Across Missouri and Into Oklahoma

Saturday February 11^th

Much better start today; breakfast ate and on the road by 9:30. About 20 miles down the road we saw a gas station that looked easy to get into and out of so we stopped. And it was easy to get into and out of but also very busy so we had to wait to get to a pump and then wait to get out once we were gassed up because other people were blocking my exit. From there on it was down one hill and up the next like a Missouri Mule all day. Stopped for lunch and fuel at Lebanon, MO. The winds were gusty all day long so driving was tiring.

We crossed into Oklahoma shortly before dark. We were planning to stop at a motel on the S side of Tulsa but when we got to the S side there were no motels and soon we were back on the OK Toll Road system where there aren’t many exits and no motels. We were resigned to going all the way to Oklahoma City but then came upon the town of Stroud where there was an exit and a motel and several restaurants. We stopped and had a good Mexican meal then checked into the Stroud Best Western. It wasn’t quite the Hilton but it was the best in town.

A Short but Tough Day on the Road

Friday February 10^th

It took us a long time to get going; I guess you could say we slept in. By the time we had breakfast and got the Suburban gassed up, it was 1230. And it was snowing! The snow was light and was not sticking to the ground but the roads were wet and the winds were gusty all day. The temperature did not vary all day; it was 31 degrees when we started and stuck there all day and was 30 when we stopped in the evening. We arrived at the junction of I-55 and I-255 about 5:15pm so we decided to stop and have supper in Collinsville, IL to let the rush hour traffic die down before we got any closer to St Louis. Had a good Mexican dinner at a place called Zapatas. Then got on the road again and missed the I-255 exit because I couldn’t believe how close it was. So we had to go about 2 miles to the next exit to get turned around and on I-255 around the S side of St Louis. It seems to be a good bypass, we have never encountered any delays going that way. Shortly after we go on I-44 westbound we stopped for the night at the junction of STH-141 and I-44. No problem finding a 55 ft. parking place here, but last night was a different story. At the Peru, IL motel parking was tight and it took some time and patience to get the trailer backed into a corner of the parking lot where it didn’t block anyone from leaving in the morning. My new mirrors help a lot in backing; much better visibility to see where the trailer is in relation to objects around it and also better visibility on the highway.

2012 "Revival" Tour

Thursday February 9^th

We had originally planned to leave on Wednesday but like many plans, we had to make a revision once faced with reality. Too many things to be loaded into the trailer, too many last minute details to be attended to and of course some last minute maintenance for trailer and Suburban. And of course I had to spend hours determining which tools and gadgets to take with me. I bought a new tool box just for the trip but initial review is that it will be a failure. I wanted all the tools to be in one place and that should be behind the axle to take weight off of the truck but I bought one with drawers and they will be difficult to access from where the tool box is located.

Finally got everything (I hope) loaded about 5pm then took a quick shower and loaded a few more things in the truck for the first night’s stay and we took off. The wind was hardly noticeable at home but on the highway it took some getting used to. There seemed to be a lot of gusty crosswinds which are pretty spooky when the big trucks blow by. But the further we went the less the wind bothered us and by the time we got to IL it seemed that the wind was at our back and giving us a boost.

Driving was uneventful (the best kind) and we made it as far as Peru, IL before stopping to rest at a friendly Fairfield Inn.

Christmas Day

Saturday December 25, 2010

It turned cooler overnight and the furnace ran intermittently until about 9am. It was mostly cloudy and the wind was blowing over 20mph, so even though it was probably 60 outside it didn’t seem like it. I made chili and that was our Christmas dinner – we will have the steaks when cooking outside is a little more pleasant.

Very quiet day – more Christmas movies.

Aransas Pass and Port Aransas

Friday December 24, 2010

Had a real lazy morning and didn’t get moving until around 2pm. Had to stop at the office and pay for an additional day since I had only paid for two nights and that would put us out on Christmas day. Then we drove around exploring first to Ingleside and then over the ship channel (ferry) to Port Aransas. Port Aransas is a real beach town with RV parks all over the place and even RVs parked on the beach. There is a road on the beach – meaning that you are allowed to drive on the beach. We did a little beach walking and then headed back to Aransas Pass to buy some groceries and our Christmas Dinner. Bought some nice steaks for the special meal and some fixins for chili.

Quiet evening watching Christmas movies on TV.

San Antonio to Aransas Pass

Thursday December 23, 2010

The weather continued to be mostly cloudy but the temperature was still very pleasant. We got packed up and headed for Aransas Pass. As we approached Corpus Christi the petro/chem industry was much in evidence with several refineries right along our route. Getting through Corpus Christi was not much of a problem but it was near midday so I wouldn’t expect heavy traffic. We arrived at the Ransom Road RV park at about 3pm and got set up. I think most of the residents were regulars that had been there before or were full time residents – everybody seemed to know everyone else and all were friendly.

Supper was Mexican at a place up the road a couple of miles.

Wednesday December 22, 2010

It was overcast today with some fog during the early morning hours, but still very nice with a high of about 70.

My one chore today was to buy a wire brush and clean the jack screws on the trailer stabilizers. Cathey wasn’t interested in doing any shopping so I headed towards WalMart, dreading the Christmas crowds. But then I saw an Advance Auto Store and got what I needed there. Then a quick stop at a Walgreens’ for a few items that we needed and back to the trailer. Sometime in my past history with the trailer, I had put some spray grease on the stabilizer jack screws and now they were gummed up and turned hard – even for my handy dandy impact wrench. So I got down on the ground and brushed them off cleanly and sprayed them with silicone lubricant. They seemed to move much easier maybe it did some good…..

For supper we went to a nearby Mexican restaurant named El Palacitos. The food was good and the price was right – what a combination!

Evenings are usually a mix of TV and reading or computer exploration.