Welcome to the West

As much as we loved Nebraska, arrival in Wyoming meant for all of us a true sense of accomplishment. I mean, we rode our bikes from Manhattan to the wild, wild West. And boy is it wild. There's really just not that much here. Three houses, occupied or not, constitutes a town. We have to be a little more careful about planning our rest stops because, you know, we need water every once in awhile. Lisa seems to need it less.
Before I get carried away, let me just thank Annette at the Bunk House Motel in Chadron, Nebraska because even though I couldn't find a place to get my legs waxed (see previous post), she made us feel right at home and didn't kick us out when we got bike grease all over, well, everything. This is a great place to stay if you're ever on Route 20.
So back to Wyoming. I think our entrance into Wyoming was the moment when we all realized exactly how incredible and awesome we are. Did I mention we rode our bikes to Wyoming? Have you ever even been to Wyoming? In a car? Probably not. You should, though. There may be only 500,000 people here, but they're all family. That's what we've been told. And they've adopted us. Our first night in Wyoming was after a rough 93-mile day that involved a construction-ridden hill into the wind when it was 100 degrees, dusty, muddy, trucks, you name it. We will never speak of it again. The folks at the Manville Community Alliance Church took us in and gave us use of their kitchen and backyard for the night. Thank you, and we're excited to be on the annual PowerPoint presentation.
From Manville, we basically beat Lance Armstrong as we flew to Casper, WY just in time for my Wyoming Idol audition (see video). In case you were wondering, we'll never know if I won. We didn't have time to stick around for the finals even though my presence was requested. And yes, the winner of Wyoming Idol goes on to compete in the Fox extravaganza.
While I was performing, Melissa met the nicest woman in Wyoming. Sutton kidnapped us and took us to "the most beautiful spot in all of Wyoming." She wasn't lying. Right now we're watching the river flow by as elk and antelope frolic in the surrounding hills. Sutton also took us out to Poor Boys' Steakhouse where we each put 16 oz. of delicious, juicy, mouthwatering, decadent, tender, sumptuous slabs of red meat into our systems which we expect to power us through the looming ... In case we were worried, she and her husband, Rick, also took us out for pasta at Red Lobster the next day for lunch. Thank you both so much for your hospitality and kindness. Meeting people like you is what makes this trip what it is.
A stop at Ragged Edge Bike Shop revealed some slight maintenance issues, and the mechanics were a bit concerned, but duly impressed with my "burliness." They said that the only dude who was more hardcore than we had not only done the trip solo with one outfit, but also strapped a dead bat to his handlebars. Yeah, he wins.
Finally, I have an announcement. After much harassment and many days of suffering both on and off the bike, Lisa has finally purchased a new tent, complete with an escape hatch in the roof. This new item has lowered her total weight by at least 7 pounds. To cut another 6 oz, she also lost the kickstand. Goodbye, trusty tent. Goodbye, less trusty kickstand. I won't say we'll miss you.
Mrs. Schmidt, stop reading.
Tomorrow, we'll be entering bear country. We feel prepared. Just like we were for this trip.