visitor center.

I think these are Schoolhouse Rock, Grammar Rock, America Rock, and Multiplication Rock.
Of course, Grammar Rock was where the early pioneers mined the adverbs and adjectives
that they used to describe the hardships of western travel.

My only crossing of the North Platte. That's Scott's Bluff in the background.

I rode to the hotel, then Linda and I drove over to Scott's Bluff National Monument.
It was still windy.

Linda drove us up the road to the top. You can actually see Chimney Rock in the distance.

There is more of this landscape in my future. Tomorrow I head north toward Fort Robinson
State  Park. It's another long day, so I will try to get an early start.