Finally connected!!

Oy! First we don't have internet for a few days and then I can't get into the blog!

So far we have driven close to 2, ooo miles. Forget to check final mileage for tonite! The drive has been great up to this point. Mostly clear skies, except for a severe storm this evening just as we came into Colorado. We sat for about 1/2 hour as the worst of the storm passed. Then plowed on to La Junta, CO.

Our first night we stopped over in Evansville, Indiana. The manager showed the kids a magic trick and now Melissa thinks he is the nicest manager. The second night was in Fort Scott, KS. It was dark, not a nice neighborhood and not a new hotel by any stretch of the imagination. But, we have discovered that there is very little for very long distances in the "Bread Basket" of the country!! When you find food, you eat. When you find gas, you buy it. When you find a hotel, you sleep. Unbelieveable how much open space there is in Missouri, Kansas and so far eastern Colorado. Tonite, we are in a nice hotel and Pizza Hut delivered. So we did not have to get in the car again!!!

There are times when you can see for miles and miles and the road is as straight as a pin! The farms and ranches are huge! I can't even imagine how many acres. Many of them have a few oil rigs drilling. There have been a couple with windmills. I thought there would be more of those with the wind thru Kansas. There are huge cattle farms and they are right down the road from huge slaughter houses. You know when are approaching a town because you can see the grain/feed silos from miles away.

We tried to stop at the arch in St. Louis, but there wasn't any parking anywhere for folks with a camper. Quite a bit of the parking along the river was under water. Perhaps that was where we supposed to be. The ramps into the casinos were under water as well. No gambling for a couple of days!! So, we took pictures from the car windows and moved on!

We did make a little side trip to Mansfield, MO to see the Rocky Ridge Farm. This is where the Little House books were written. It was a pretty little farm. The kids thought it was interesting that they added rooms as they could afford them. Ronica, your post card is on it's way!!!

Today we drove thru Greensburg, KS. This is the town featured on the Discovery Channel that was flattened by a tornado last year. They are rebuilding a comletely "green" town. Still lots of devastation, but they are making progress.

Tomorrow we leave the plains and move into the mountains. We have about 6 hours to go tomorrow before we get to Durango. The drive has been pleasant. The kids have even enjoyed the scenery. Not as tough to sit still when you have such beauty to look at!! Til next time!!