Today, the "Cowboy Trade Days" was supposed to be in full force with plenty of vendors. It opened at 6am to make sure people could get there early to see all the stuff. I decided to show up at 10am or so.
Ultimately, with deciding what I was going to do later in the day, I did not get out of the hotel until 10:30. Getting to the swap meet at 10:45 or so, I saw that I did not miss much. There were only a handful of additional vendors, plus a couple of food vendors and someone singing. Oh and kids could ride horses for a fee. "Underwhelming" (based on the hype) is too kind of a word.
I think I stayed at the swap meet all of 45 minutes or so. For the evening, I planned to head into Eureka Springs, Arkansas to see the Great Passion Play.
There were a couple of ways to get into Eureka Springs. I could take US 412, or I-44. Either one was tolled but US 412 was $1.50 cheaper. However, US 412 involved some local driving in Oklahoma and a lot of local driving in Arkansas. Fuel efficiency would definitely be lower with my car. I-44 would cost extra and involve more miles, but I'd save money on gas in the long run. Plus, I'd get to see some small towns and scenery in Missouri that I've enjoyed seeing in the past.
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I visited Eureka Springs for the first time in my 2008 cross country trip. I only learned about it via a former co-worker. I rolled into Eureka Springs on a Wednesday. Unfortunately, the Great Passion Play does not perform on Wednesdays. Otherwise, I'd have seen it back then. The play area is a nice spot with a large statue of our Lord, a chunk of the Berlin wall, and some beautiful flowers. Eureka Springs also has a whole bunch of interesting shops but they were closed (probably because it was a Wednesday) when I was there in 2008.
Back to 2010. As I drove through the Ozarks a bit, there were some interesting towns. The scenery was beautiful. And of course, the GPS didn't like the Ozarks. It never does.
At one point, I noticed a marquee on someone's lawn that read "Will it rain?" It was raining before that. Shortly after I passed the marquee, it rained again. I hoped it would not rain for the play because it was outdoors.
The play was scheduled to begin at 7:30pm. I had some time in Eureka Springs to look around before the play began. I also noticed that a Catholic Mass was happening at 5pm. Saturday evening would be for Sunday obligation. But, I had already determined where the Sunday Mass would be and figured I'd wait until the next day. I wanted to check out the rest of Eureka Springs first.
When I got to the shops, I noticed that parking was a bit expensive. It was $5 just to walk around. I was only going to have a short time and really didn't feel like spending $5 to park for an hour. I had just enough time to get back to the parish center for Mass.
Getting to the Mass just as the opening hymn was being sung, I was glad I made it. The priest gave an excellent homily.
When I left, it started to rain. I got nervous because the play was taking place outside. But, I had already purchased my ticket online so I was going to see it regardless.
Signs announced that if the play was cancelled due to rain, they would give tickets out for a future performance. Since I live far away, I wasn't terribly excited with that idea.
When I went to my seat, I was amazed with the sets. They were up against steep Ozark hills, which allowed all sorts of opportunities for sets on multiple levels in a compact area. The buildings (the Temple, Pontius Pilate's area, the Upper Room, etc.) were all on a lower level. The cave tomb was located way above as was Golgotha.
Animals were going to be in the play and the area definitely smelled like it. A shepherd and Annas the pharisee were answering questions and selling programs before the play started.
When the play finally began, it rained again. Plastic ponchos were being sold. There was thunder and lightning. It got worse and I kept expecting the play to be cancelled. After really getting soaked (my umbrella didn't help much) I gave in and bought a poncho.
The play began with our Lord raising Lazarus from the dead. It proceeded through much of His final week before being crucified. This part went rather quickly and it really helped if the viewer had some knowledge of the New Testament.
As the web site says, it has a "cast of hundreds." When someone other than a major figure was talking, it was difficult to identify who was speaking. In fact, even when major figures such as St. Peter had their first lines, it was difficult to locate them amongst the other people. If a Roman soldier had a line, it took a minute to determine exactly which one was speaking.
An interesting part was when our Lord chased the moneychangers out of the temple. He turned over cages of live doves, releasing them. It was amusing to watch the doves circle around and around, only to fly back behind the set....probably knowing they had a guaranteed meal back there.
