The Breakdown

As promised here are the facts about our trip...

         21,232 kilometers 

         13,193 miles

         $4,276.75  diesel fuel

          1125.46 US gallons of diesel

          173 total days
          
          82 F highest and 26 F lowest temperature

          34 different campgrounds
          
          22 different states

          6 border patrol stops

          3 oil changes

          2 flat tires and

          1 very rewarding thought...we get to do it all again whenever we want                         

Getting Home

Leaving Missouri behind we travelled 297 miles to make an overnight stop in Effingham, Illnois. It was a nice sunny day with relatively flat roads but lots of traffic. The campground I chose was Camp Lakewood. Just a short distance from town but far enough away we weren't bothered by traffic. Check-in was fast and we were escorted to our site.

Canadian Geese...our welcoming committee

Our site

Nice and peaceful

We were able to sit outside and enjoy the gorgeous day. Really nice people stopped by, we enjoyed the visit while sharing travel stories and a beer or two. All things must come to an end, we were off and running again the next morning. After travelling another 330 miles we arrived at Cross Creek Campground just outside of Columbus, Ohio. Having stopped here many times before, we knew what to expect. Sorry no pictures, I forgot to take some. How can that be? After a very restful night we were back on the road. No maps are needed from here as we have been down this road many times. As we looked out to see Lake Erie for the first time this year, there was something different about her. She (the lake) still had ice flows. In all the years I have been travelling, which is many I have never seen ice flows on the lake this late in the year. With the sun shining on the blue water and the white, white ice flows, how pretty is that.

Again this year we decided to stop in Erie, PA. We could make it all the way home in one day but 360 miles is a long days drive. I found a great place just off 1-90 Exit 18 called Presque Isle Passage Campground. We arrived and were given our choice of spots. A few winter travellers pulled in behind us so the word is out about this park. The competition (KOA) on the other side of the highway wanted $51 per night, this one is $33. It has all the amenities including good WiFi and cable.

The next morning we took our time as we knew home was a short 2 1/2 hour drive. We crossed the border from Buffalo to Fort Erie, I did my usual singing of Oh Canada and thanked the USA for taking my money. Yes, we are home, I will give a breakdown on my next blog.  

An Oklahoma Feast

As we make our way across the top of Texas & Oklahoma we have to be very astute to the weather. Yes, it's tornado season and we are passing through areas that have been wiped out by them. Our first stop on our trip home was Amarillo, Texas. We stayed at Oasis RV Park just off the highway but far enough away you couldn't here traffic noise. This stop is just to get the last minute things, do all the laundry, and rest up before starting those 300 mile days. The only tourist attraction we visited in Amarillo was Cadillac Ranch. This public display of art is located along the service road off I-40 in an open field. Cadillac Ranch was created in 1974 by three artists. It consists of a number of old Cadillacs stuck nose first half way in the ground.

Cadillac Ranch

People are encouraged to stop, walk across the open field and paint or write something on a car. How crazy, you wouldn't think that it would attract many people but it was a constant stream of people.

Susan writing our names

As we left Amarillo our next stop was Oklahoma City and one that we were so looking forward to. I was praying everyday for good weather so we could stop and see our great friends Don & Sandy. Excellent, the weather gods were listening, it's not sunny, there's a little rain, but NO severe weather. They invited us over for a real Oklahoma meal. WOW!  What a fantastic meal everything from ribs, to chicken, cornbread, baked beans, and don't forget the pie.

A fantastic meal

Meeting Don and Sandy in Ohio 3 years ago, we had an instant connection and have been able to stay in touch ever since. Not only in Florida but now at their home. Catching up was wonderful. We all talked nonstop for over 5 hours. Unfortunately we had to leave but not without Sandy packing us up the best doggy bag we have ever had. Thanks Don and Sandy.

Fantastic friends Sandy & Don

The rain held off just enough that I was able to pack everything away without getting soaking wet. Travelling through Tulsa, OK it rained so hard we couldn't see the road. I slowed down but know one else does which makes it dangerous. We made it to our overnight stop in Marshfield, Missouri at RV Express. This park is just off the highway and is for overnight stays. Traffic noise is continuous and very loud at times but when your tired we can sleep through anything.

The park office 

Pull-thru and back in sites

If know one else was in the park, I'm not sure if we would have stayed but luckily others pulled in for the night. Safety is always an issue.

Our site     

Enchanted Trails RV Park

Knowing that we had a short days drive, only 83 miles we decided to sleep in and break camp a little later than normal. With a good wind from behind pushing us all the way there, our gas mileage was fantastic. The park is just off the I-40 so we were wondering whether highway noise would be a factor. At first glance it looked pretty much like most New Mexico parks, all dirt roads. When we pulled in there's lots of room to pull off the road and into the park. You know what it's like, sometimes your left with your rear end half in the park and half on the road.

