Our trip so far has been fun and uneventful but there have been a few bumps along the way. As you can imagine, our house requires constant tinkering. So does Bill’s. So does everyone’s. For example, before we leave Mark checks the tires, oil, batteries, hooks up the brake on the car and checks that it is properly attached to the hitch. He unhooks sewer, water, and electricity, and makes sure the “basement”doors are secure. Inside, I clean the floors so the slides don’t damage the tile, I stow everything so it won’t fall or break or rattle(hopeless). I put bars in the fridge so when I next open the doors everything won’t fall out. I turn on the inverter, start the rig and after the air comes up, I pull in the slides. Then we are ready to roll. BUT. Here’s what has gone awry. When we left Branson we were out of town 5 minutes when all the engine red lights came on. When you burn diesel you make soot and the heat of the engine burns it up, UNLESS the cat has walked on the buttons and turned the regeneration one off. (Not good.). Took 30 minutes after a panicked stop and frantic reading of the engine OEM to determine what we had to do. Sat on I-70 while the engine ran at top speed to burn the soot. Later on that day, a car drove up beside Bill with a sign telling him his headlight was broken. This was after we had gone through another rain storm and Bill’s windshield wiper fell off. The coupe de gras was when we stopped at a rest stop for lunch and another rig which had stopped beside us took off and with a terrible wrenching sound, his car and hitch came loose from his motorhome, bounced along from side to side behind him, ran into the back bumper of the motorhome and gouged a great hole in it. We ran to stop him and he casually got out, said he had just had a new hitch installed and they must not have locked it on right, fixed it and left. Stay cool, my friend! Yeesh!!!
General
WHO KNEW?
So who knew Kansas was an oil well Mecca? Not me! We’ve passed hundreds of these rigs and camped last night next to The Oil Patch Museum which is seldom open but has a great display of oil well equipment and derricks around its building. We’ve also seen cows, lots of horses, donkeys, and goats. Driving through here is like driving through North Dakota:some rolling hills and a lot of flat land, straight roads except where it looks like I70 coming from the wast didn’t link up with I 70 coming from the east so they had to make a jog. Next at stop, Golden, Colorado and the Rockies,
BOOGIE NIGHTS
So on nights when we just spend that night in a campground and move on the next day, Bill calls Boogie Nights. This is what we did in Kentucky in Paducah. Today we are traversing Missouri to get to Branson. It has been the longest 300 miles I’ve ever traveled! We crossed the mighty Mississippi on the border between Kentucky and Missouri on one of the narrowest two lane bridges I’ve ever been on. Honestly, my insides turned over and I had to close my eyes. Good thing I wasn’t driving. Spent lunchtime in a Walmart parking lot along with a pepto pink pick-up, an old Chevy whose front end was stylishly held together with duck tape, and two toothless women who followed us around Dollar General. I’ll leave you to add your own comments!
So, Missouri roads are interesting. We are apparently in The Ozarks which are up hill and down dale and around careening curves. The junctions are lettered,as in Junction DD, the view is of hardwoods and lumber mills, a few long horned steers and goats. Again, add your own comments. Those who know me well, know the soundtrack going on on my head! Finally, here are a couple pictures as we crossed Old Man River. Next stop, Branson.
PS. Missouri must be one of the places Verizon doesn’t cover because I’ve had no cell service since we crossed the river.
MORNING ON THE FRENCH BROAD
This is the beautiful sight we woke up to this morning after surviving the Blue Ridge, Great Smokies and a lot of rain yesterday. Yes, it was worth it!
THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF OUR LIVES
Today was a very unsettling day. We untethered ourselves from everything we have known for 26 years and set off on a great new adventure. Three hours driving in blinding rain we made the 137 miles to Statesville, NC. Our neighbors, Bill and Eileen Graham from Emerald Isle met us later in the afternoon. Bill has been our motorhome mentor and these next 4 months will be a great learning experience. The KOA we stayed in was nice but the flies were tremendous. The cats had a great time stalking them! Tomorrow on to Sevierville, TN.
ALMOST READY TO GO!
We are now official “Nomads!” In order to legally maintain residence in South Dakota we had to have an affidavit signed so stating. South Dakota’s motto on the license plate is Great Faces, Great Places. We will keep you entertained with those that we have seen around the world and especially on this trip. We hope you will come along for the ride to exotic places like Vietnam, Peru, and Sevierville, Tennessee!
Mark and Kathie's Excellent Adventure 