Flatness Before the Mountains

So, after saying our goodbyes to Caitlyn, again, we hit the road to drive about 10 hours to Keystone, CO.  Now I was excited to drive through Kansas, just to see the flatness of the Plains and be able to drive fast.  Our original plan was to head for I-70, but after staying on the backroads for a little while, we decided this route would be more fun.  I definitely got more than enought flatness, but it was a beautiful day out and nothing beats the open road with the windows down and the music playing.  I took about the first 6.5 hours of the drive, and once we got a little into CO Steve took over the driving.  Now he was a little jealous that I was pushing the speedometer a little, and he wanted a taste of it.  At first, he was having fun with it, but then we hit the small town of Hugo, CO.  Yes, Hugo, CO, a town which no one has heard of, but has a very strict speed limit.  As we approached any town, the speed limit gradually decreases, and Steve did not decrease rapidly enough.  We got pulled over, but we couldn't be too upset about it because we this was the first ticket received after driving 8,000 miles last year, and almost 2,000 this year.  Needless to say, the remaining drive to Keystone was a little slower.  But coming up to the Rockies was very cool.  Even though I have done this drive numerous times in the winter, it had a different feeling to it.  Maybe it was just the season, or maybe it was the fact that I drove here and was going to do all the things I've ever wanted to do in CO.  When we got to the hotel, I was a little delusional from the long drive and I'm sure the altitude contributed to it as well.  We checked in and then went to a steak house for dinner.  This steak house, Mint Steakhouse, had a twist to it; it was a grill-your-own-meat restaurant.  It was actually pretty cool, and Steve and I cooked the best steaks we have ever had.  After eating a 16 oz. sirloin, I was brought back to planet Earth and we went back to the hotel, planned out our next day, and fell asleep in no time.