photos by Elaine A. Russellso.. didn't get quite as far as I had hoped today. I had planned on getting thru St. Louis, but only made it to Lebanon, Missouri.
Please see my updated note/ travel log from yesterday. I added more of the neat "details."
Basically, my day....today.
I slept amazingly well, am trying a new herbal remedy for insomnia.. and so far it kicks ass.
Woke up at 4am, took Sabrina out for a "walk", and went back to sleep immediately. Woke up at 10:30 am. Now, I don't know if that means that I forgot to set my alarm, or if I slept thru it. But -- was on the road by 11am. Left Elk City, Ok and drove as far as El Reno, Ok. Stopped for a picnic lunch in the grass.. yes I took a quilt with me for such purposes. I needed to find a place that sold phone chargers, as my battery was dying. I thought I was going to have to find a Walmart.. yeash.... but I actually found a T-Mobile store (DT Cellular) right near the McDs. I went in, and not only found the perfect charger for only $12, but the owner has family in Los Lunas !
Got a little twisted around on the John Kilpatrick Turnpike... but a very nice lady at one of the toll booths got me straightened out.
Stopped at Vinita, OK... home of the biggest, strangest McDs... it actually spans across the highways in a huge overpass. It includes a gift shop, a museum, and a great little cafe/ ice cream area with all kinds of great flavors. I opted instead for a large iced chai.
Please see my updated note/ travel log from yesterday. I added more of the neat "details."
Basically, my day....today.
I slept amazingly well, am trying a new herbal remedy for insomnia.. and so far it kicks ass.
Woke up at 4am, took Sabrina out for a "walk", and went back to sleep immediately. Woke up at 10:30 am. Now, I don't know if that means that I forgot to set my alarm, or if I slept thru it. But -- was on the road by 11am. Left Elk City, Ok and drove as far as El Reno, Ok. Stopped for a picnic lunch in the grass.. yes I took a quilt with me for such purposes. I needed to find a place that sold phone chargers, as my battery was dying. I thought I was going to have to find a Walmart.. yeash.... but I actually found a T-Mobile store (DT Cellular) right near the McDs. I went in, and not only found the perfect charger for only $12, but the owner has family in Los Lunas !
Got a little twisted around on the John Kilpatrick Turnpike... but a very nice lady at one of the toll booths got me straightened out.
Stopped at Vinita, OK... home of the biggest, strangest McDs... it actually spans across the highways in a huge overpass. It includes a gift shop, a museum, and a great little cafe/ ice cream area with all kinds of great flavors. I opted instead for a large iced chai.
Saw lots of bright red dirt, wind farms, and fields of crop in OK.
Dinner was spent ala picnic style at a Wendy's in Springfield, Mo.
Missouri is much more hilly, green, and humid so far. Lots of nice ponds, and the rock is more sandstone. Lots of billboards for caves to visit.
I then stopped about 30 minutes or so down the road at Lebanon because it is the home of the coolest Antique Mall ever. I have been to this mall every time I road trip back to Pa... and it is so chock full of neat stuff. The building also houses the BEST cheese factory outlet place...and a Russell Stover Chocolates Outlet. Both the cheese place and the chocolate stores offer free samples.. so you can see the attraction there for me.
After that.. I got the usual glompage of people at my car asking all about Smartcars. One of the people I talked to at the antiques mall, happens to be a retired car designer. We talked for quite awhile. He also happens to have a bunch of stuff for sale at the antique mall on consignment, and mentioned that there was going to be a HUGE open air antiques and Flea Market kind of sale in the am in the parking lot.
So ---- because it was late anyway (*grin)... I found a hotel nearby, and am going to go to the market in the am before I head out.
Total expenses for the day: food $20, tolls $10, gas $30, hotel $68