Goodbye to Family. Hello Jail, Hail, and the Trail Back Home (Day 28)

I got up early in the morning on Day 28, ate breakfast at the hotel, and then headed over to Salt Lake City International Airport to drop the family off.  We knew that at this point they'd be at their breaking point from being on the road for so long.  So we planned ahead and thought it was the best for them to just get on a plane and head back to Maryland.

After dropping the family off, I needed to get an oil change on my car.  At this point, I had done around 6,500 miles.  I went to a Jiffy Lube near the airport and once that was done, I headed East on I-80.  It felt so good to have my car fully to myself again, so I could play the music as loud as I wanted and drive for as long as I wanted without stopping.

It had been some time since I drove I-80 East out of Salt Lake City.  I had forgotten how big an incline there was getting out of there as you head east.  The sights are beautiful as I drove. Once on the other side of the mountains, it didn't take too long before I was in Wyoming.

I made it all the way as far as Rawlins, Wyoming.  I stopped there to get a drink and go to the bathroom at a gas station.  While stretching my legs, I noticed there was a penitentiary a mile or so away that was open to tour. That seemed like something fun to break up the day.  So I drove over there, arriving at 3:28 p.m. and finding out there was a tour leaving at 3:30 p.m. Score!

The Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum tour was amazing. I learned it had been used for a long time and was the first prison in Wyoming.  Its use preceded Wyoming even being a state and it closed down in 1983.  

The tour here was exceptional.  You got to see pretty much every aspect and corner of the facility.  

Not to be morbid, but one of the coolest things on the tour was seeing the gallows and gas chamber on death row. It never actually seen a gas chamber before, but this one was used to execute five inmates at this prison.

Here's a view of the gallows as well.  

One of the most interesting things about this penitentiary was the fact they have a bunch of pictures of the inmates on the wall.  This guy was killed in the gallows, but it failed the first time since he was too light.  So they had to string him up a second time.  What a horrible way to go having to be hung twice!

Here are some of the women which were housed here.  

Finally, it was real cool to see all the artwork in the prison painted by the inmates.  

Oh and let's not forget about the license plates that were made there by inmates.  

Overall, the Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum was amazing.  One of my favorite spots that I visited on the trip.  I highly recommend going here if you happen to be cruising down I-80 and need to stop somewhere to stretch your legs.  Totally worth it!!!

After the prison tour, it was onward to Sidney, Nebraska where I was spending the night.  The ride through Wyoming on I-80 is long and there are some parts of the state where you drive a long distance and do not see much in the way of exits or attractions for miles.  Well except random fences that I assume help block snow and other debris from blowing onto the Interstate.

It's beautiful country and there is plenty of nothingness to look at (I love open spaces).  However, despite the long drive through nothingness, it did not end up uneventful.  

As I'm driving down the road, I look ahead and see a beautiful looking thunderstorm ahead.  I look quickly at the radar and it's got a small thunderstorm, nothing too serious.  So I continue on my merry way eastward.

Eventually, as I drove into the thunderstorm, the storm grew and my car started taking on hail.  

This was the point I came up on some stranded motorcyclists.  It was a couple with a motorcycle and a tow.  They were on the side of the road, getting hit with hail that I'd guess was quarter sized.  Wyoming has no overpasses, so I wanted to make sure that these two were safe.  I invited them to sit into my car.  

They were a nice couple (I think named Brian and Lisa) from Kentucky who had traveled to Yellowstone and Grand Teton and were driving back home.  They were so very thankful that I let them into my car.  With as much as I travel that I do and as much as I love to drive, I believe in being a good steward of the road and helping those who need help.  These two clearly were in need of some shelter and I made sure they got it.  

Once they got into the car, it got real bad.  Hail was from a quarter to golf ball sized.  It was pretty intense.  I have never seen hail that big and I was thankful that I was in a car during this.  I had joked before the trip my car was going to get a flat tire and take on hail.  Well I got my flat tire in Holbrook, Arizona and this was my hail event.  The self fulfilling prophecy was complete!

After the storm, I said bye to my new friends from Kentucky, wished them safe travels, and headed East again.  Overall, the hail damage to the car wasn't too bad.  A few spots had chipped paint due to spiky hair and about 5 dents from larger hail hitting the car.  However, it was just so loud at time in the car.  Based on the sound, it sounded a lot worse than it looks.  

I didn't stop again until I reached Sidney, Nebraska.  I went directly to get dinner at a place called Dude's Steakhouse & Brandin' Iron Bar.  It had good reviews online and fit my criteria of a "mom and pop" style restaurant.  After driving on the road all day, the steak was soooooo good.  I love a good ribeye.  

After dinner, I hit up the Motel 6 in Sidney, Nebraska.  It was a cheap option and had great ratings online.  I needed a break after doing close to 600 miles that day.