The play took two hours. For major figures, it was kind of amazing how they could go so fast and have such energy. The production values were excellent.
A few strange things happened. For example, Claudia (Pontius Pilate's wife) ministered to our Lord after He was flogged. I don't really ever remember hearing about that. There is debate over whether he carried an entire cross or a crossbar. But they made Gestas and Dismas carry just crossbars while our Lord had to carry the entire Cross. This seemed odd. I don't remember really hearing about all three of them having to carry anything, just our Lord. In any event, if the other two were going to be present for that part, it should have been consistent.
The devil was played by a woman and was almost constantly around. She looked similar to the devil in the movie The Passion of the Christ. As this play has been going on for eighteen years, perhaps the inspiration for the devil in the movie being a woman came from this play.
The choreography was absolutely amazing for such a large cast. Of course, for a play that takes place every night (except Wednesdays) for much of the year, they would have it down to a science.
After the Resurrection, the play continued on up to the Ascenscion. I was surprised they could pack that much into two hours. Even the movie the Passion of the Christ did not have that many events.
My hotel for the evening was in Harrison, Arkansas (this is almost directly south of Branson). It was only 33 miles away, but almost an hour's drive through the Ozarks on US 62. The road twisted and turned quite a bit. The GPS became even more obnoxious, showing me on other roads and telling me to get back on US 62. I never left US 62.
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The small towns and cities along the way definitely close early. I drove out around 9:45. After 10pm, many of the gas stations close up. Thankfully, I did not need any gas. Prices ranged from $2.54 to as high as $2.72 (even Clifton Park back home is cheaper than that).
The GPS did not have my hotel's address in there, but I remembered seeing it on my last visit to Harrison in May. It was right along US 62. So, I didn't really need it.
The hotel room was very nice, and it was pricy (but this was a Saturday night). But, I'm sort of stuck in Choice hotel brand hotels since their stay two nights get one free promo is well worth it.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
September 17, 2010: Tulsa area
Today was sort of a day to relax after the intense driving earlier in the week. The only thing I had planned was to get to the Tulsa area. Oklahoma City was the furthest point west I planned to go. So, today marked the slow beginning of the drive home. Yes, I only just got out there and am already turning around.
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Near Tulsa is an annual swap meet called "Cowboy trade days." It's supposed to be the biggest in the United States for western related items. Since I have an interest in old west history, I wanted to visit. The event officially started the next day (Saturday) but customers were allowed to come early if they didn't mind being around the dealers setting up.
I went back the way I came via the I-44 toll road. The day before, there was a huge backup on the eastbound lane (I was heading west at that point so I just watched it) between construction and an accident involving three tractor trailers. I hoped construction would not cause another backup....and of course that there weren't any accidents. As this is a toll road in Oklahoma, they allow people to drive at 75. But, 75mph is probably a bit much for this road as it does have traffic. (In Rocky Mountain western states like New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, etc., the populations are so low that 75 on interstates in the rural areas is fine. Utah is even testing an 80mph limit on I-15.) Thankfully, a sign at the beginning of the turnpike indicated there was no backup.
I-44 is rather confusing going into the city of Tulsa itself. There is no toll within the city. You MUST pay attention to signs because what seems like an "exit" in a few places is actually what is keeping you on I-44. Otherwise, you can end up on US 412, or Route 66 (yes, THE famous Route 66).
The Cowboy Trade Days swap meet is hyped to be the largest of its kind in the United States. Vendors must pay as much as $80 for a booth. In NY, that seems cheap as I believe the Round Lake Antiques Festival charges at least $200 for a booth. But remember, this is Oklahoma and swap meets are a common thing out here. In various places vendors get to set up for free --- but the swap meets have no advertising budget so it's spread via word of mouth.
I visited this event last May. This is an annual event in September but they were experimenting with doing it in May as well. Due to bad weather, not as many vendors showed up. It was underwhelming back then, but I was told that it's so much better in September.
When I got there, there were very few vendors set up. There were some interesting things to look at. I was told more vendors would be coming in later and also Saturday. It was extremely hot. After looking around a bit and getting very tired of being out in the heat, I decided to head for the hotel and enjoy an air conditioned room.
