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Our trip to Sunset, Utah and Sausalito, California - 2012

• Sunset Trip Opening Page
• Mason City, IA to Sidney, NE
• Sidney to Sunset, UT
• Sunset to Winnemucca, NV
• Winnemucca to Sausalito, CA
• Sausalito area
• Football Sunday at Brian's Place Sausalito, CA
• Sausalito to Elko, NV
• Elko to Sunset, UT
• Ogden to Gothenburg, NE
• Gothenburg to Mason City, IA

Sidney to Sunset, Utah

Wednesday, our second day from home, was another travel day and we started it the way we ended the first day. We left Sidney on old US Highway 30 (Lincoln Highway) and used the brochure to find a few historic sites along the way. The first historic site turned out to be the second as we drove right past the Point of Rocks and had to ask for directions. The picture below shows it and really needs an explanation to understand the significance. Our brochure and Internet sources indicate that the construction workers while building the trans-continental railroad had a skirmish with the Indians and this resulted in the establishment of Fort Sidney for the protection of the settlers and construction workers. It is also the site of the tighest curve in the tracks for the Union Pacific as it makes its way around this point of rocks. The tracks are located on top of the berm about 10' higher than the highway that parallels the tracks.

Potter, Nebraska is a small town on Highway 30 and the brochure mentioned an old Conoco Filling Station and we had no trouble locating this small stucco structure, now called a "Memory Station".

We continued west on Highway 30 to Kimball and while Sandy got directions to the Wheat Growers Hotel I took a picture of the Plains Historical Museum. This is an interesting wood frame structure and it took a bit of hunting on the Internet to find out its history. The building was constructed in 1904 after a meeting of members of the Knights of Pythias, Woodmen, and Royal Neighbors to discuss building a lodge hall. It was called the Fraternal Hall and is now the home of the museum.

Perhaps the best historical site for us up to this point was the Wheat Growers Hotel in Kimball. It is located on Oak Street about 2-blocks from the business district and is unoccupied at this time. The hotel website indicates it was constructed in 1918 and was considered the "most glamorous Hotel between Omaha and Denver." The brick work is stunning with the lighter brick in contrast to the dark.

We peeked in the windows and could see that it has been stripped down to the framing with much of the old wood lath removed in anticipation of renovation. It is currently for sale, and NO we are not planning a move to Kimball, Dan has enough projects as it is.

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