Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
LOTS OF MILES
Forgot to post this at the end of our trip. We were glad to be home and have finally began to feel like we have caught up with everything that needed to be done at home.
The days since we arrived home have been very, very hot – many over 100 degrees but cooler weather is finally here.
Here’s the total miles we drove: From Arkansas to California totaled 3,085. Total miles from Arkansas to California, then back to Arkansas were 7, 820. Wow what a trip. One we will never forget and we thank Carrie and Jerry for inviting us to share this adventure with them and praise God for a safe and happy journey.
THE END!!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
June 8 – Almost home
Day 28 – A day of steady driving through continually changing landscapes. The hills are still rolling but foliage is becoming more dense, giving evidence of a wet spring. We caught up with the cyclists in Bentonville, AR. It was extremely hot and humid, they had just come through a terrible section of road construction where traffic had been terribly bad. Carrie had fallen and scraped her knee so they opted to continue to the other side of Bentonville to the RV park with us.
We finished the day with a dip in the pool and a dinner of smoked sausage on the grill. (Carrie being a vegetarian opted for a garden burger.)
We cannot begin to express how we feel about this trip and the awe and pride we feel in Carrie and Jerry. This has been an amazing journey, one in which we have grown to appreciate the wonderful woman our daughter has become and the love and respect they have for one another. They get up each morning eager to get on the road and meet the challenges of the day with courage and determination. What a couple! We love you both!
June 7 – Boring, Boring
Day 27 – I went in early to have a new water pump installed in the truck. Much to my amazement, Chevrolet no longer makes the 8.1L engine, the best engine ever put into a Chevrolet truck. No water pump was available anywhere in town, one had to be ordered from Tulsa. However, delivery could not be made until 2 p. m., then it would be a two hour job to replace the pump. I didn’t get back to the campground until about 5 p.m. I read every magazine in the Chevrolet dealer’s showroom, and went into sticker shock at the prices posted on new cars and trucks. But I returned back home with a functioning truck and a lighter wallet. It was too late to proceed on down the road so had to wait for the next day before leaving. In the meantime, Carrie and Jerry again had to “motel” it.
June 6 – Murphy strikes again!
Day 26 – We are now in wooded rolling hills which are a prelude to the Ozark Mountains. The humidity is up along with the temperature. Nothing else to do but go into town and do laundry and make a Wal-Mart run while awaiting the cyclists to catch up with us. We finally know where we all are by use of cell phone, no problems, right?
While parked in front of the Laundromat known as “Bubba’s Bubbles” (no kidding), I noticed a large pool of water forming under the truck. You guessed it – I have a water pump problem and, of course, it’s Sunday and everything is closed. Having a trusty supply of coolant in the back of the truck, we replenished the loss and proceeded back to the campground. Carrie and Jerry arrived and we spent a very pleasant evening planning the next day’s event – getting the water pump replaced.
June 5 – We lost them!!!!!
Day 25 – The plan for the day was to travel to Ponca City, OK., a distance of 50 miles straight east – “no big deal.” We would arrive early at a pre-selected campground, establish camp, and hang out until the cyclists arrived. Nothing unusual, our usual routine.
Upon arrival we found our pre-selected campground was full and over-flowing and the same was true with the campground across the road and all campgrounds in the area. Ponca City is an oil town and a major pipeline was being constructed. Hence, all the campgrounds were filled with construction workers. In our search for campgrounds we wound up on the far west side of town. It is now late in the afternoon, the sun is scorching, we have not been able to perform our duty in finding accommodations and we haven’t been able to contact the cyclists. When finally making contact by cell-phone we understand they are on the east side of town and they are really on the west side of town. In reality they were not even as far as Ponca City. After much driving and phone calling we finally catch up with each other on the west side of Ponca City.
After a brief discussion, Carrie and Jerry being hot and tired, opted for a motel in town and we proceeded on to the next day’s destination, Osage Hills State Park, about 10 miles west of Bartlesville, OK.
June 4 – A Day of Rest
Day 24 – A quiet day spent around the campsite resting and recuperating.
Just a comment in passing, the Oklahoma State Parks are very nice and very well maintained. There is a consistency about them throughout the state.
Resting and Recuperating
We did do some additional exploring of the lake and dam. The lake is formed for the damming of the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River.
Salt Fork of the Arkansas River
A day of rest and relaxation came to an end and tomorrow we start again on the home stretch!
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