I took a free night for this hotel though I had to actually use points this time (unlike the previous night where cockroaches basically awarded me a freebie night ---- and likely a night that will STILL earn points!).
I planned to just relax for the night. But, I remembered I needed to buy some things at Kohl's and figured when I had a "night off" it would be the best time to get this done. I was a little surprised when I went to check out. The store announced a need for every cashier possible. The lines were extremely long with several cashiers ringing people up. I don't know if the recession is happening in Tulsa. This is definitely not "back to school" stuff because Midwest and Southern states start school around August 15th. School also gets out in mid-May. In the Northeast, we're one month different in terms of the beginning of summer vacation and two or three weeks different in terms of school starting.
Finally, I was able to get back to my hotel and relax a bit.
View Larger Map
Near Tulsa is an annual swap meet called "Cowboy trade days." It's supposed to be the biggest in the United States for western related items. Since I have an interest in old west history, I wanted to visit. The event officially started the next day (Saturday) but customers were allowed to come early if they didn't mind being around the dealers setting up.
I went back the way I came via the I-44 toll road. The day before, there was a huge backup on the eastbound lane (I was heading west at that point so I just watched it) between construction and an accident involving three tractor trailers. I hoped construction would not cause another backup....and of course that there weren't any accidents. As this is a toll road in Oklahoma, they allow people to drive at 75. But, 75mph is probably a bit much for this road as it does have traffic. (In Rocky Mountain western states like New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, etc., the populations are so low that 75 on interstates in the rural areas is fine. Utah is even testing an 80mph limit on I-15.) Thankfully, a sign at the beginning of the turnpike indicated there was no backup.
I-44 is rather confusing going into the city of Tulsa itself. There is no toll within the city. You MUST pay attention to signs because what seems like an "exit" in a few places is actually what is keeping you on I-44. Otherwise, you can end up on US 412, or Route 66 (yes, THE famous Route 66).
The Cowboy Trade Days swap meet is hyped to be the largest of its kind in the United States. Vendors must pay as much as $80 for a booth. In NY, that seems cheap as I believe the Round Lake Antiques Festival charges at least $200 for a booth. But remember, this is Oklahoma and swap meets are a common thing out here. In various places vendors get to set up for free --- but the swap meets have no advertising budget so it's spread via word of mouth.
I visited this event last May. This is an annual event in September but they were experimenting with doing it in May as well. Due to bad weather, not as many vendors showed up. It was underwhelming back then, but I was told that it's so much better in September.
When I got there, there were very few vendors set up. There were some interesting things to look at. I was told more vendors would be coming in later and also Saturday. It was extremely hot. After looking around a bit and getting very tired of being out in the heat, I decided to head for the hotel and enjoy an air conditioned room.
I took a free night for this hotel though I had to actually use points this time (unlike the previous night where cockroaches basically awarded me a freebie night ---- and likely a night that will STILL earn points!).
I planned to just relax for the night. But, I remembered I needed to buy some things at Kohl's and figured when I had a "night off" it would be the best time to get this done. I was a little surprised when I went to check out. The store announced a need for every cashier possible. The lines were extremely long with several cashiers ringing people up. I don't know if the recession is happening in Tulsa. This is definitely not "back to school" stuff because Midwest and Southern states start school around August 15th. School also gets out in mid-May. In the Northeast, we're one month different in terms of the beginning of summer vacation and two or three weeks different in terms of school starting.
Finally, I was able to get back to my hotel and relax a bit.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
September 16, 2010: Oklahoma City - State Fair, Memorial, and Cockroaches
I woke up in Joplin, Missouri today. I was about 9 miles from the Oklahoma line. After doing a few errands and grabbing lunch, I headed west.
In 2006, when I made my first ever visits to Oklahoma and Missouri (two states I visited early on in my travels), I drove from Wichita, Kansas, visited Oklahoma City and then headed to Joplin. It seemed like a neverending drive on I-44 from Oklahoma City to the Missouri line. I visited Oklahoma City and Joplin all in one day. The visit to Joplin was a "token" visit as it was so late. I went to two truck stops, had dinner, bought postcards, was fascinated with the fact that I stepped foot in Missouri, and then headed back to my friend's home in Wichita, Kansas, arriving around 2am.
