May 29 - Moab UT - Green River UT

Up bright and early at 4:30 a.m. after a good night's sleep. We have really enjoyed our stay at the Aarchway Inn. Ate a hot breakfast and loaded up all our gear. After a prayer, Gary rolled out of the driveway and onto the newly built paved bike path. Charlotte followed soon thereafter. I drove the van eight miles Northeast on Hwy. 191 and waited for Gary. Finally he made it, after some pretty steep climbs on the bike path. Charlotte finally arrived about one half hour later. She had taken some other way and had accumulated almost 12 miles.

Since Gary was now so far ahead, we loaded up her bike and drove about six miles, past the little airport. Sign said "Moab -18 miles, I-70 14 miles. Charlotte started riding again. I caught up with Gary and then left the van and started riding. Charlotte and I are now starting to execute our "leap frog system."

Soon I saw the I-70 on the horizon, a mile or two away. Got there about 10:00 a.m., meeting up with Gary at Papa Joe's C-store in Crescent Junction. For a second I thought I was in Radiator Springs because Lightning McQueen from the movie "Cars" was there!

Had to ride seven miles on the I-70 because there wasn't a frontage road. The old Highway 6 must have been paved over. Gary and I each rode seven miles from Exit 182 to Exit 175 - Floy. With a tail wind we just flew down the shoulder of the Interstate. I hit 22 mph! We were told there is a 1,000 ft drop in elevation between Crescent Junction and Green River, and I believe it. Then Charlotte and Gary started to ride down the old highway but chose to turn back because the road was so rough. They rode the eleven miles to Exit 164, the first Green River exit. I met them where the old Hwy 6 intersects on the I-70 Business Loop. I rode the last couple of miles to the Green River Bible Church, where Gary and Charlotte had already arrived.

Green River is located on the banks of the Green River along the Old Spanish Trail. It is named after which the city is named. It started as a river crossing where in 1876 a Mr.Blake set up a ferry on the East side of the river and a weigh station. In 1883 the Utah Division of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad was built and a train station was opened. It was a boomtown for awhile until 1892 when the railroad transferred most of its operations to Helper. In the 1940's, 1950's, and 1960's the mining of uranium played a significant role in the economy of Green River. Nowadays Green River is famous for its melons, and bills itself as "The Watermelon Capital of the World."

Originally Green River was split between Grand and Emery counties until January 6, 2003 when Emery County's boundaries were expanded.

Gary rode 52 miles, Charlotte rode 34.6, and I rode 15.4 miles. No road change yet.

With love from the road,
Marie (for the 3 of us)