Seven months on the road.

Hello from Illinois! One more state 185 miles to go. We left Cuba this morning then stopped for diesel and breakfast so got moving on the road about 10:00. Not as much wind this morning and for a couple of minutes we even got a spot of sunshine.

We are now in Mulberry Grove, IL this was our first stop when we left home and will be our last stop before getting home. Last time we were here was October 1, 2013 – seven months ago!

Only did 157 miles today because we wanted to see the soccer game. What a good game! And another upset.

We’ve had a tail wind since we left Oklahoma City and our gas mileage this last tank was 10.8!!! Wow! Wish it was like that all the time. We’ve started making a list of the things that need to be done to the Alfa before he goes back in storage or takes another trip. One major thing – the inverter – and lots of little things. Should keep Bill busy for a while. The repair to the crack in the windshield has held together – so will leave that alone and hope for the best for trips to come.

Surprised about how cold it is here – traveled with the furnace on most of the day. Hope it warms up when we get home – and doesn’t rain while we’re unloading. And I hope we have hot water in the house.

So next time I write I should be writing from home – until then…

Nice short day today - 200 miles

We are in a little campground just west of Cuba, MO. Only drove 200 miles today. A much more comfortable drive. We pulled out of the KOA in Joplin and only went as far as right across the street to have breakfast at an Iron Skillet – yes we really like that restaurant. Good food, plenty of it and at a reasonable price. We were on the road by 9:30 headed east. Good roads all the way and the wind was mostly from behind. But it was also cold and dreary out. No rain though. As the day progressed it got colder and the wind started to pick up and shift directions. So we stopped here at the Ladybug RV Park just off I-40 at exit 203. We’ve never stopped here before but probably will again. Good WiFi [and our MiFi works here too], the satellite TV took a while to latch on to a signal but I think that was from the cloud cover. Long pull throughs and only $26 a night. We are only 350 miles from home now. Still watching the weather closely.

I have read about Cuba and all of its murals but unfortunately this year we won't be seeing them, just don't want to unhook and it is too gloomy to take pictures anyway. 

Missouri is sure green this time of year. All the new growth and most of the trees have their new leaves. Tomorrow we’ll have to go by Saint Louis – this time we are going around it on the 270 – no more going right through town. And hopefully we’ll stop for the night somewhere in Illinois – not try to get home.

One reason we stopped here – there was an important soccer game on at 2:00 and we wanted to watch it. It sure was an upset. Glad we saw it. And tomorrow there is another game at 2:00 – these two games are setting the final game of the Champions League. Right now Real Madrid from Spain will be one of the finalists.

Not long after we parked we had some rain but not for long. Looking at a weather map we are like the center of a bull’s eye with the storms swirling all around Missouri.

I was just looking at this years travel map – so far we’ve driven the Alfa [that’s the royal “we’] 5,510 miles – used 650 gallons of diesel that’s about 8.5mph.

Back to my knitting. 

Two More States

Thank goodness there was no wind this morning. The sky was actually blue instead of brown with dust. We left the campground and headed to the Iron Skillet at Petro Truck stop for breakfast. Then Bill washed the Alfa’s windshield – could barely see through it for the dust. We were on the I-40 heading east by 9:00. No rain and light winds. We were supposed to stop in Oklahoma City at an RV park there. Two exits before the parks exit we stopped at a Flying J to get diesel. Then back on the Interstate – It was about 15 to one and we’d done 250 miles. Too early to stop! So on up the road we went – all the way to Joplin, MO. 463 miles! Got here at 15 to five.

too many miles in one day - my opinion only

This is a KOA park and one of their services is baking and delivering pizza to your door. We ordered it when we checked in and it was here by the time we got everything set up. YUM.

The drive wasn’t too bad had a few sprinkles that didn’t last long at all. But by early afternoon the wind had picked up and the skies were getting dark all around us. At one time we saw this – Glad the sky was sunny and blue or we’d have been worried.

Shades of Mexico we had two toll booths today – total $19.50 from Oklahoma City to the Missouri border. Oklahoma is pretty this time of year – everything is so green.

Right now we’re watching the weather channels – we still have 530 some miles to go to get home and it looks like it will be raining between here and there for a few days. Guess we’ll take it a day at a time. I’m glad we waited this last storm out in Texas.

Right now we have sunshine and NO WIND – but the skies to the east and south of us are pretty dark.

Sorry about the fish videos – wish I could have shared them  here is a place that sells them - just descriptions and pictures of them - no video. I still think they’d be fun to have.  
Who know where we'll end up tomorrow. 

Flying Fish

Sunday morning – and more dust and wind – never let up all night. Yesterday we had winds at 32mph with gusts up to 51 mph. No wonder we were rocking so much. In fact there was so much dust in air it looked like dusk all afternoon and we lost Internet signal both from the parks WiFi and the Verizon MiFi – This morning we lost the TV signal – had to reset the satellite.

We went out to breakfast at the Iron Skillet – Bill finds that if he eats a big breakfast the antibiotics don’t upset his system so much. Going out for breakfast works for me too. When we got home I spent some time wiping up all the dust in here. Can do it two or three times a day and everything is still gritty feeling.

One of our sons just bought some remote control toys. Giant fish! Here is a link to our daughter-in-laws facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/alexsirimarco There are two videos of the fish on it. I love them. Can you imagine taking them for a walk in an RV park? Or float them into a room with unsuspecting people in it. Oh I have an evil mind. And this is the 40 something son that tells me I need to grow up.

Watched the race last night – pretty good race. Interesting finish. Kyle managed to finish 3^rd – coming from 14^th after getting tires on the last caution.

Our fourth great grandchild is here. A little girl named Ivory Rose. I love the name. That is who I’m knitting the blanket for – but she won’t be getting it for a while. I’ve only got one five block strip done and there will be five strips.

Tomorrow morning we’ll leave and hope to make it to Oklahoma City – and then we should be able to follow behind the bad weather until we’re home.

3:30 in the afternoon and Bill has the Jeep hooked up and all the connections except the electric put away. Guess that means we’re leaving early tomorrow morning for sure. Wind or no wind. He says he doesn’t want to unhook until we pull into our driveway. Hummm…