Back to 2010. As I headed west, I passed by the truck stops and was reminded of the fond memories of the first time I "ventured out" by car in the Midwest. Of course, now I've been to Missouri seven times and Oklahoma six times over the years.
Unfortunately, I-44 is a toll road in Oklahoma. It's tolled from the Missouri line to where I-44 merges with I-35 as it gets close to Oklahoma City. Unlike the NY Thruway, you just have to pay at tollbooths that are periodically on the interstate. There are two of these. There are also tollbooths at many of the exits. If you plan to get off at a tolled exit, you must get a receipt at the main toll booths. It costs $8 to go all the way to the end of the tolled section. They don't charge around Tulsa since there are lots of exits there.
Oklahoma likes to promote its small cities that are along the interstate. Besides, they get a toll when you use one of these exits. I stopped off at Miami, which is close to the Missouri line. I wanted to see it briefly. It has a cute downtown with lots of shops, but nothing peaked my interest. It cost $0.75 to use the exit. When I went to get back on I-44, a tollbooth attendant inquired as to where I was going. They must ask because they give you a different ticket depending on whether you head west or east. The ticket states that going in the opposite direction from what is printed on the ticket is illegal. Having the ticket meant that I could pay less at the general tollbooth on I-44.
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I stopped off at the "world's largest McDonalds" (at least that's the claim that is made) in order to walk around a bit. This particular McDonalds sites on a bridge above I-44. I don't think I've seen any other interstate rest stop like that.
My destination for the evening was the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City. There would be a performance by the Ely Young Band, and some interesting Native American displays relating to the Trail of Tears. (Andrew Jackson forced Native American tribes to go to what was then "Indian Territory" and later became the state of Oklahoma.) As this was the opening day, the fair only cost $1.
The fair was nice and VERY crowded. I never could find the building housing the displays. The band was good, but extremely loud. I had gotten a fairly close spot at the beginning, but quickly decided to move way back....if I wanted to preserve my eardrums.
After the band was done, I stopped at Braums (a fast food chain in this region) for a quick dinner. Food at the fair was expensive...and actually probably less healthy than fast food. They typically have a store attached with baked goods, their own brand of ice cream with odd flavors, etc. I decided to have a sundae with peppermint ice cream and cappuchino flavored frozen yogurt.
I checked into the hotel and then headed out to the Oklahoma City Memorial (around 10:30 at night). While it's open all day for visitors, they encourage people to come back at night to see the memorial tastefully lighted up in rememberance of the victims. I was there at night in May, 2010. I tried to get pictures but could not do well with night pictures. Having more knowledge about options on my camera, I was better prepared this time. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring a tripod. Night photos require longer exposure times and I cannot hold my arm steady enough to get a good night photo.
I got back to the hotel, ready for some rest. This was a decent hotel, recently refurbished, and certainly not the cheapest option. (I use Choice Hotels because of the point deals which lead to free nights.) Then, I noticed something moving on the floor. It was a cockroach! I have NEVER been to a hotel room with cockroaches. When it was just one, I was going to ignore it. But then I happened to find a dead one on the floor. I decided to see if I could get another room. I took the roaches to the front desk, wrapped in tissues. The clerk immediately offered to move me without my even asking.
As I was taking my stuff out of the room I originally had, the clerk called and said the manager wanted to comp my stay for the night. Hey, no problem with that! I was just happy to get to a different room. But I'll take a free night without having to spend points. Basically, this was done with the hopes that I would not write about the roaches on TripAdvisor.com. And yes, since they showed they would bend over backwards for customers, I'm not going to mention this on TripAdvisor.
As I went outside to get something from the car, I was reminded that I am in the South. Insects are just bigger and they're everywhere here. There were much larger cockroaches outside, along with at least one giant cricket (almost the size of a baby mouse). Other insects were swarming the outdoor lights. Basically, with the conditions in the South, the hotel is fighting an uphill battle to keep cockroaches out.
In any event, it was definitely an interesting and unexpected evening.
