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.