We drove from Tulsa to Colorado Springs last week. The drive takes all day. My wife and I take turns with the driving. When I’m driving, I just drive. When she is driving, I google all the small towns we pass and give her interesting (to me its interesting) tidbits about the town’s history, attractions, or culture. When I’m not doing that, I take photos.
The entire trip is across the Great Plains of the Midwest. To many they are very boring. I love them. I look for things. Is the land grassland or crops? I’m on the lookout for pipeline infrastructure and try and guess if it is for liquids or natural gas. I also look for wind farms. About 11% of our electrical needs come from wind. Think about all the carbon dioxide not being put into the air because of windfarms. That number is from 2022. I bet it is more than that now.
I love grain elevators. They are so photogenic. When you are up close and have good light. Not so much when you are shooting through a dirty window.
I love hay bales as well. There are hay bale enthusiasts that regard them out the field as an art form. I guess I can see that. Back when I was building pipelines I talked to a lot of farmers about all sorts of things and cutting and baling hay was fascinating. If you don’t let the hay dry out enough before baling it, it will have spontaneous combustion and start on fire where it is. Hopefully in a field, if you are unlucky it will be on your trailer or truck. Just one of the many useless little farming tips I picked up while buying pipeline right of way.
Most of the drive was in Kansas. I love Kansas, especially the work I did there. The thing about Kansas and business is that Kansas likes to protect Kansas based businesses and everybody can look out after themselves. That’s why I called Kansas, the People’s Republic of Kansas. Sometimes I think they took their protectionism a little too far. It’s a nice state though and the people are great.
And cows, there are lots of cows in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. I’ll give you a fun fact about cows that I bet you didn’t know. They only cows that fall into open pipeline ditches and die are prize breeding stock. At least that was what ranchers would tell me when I was trying to settle damages. Yep, they drove all the way to Maine to buy the animal, paid $50,000 dollars for it. For some reason though the cow on the bill of sale is a different color than the cow in the ditch. Ranchers tell me that can happen though. (Actually, 99,9% of ranchers are honest and just want to be treated fairly, but every once in a while you get “that guy.”
And trucks, freeways have lots of truck traffic. I have lots of stories about truckers from back when I was working. Most of them are pretty boring so I’ll spare you.
And then the sun started going down. Sunset lasted a long time.
I like road trips. The wife not so much. I get it.
I am linking with Skywatch Friday
Alan – I loved this post! I really admire that a former pipeline guy can appreciate wind farms! I knew that tidbit about hay bales combusting – our neighbors are ranchers and they have taught me about measuring the moisture content before they start putting that hay into bales! And I have often been tempted to take my drone out and video/photograph those hay bales from above! And I was rolling around on the floor (almost) laughing at your stories about settling damages for prize breeding stock! My dear, you have a LOT of good stories! In case I don’t visit your blog again before the end of the year, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
…bales, bales and more bales.
My husband and I both hate long drives and try to avoid them. But the destinations we love! Happy holidays and photo safaris in 2026! Thanks for the skywatch link up as well. 🙂
I do the same things on road trips, usually I keep my camera handy on my lap so I can whip it out and take photos of things that catch my eye.
Does she ever tell you to stop giving facts, or does she love it?
Beautiful sky captures from your road trip!
Take care, have a wonderful day!
With the right company, driving all day can be fun. I used to read to my dad from the map when we drove together when I was young.
My mom and dad took us on road trips all the time growing up and we did that with my kids. I’m still doing it today with my daughter or youngest son.
Wow! Awww to your sunset photos ~ (even through a dirty window’) like the bales of hay too ~ what a fun road trip for you and your wife ~ great photos for us to see ~ thanks so much.
~ hugs,
My husband and I lived in Kansas back in the 1970’s when the speed limit was 55. Oh, were those drives long! We actually drove to Colorado Springs from Wichita for a three day weekend-something you do without much fuss when you are young. And was that scenery boring! No internet to look up interesting facts either. We haven’t been in Kansas since 1984 but I agree with you about the people. Wichita was an interesting place, too. Liked Wichita, despised the weather there.
Beautiful.
Road trips frustrate me because I want to ceaselessly stop to take photos and the person driving just wants to get on with the journey…for this reason, I admire your post today and I think you did an amazing job photographing through the windows. The last few sky pics are really good.
Wow! Loved the graduation of the sky.
All lovely captures!
Great looking skies! I used to like road trips. Now I like short ones.
It’s interesting to see the road through the eyes of a natural gas pro. Most people just see grass, but you see the infrastructure and history beneath it. Thanks for sharing!
So beautiful views, Stunning skies.
Greetings.
nice way to keep a driver entertained. I never thought of that.
I really liked your sky images this week, especially the last sunset.
Many beautiful skies in your photos! I like road trips too, Yogi, because I’m usually the passenger and the one taking photos of the interesting things that I see along the way.
Merry Christmas and have a happy and healthy 2026!
Interesting information about the hay bales. I first noticed them in Mississippi, and later in Tennessee and Georgia—they really are picturesque.
We’ve taken quite a few road trips, and one of my favorites is the drive on I-81 from Chattanooga, TN up to Pennsylvania. Miles and miles of beautiful farmland along the way. And on I-89 from Boston to Montreal.
Beautiful. I love road trips too though I don’t do them so often these days. It’s fun looking for ‘new’ things we haven’t noticed before or seeing changes.
Thank her for us! I like your “on the road” views.