In 2006, when I made my first ever visits to Oklahoma and Missouri (two states I visited early on in my travels), I drove from Wichita, Kansas, visited Oklahoma City and then headed to Joplin. It seemed like a neverending drive on I-44 from Oklahoma City to the Missouri line. I visited Oklahoma City and Joplin all in one day. The visit to Joplin was a "token" visit as it was so late. I went to two truck stops, had dinner, bought postcards, was fascinated with the fact that I stepped foot in Missouri, and then headed back to my friend's home in Wichita, Kansas, arriving around 2am.
Back to 2010. As I headed west, I passed by the truck stops and was reminded of the fond memories of the first time I "ventured out" by car in the Midwest. Of course, now I've been to Missouri seven times and Oklahoma six times over the years.
Unfortunately, I-44 is a toll road in Oklahoma. It's tolled from the Missouri line to where I-44 merges with I-35 as it gets close to Oklahoma City. Unlike the NY Thruway, you just have to pay at tollbooths that are periodically on the interstate. There are two of these. There are also tollbooths at many of the exits. If you plan to get off at a tolled exit, you must get a receipt at the main toll booths. It costs $8 to go all the way to the end of the tolled section. They don't charge around Tulsa since there are lots of exits there.
Oklahoma likes to promote its small cities that are along the interstate. Besides, they get a toll when you use one of these exits. I stopped off at Miami, which is close to the Missouri line. I wanted to see it briefly. It has a cute downtown with lots of shops, but nothing peaked my interest. It cost $0.75 to use the exit. When I went to get back on I-44, a tollbooth attendant inquired as to where I was going. They must ask because they give you a different ticket depending on whether you head west or east. The ticket states that going in the opposite direction from what is printed on the ticket is illegal. Having the ticket meant that I could pay less at the general tollbooth on I-44.
View Larger Map
I stopped off at the "world's largest McDonalds" (at least that's the claim that is made) in order to walk around a bit. This particular McDonalds sites on a bridge above I-44. I don't think I've seen any other interstate rest stop like that.
My destination for the evening was the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City. There would be a performance by the Ely Young Band, and some interesting Native American displays relating to the Trail of Tears. (Andrew Jackson forced Native American tribes to go to what was then "Indian Territory" and later became the state of Oklahoma.) As this was the opening day, the fair only cost $1.
The fair was nice and VERY crowded. I never could find the building housing the displays. The band was good, but extremely loud. I had gotten a fairly close spot at the beginning, but quickly decided to move way back....if I wanted to preserve my eardrums.
After the band was done, I stopped at Braums (a fast food chain in this region) for a quick dinner. Food at the fair was expensive...and actually probably less healthy than fast food. They typically have a store attached with baked goods, their own brand of ice cream with odd flavors, etc. I decided to have a sundae with peppermint ice cream and cappuchino flavored frozen yogurt.
I checked into the hotel and then headed out to the Oklahoma City Memorial (around 10:30 at night). While it's open all day for visitors, they encourage people to come back at night to see the memorial tastefully lighted up in rememberance of the victims. I was there at night in May, 2010. I tried to get pictures but could not do well with night pictures. Having more knowledge about options on my camera, I was better prepared this time. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring a tripod. Night photos require longer exposure times and I cannot hold my arm steady enough to get a good night photo.
I got back to the hotel, ready for some rest. This was a decent hotel, recently refurbished, and certainly not the cheapest option. (I use Choice Hotels because of the point deals which lead to free nights.) Then, I noticed something moving on the floor. It was a cockroach! I have NEVER been to a hotel room with cockroaches. When it was just one, I was going to ignore it. But then I happened to find a dead one on the floor. I decided to see if I could get another room. I took the roaches to the front desk, wrapped in tissues. The clerk immediately offered to move me without my even asking.
As I was taking my stuff out of the room I originally had, the clerk called and said the manager wanted to comp my stay for the night. Hey, no problem with that! I was just happy to get to a different room. But I'll take a free night without having to spend points. Basically, this was done with the hopes that I would not write about the roaches on TripAdvisor.com. And yes, since they showed they would bend over backwards for customers, I'm not going to mention this on TripAdvisor.
