Friday September 13th–Mammoth Site and torturous Friday the 13 drive to Denver

We went to the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs South Dakota at 9am.   The site is an old sink hole, that was filled with water.   Mammoths and other creatures would get into the water and not be able to get out.   So far they have found the bones of 61 Mammoths, and have no idea how many more they may find.     It is really interesting to see the site, with many bones being left where they have been found as they continue to dig down at the site.  Nancy can be seen holding a mammoth tooth, always the dental assistant!   After the tour, we checked out the local Quilt Shop.

We started towards Denver at 11am, and almost immediately hit the first rain of the trip.   As we drove we learned that our route, I-25 was closed due to flooding in Colorado.   We planned an alternate route further east on Highway 85, but before we arrived at Cheyenne, we learned that it also was closed due to mud slides.   We also started to see signs saying all roads from Cheyenne into Colorado were closed.   We checked our map and turned east at Cheyenne, driving about 50 miles to Nebraska, where we turned south on a small highway, driving down to I-76.   We took I-76 west in to our Hotel near the Denver Airport.  Most of the trip was either in rain or fog, with a pretty good 20+ mile an hour breeze. While we played in sunny South Dakota, Colorado experienced rain of epic proportions.  Boulder, which might get 15” per year, saw amounts of up to 18” and the flooding was massive.  Other areas north of Denver were hard hit as well with people being rescued by helicopter in some instances.  Roads became raging rivers and rivers overflowed their banks. The fear that the respite is brief and that more rain is expected in the next few days.

Julie met us at the fancy dancy hotel and we had a very nice final meal with her, before we hit the hay, on the worst hotel bed we have ever had!!!  

Now we are flying home, and looking forward to seeing everyone back home.