As I went outside to get something from the car, I was reminded that I am in the South. Insects are just bigger and they're everywhere here. There were much larger cockroaches outside, along with at least one giant cricket (almost the size of a baby mouse). Other insects were swarming the outdoor lights. Basically, with the conditions in the South, the hotel is fighting an uphill battle to keep cockroaches out.
In any event, it was definitely an interesting and unexpected evening.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
September 15, 2010: 12 Hour Drive
oday was another intense drive. I originally planned to stop in Springfield, Missouri for the night, but the hotels are typically expensive in this area. I opted to go even further to Joplin, Missouri, which is about eight miles from the Oklahoma line. It likely saved at least $20. That can be used for fuel.
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I began in Columbus, Ohio. Taking I-70 out, I drove through the rest of Ohio, then into Indiana. I-70 runs through Indianapolis, the state's largest city and capital city. It briefly runs with I-65 and you must pay close attention to actually stay on I-70 once these interstates separate again.
I stopped in Terra Haute (on the western side of the state) for a meal and to purchase gas. I wanted fast food to save time. (There is a good Mexican restaurant in Terra Haute that I've been to before, but I didn't have time for that today.) I decided to try White Castle. I don't think they're available in the Albany, NY area. I'm sort of sorry I bothered. The burger is fairly small and really didn't taste that great. One of the sodas available was the "Barq's famous red soda." I've heard of Barq's root beer, but not "red soda." I tried just a little. It is loaded with red dye and tastes horrible. Glad I only sampled it.
I drove across Illinois on I-70. Once I noticed the Gateway Arch peeking over the hills, I new I was going to be entering Missouri soon. I love seeing the Gateway Arch, though I've never actually been to the riverfront. It's just nice to see it from the interstate. It's close enough to get a good view but far enough away that you can see the whole thing. As I entered St. Louis, several interstates run together: I-70, I-44, I-55, I-64, and possibly even another I'm forgetting. Anyway, even the GPS is not fast enough to keep up with the lane changes required to get onto the desired route (or at least doesn't announce them in time). Ultimately, I needed I-44. Somewhere along the way I missed an exit and had to briefly drive through the city of St. Louis. It is such a busy city and I'd prefer to just look down from the interstates. Thankfully I only had to drive a few miles and then I got onto a ramp directly for I-44.
I-44 is simple once you leave St. Louis. There are some curves and bends going around the Ozarks, but that's about it.
As I got closer to the Springfield area, rain became severe. I was really nervous about the interstate becoming flooded. There are miles and miles along I-44 with no exits. Other drivers were slowing down to 40 mph and using their flashers. For a long time, I did as well. The rain was extreme. Lightning was visible all over.
At times the rain would clear up for a while and I used those times to pick up speed. Once I passed Springfield, a radio station announced a tornado and severe thunderstorm watch. Thankfully, the counties mentioned were to the east of me. As I got closer to Joplin, it seemed to be more dry.
I arrived at the hotel around 12:30am, totally exhausted. Certainly, it was not as bad as the previous evening, but I had two days worth of long drives by then. But, getting there meant that there would be at a few days where I will not have to drive so much.
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I began in Columbus, Ohio. Taking I-70 out, I drove through the rest of Ohio, then into Indiana. I-70 runs through Indianapolis, the state's largest city and capital city. It briefly runs with I-65 and you must pay close attention to actually stay on I-70 once these interstates separate again.
I stopped in Terra Haute (on the western side of the state) for a meal and to purchase gas. I wanted fast food to save time. (There is a good Mexican restaurant in Terra Haute that I've been to before, but I didn't have time for that today.) I decided to try White Castle. I don't think they're available in the Albany, NY area. I'm sort of sorry I bothered. The burger is fairly small and really didn't taste that great. One of the sodas available was the "Barq's famous red soda." I've heard of Barq's root beer, but not "red soda." I tried just a little. It is loaded with red dye and tastes horrible. Glad I only sampled it.
I drove across Illinois on I-70. Once I noticed the Gateway Arch peeking over the hills, I new I was going to be entering Missouri soon. I love seeing the Gateway Arch, though I've never actually been to the riverfront. It's just nice to see it from the interstate. It's close enough to get a good view but far enough away that you can see the whole thing. As I entered St. Louis, several interstates run together: I-70, I-44, I-55, I-64, and possibly even another I'm forgetting. Anyway, even the GPS is not fast enough to keep up with the lane changes required to get onto the desired route (or at least doesn't announce them in time). Ultimately, I needed I-44. Somewhere along the way I missed an exit and had to briefly drive through the city of St. Louis. It is such a busy city and I'd prefer to just look down from the interstates. Thankfully I only had to drive a few miles and then I got onto a ramp directly for I-44.
I-44 is simple once you leave St. Louis. There are some curves and bends going around the Ozarks, but that's about it.
As I got closer to the Springfield area, rain became severe. I was really nervous about the interstate becoming flooded. There are miles and miles along I-44 with no exits. Other drivers were slowing down to 40 mph and using their flashers. For a long time, I did as well. The rain was extreme. Lightning was visible all over.
At times the rain would clear up for a while and I used those times to pick up speed. Once I passed Springfield, a radio station announced a tornado and severe thunderstorm watch. Thankfully, the counties mentioned were to the east of me. As I got closer to Joplin, it seemed to be more dry.
I arrived at the hotel around 12:30am, totally exhausted. Certainly, it was not as bad as the previous evening, but I had two days worth of long drives by then. But, getting there meant that there would be at a few days where I will not have to drive so much.
September 14, 2010: 11 Hour Drive
Today begins a new trip. This is more of a "destination" visit in that I have three states where I plan to spend some time. In the past, I've picked a region of the country and tried to find something to do in each state along the way. Now, I'm breezing through a lot of states just to get to the ones where I have plans. As of last spring when I added California to my list of visited states, I have now visited 47 states. Louisiana is the only missing state in the lower 48 and I do NOT anticipate visiting it in this trip. So, this will be the first trip west of New York that does not involve a visit to a new state.
As is usual for these driving trips, I got out of the house late. This was probably one of the worst occasions as I left around 3pm and had an eleven hour drive ahead of me. That is the most ambitious drive I have ever tried in a single day. Ordinarily, I never go more than eight hours. But, with limited days for this trip I wanted to maximize it by getting most of the driving out of the way when I could. The next day would be even worse.
My destination was Columbus, Ohio. I chose that city because it has an inexpensive hotel under the Choice Hotel brands, and they're giving away big points again. I'll get some free stays during this trip. Columbus is also roughly halfway through to Springfield, Missouri.
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Normally, it takes a couple of days to build up momentum. Leaving at 3pm, I was really nervous about being out so late and driving so long. This time, I must have been either hungering for a trip or else I've built up enough "reserve" momentum from my past trips. I was not seriously tired at any point on the trip.
The logical way to do this would have been to take I-90 across NY. Of course, that involves about $14 in tolls, and I figured that would be better spent on gas. So, I planned to take I-88 to the Southern Tier Expressway (aka "I-86").
The GPS was obnoxious. I knew what I needed to do to get as far as Ohio so I really didn't need the GPS until that point. But, it is good for calculating mileage until the next turn and destination time. As I got on I-88 it kept wanting me to turn around to get back on I-90. I finally was tired of hearing it complain, so I shut it down until I was so far onto I-88 that it had to reroute me through I-86.
I've never gone west on US 17/I-86 in the daylight. I've come back that way in daytime, but the only time I went out that way (in summer 2008), it was already dark. It always seems to be different from my recollection when I travel that route. This time was no exception. There was also a great deal of road work this time. But aside from that, the landscape still seemed different throughout.
It felt so good to start traveling again. This summer has been intense with lots of things happening at home. So, it's great to get out and at least go halfway across the country again.
As is usual in Western NY, gas was more expensive than the Clifton Park area. I fueled up a bit, expecting to finish it off once I crossed the Pennsylvania line. Typically, the TA store along I-90 is cheaper than western NY prices. When I arrived, it turned out to be exactly the same. Filling up and then having some pizza as insurance to stay awake, I began driving again.
Ohio is also typically even cheaper than PA (and thus also cheaper than NY). It turned out Ohio gas prices were the same or higher than PA, making Ohio, for the first time I have ever seen, more expensive than Clifton Park, NY.
There is heavy construction on I-90. At one point, you could even pick which part of the construction zone you wanted to drive in. It forked there is a huge grassy median between the two westbound lanes. I took the right side.
My next interstate was I-271. Getting on there was a feat with so many ramps for I-271 closed.
As time went on, I became worried about getting tired. But, it never happened. In fact, I seemed more energized as it got later. I-271 ended and I went onto I-71. I-71 was a pleasure to drive at that hour with nobody else on it. It can become busy during normal hours.
As I-71 and I-70 merged in different places, along with a few other US routes (other states like to merge interstates and US routes), things became confusing and of course I took an incorrect ramp. It's wonderful to have a GPS.
The hotel in Columbus was very inexpensive but was definitely quite nice. I got in a little after 2am. There was still stuff to do so I ultimately never got to sleep until 3:30am.
As is usual for these driving trips, I got out of the house late. This was probably one of the worst occasions as I left around 3pm and had an eleven hour drive ahead of me. That is the most ambitious drive I have ever tried in a single day. Ordinarily, I never go more than eight hours. But, with limited days for this trip I wanted to maximize it by getting most of the driving out of the way when I could. The next day would be even worse.
My destination was Columbus, Ohio. I chose that city because it has an inexpensive hotel under the Choice Hotel brands, and they're giving away big points again. I'll get some free stays during this trip. Columbus is also roughly halfway through to Springfield, Missouri.
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Normally, it takes a couple of days to build up momentum. Leaving at 3pm, I was really nervous about being out so late and driving so long. This time, I must have been either hungering for a trip or else I've built up enough "reserve" momentum from my past trips. I was not seriously tired at any point on the trip.
The logical way to do this would have been to take I-90 across NY. Of course, that involves about $14 in tolls, and I figured that would be better spent on gas. So, I planned to take I-88 to the Southern Tier Expressway (aka "I-86").
The GPS was obnoxious. I knew what I needed to do to get as far as Ohio so I really didn't need the GPS until that point. But, it is good for calculating mileage until the next turn and destination time. As I got on I-88 it kept wanting me to turn around to get back on I-90. I finally was tired of hearing it complain, so I shut it down until I was so far onto I-88 that it had to reroute me through I-86.
I've never gone west on US 17/I-86 in the daylight. I've come back that way in daytime, but the only time I went out that way (in summer 2008), it was already dark. It always seems to be different from my recollection when I travel that route. This time was no exception. There was also a great deal of road work this time. But aside from that, the landscape still seemed different throughout.
It felt so good to start traveling again. This summer has been intense with lots of things happening at home. So, it's great to get out and at least go halfway across the country again.
As is usual in Western NY, gas was more expensive than the Clifton Park area. I fueled up a bit, expecting to finish it off once I crossed the Pennsylvania line. Typically, the TA store along I-90 is cheaper than western NY prices. When I arrived, it turned out to be exactly the same. Filling up and then having some pizza as insurance to stay awake, I began driving again.
Ohio is also typically even cheaper than PA (and thus also cheaper than NY). It turned out Ohio gas prices were the same or higher than PA, making Ohio, for the first time I have ever seen, more expensive than Clifton Park, NY.
There is heavy construction on I-90. At one point, you could even pick which part of the construction zone you wanted to drive in. It forked there is a huge grassy median between the two westbound lanes. I took the right side.
My next interstate was I-271. Getting on there was a feat with so many ramps for I-271 closed.
As time went on, I became worried about getting tired. But, it never happened. In fact, I seemed more energized as it got later. I-271 ended and I went onto I-71. I-71 was a pleasure to drive at that hour with nobody else on it. It can become busy during normal hours.
As I-71 and I-70 merged in different places, along with a few other US routes (other states like to merge interstates and US routes), things became confusing and of course I took an incorrect ramp. It's wonderful to have a GPS.
The hotel in Columbus was very inexpensive but was definitely quite nice. I got in a little after 2am. There was still stuff to do so I ultimately never got to sleep until 3:30am.
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