Registration Office

Checking in was pretty simple and the price was right. They took Passport America for two nights and Good Sam's 20% discount for two nights. We pulled into our site got all set up and detached and realized the power doesn't work. Called the office they came out and yep it doesn't work. Instead of changing the breaker and plug, we had to move sites. A few minutes later the same guy changed the problem (the breaker and plug). Oh well chalk it up as experience.

Our new site

Dirt roads and sites...very very dusty

This campgrounds offers lots of really cool Route 66 memorabilia especially the old RV's.

A 1958 Hudson Commodore 6 & a 1954 Vakashunette

1974 Silver Streak Trailer

1963 Winnebago Trailer

Shasta - notice the silver wings

1959 Sparton named "Flossie"

The park is truly a bare bones type of park but it was easy off/easy on the highway. The traffic noise from the highway really didn't bother us. Would we stay here again, sure for price you can't beat it. It's also close to lot's of attractions.

Gallup, NM

Moving east along I-40 we came to the town of Gallup, sounded interesting so we stopped for a few nights. We chose USA RV Park because it was the first campground off the highway and it looked nice.

Park Office

Happy with our decision, the office people were wonderful and quite helpful. Finding our site was not difficult as the place was not all that big. Each site is close to one another however for a couple a nights it's perfect.

Our site

The campground is well maintained with ever amenity you can think of. There's a well stocked store with everything from Route 66 memorabilia to RV supplies.

Nice cabins

Chess anyone

The owner was really into wood carvings as he had a back room full.

Nice clean enclosed dog park

Every Saturday they have a large flea market in Gallup. Susan and I are not really flea market gals but we though we would check it out anyway. Being on Native American land they had amazing jewellery, blankets, and lots more. This was right up Susan's alley since she is so artsy.

Susan talking about making jewellery

Ponies rides for the kids...no takers yet

Yes we bought a blanket, it is so warm

I had never seen so many tires being sold in one place. Everyone seemed to have tires for sale. This guy even went a little further and was trying to sell his whole car for $2200.

I love Volkswagons...this one needed allot of work

Leaving the flea market we ventured into town to see the sites. We spotted a custom truck accessory place so why not we went in. I have wanted a front grille guard for Precious (my truck) since buying her. They just happened to have one in stock. Done deal they got Precious for 2 hours we went sightseeing. Gallup was founded in 1881 as a rail head for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. It is often referred to as "the Indian Capital of the World" because of it's location in the heart of Native American land. A large percentage of the world's native art is made in or near Gallup. In 2000, artists were commissioned to retell Gallup's history through a series of murals on the downtown buildings.  

This mural depicts multi-cultural women

Built in the late 1920's the El Morro Theatre was a gathering place for the community. Today, the nearly 500 seat theatre is used for political discussions, dance recitals and more.

El Morro Theatre

As we continued our walk on the streets of downtown Gallup many of the store signs indicated the store history. We went into Richardson's to look since it was one of the original trading posts. I fell in love with an Indian bracelet...only $3200...I passed.

One of several painted Indian clay pots on
the streets of Gallup

It's time to go pick up Precious and see her new makeover. Hopefully, now if we hit a deer we will be a little safer.

Look Precious has braces

Petrified Forest National Park

As we continued our quest to see new and interesting areas, the Petrified Forest National Park was high on our list of must things to see. Located 19 miles from Holbrook on a beautiful day we started our adventure. During our stay in Zion we bought an annual National Parks pass so the cost was free to us today. Entering we were asked if we had any rocks or petrified wood in the vehicle. At an alarming rate people are removing the rock from the park even with all the signs telling people not to. It's also against the law with hefty fines.

We started at the south entrance

The visitor center had a wonderful short film on the history of the forest which we watched before venturing out. During the Triassic Period, 200 million years ago this area was located near the equator. Imagine trees 200 feet tall and nine feet in diameter. However, overtime trees died and were carried into the lowlands by rivers, only to be covered with sediment before they decomposed. Silica mixed with the ground water was deposited in the cell walls causing crystallization. Iron rich minerals along with quartz during the petrifying process created the rainbow of colors.

Giant Logs at the visitors center

Petrified wood - rainbow of colors

The Petrified Forest National Park was first established as a National Monument in 1906 then elevated to a national park in 1962. The park has over 93,000 acres of land. There is a 28 mile paved park road with several pull-offs allowing us to get the full scope of the park. Trails are generally short and paved to allow people to get up close to the logs.

Getting up close as we explored

Some of these logs are monstrous

? Wood or rock of many colors

These logs were not cut they fractured after petrification

Agate Bridge is the result of centuries of scouring flood waters eroding away the softer sandstone creating a gully under the now suspended harder petrified log.

Agate bridge

Conversationalist felt the need to preserve this natural bridge so in 1917 they built a concrete support. If found today, National Parks Services philosophy would leave it in it's natural state allowing natural forces that created it to take it's course.

What does Route 66 and the Petrified Forest have in common. Well, it is the only national park that contains a section of Historic Route 66. Traces of old road bed and weathered telephone poles mark the "Main Street of America". 

No power lines but poles are still present

An old car symbolizes Route 66

Exhausted we decided to call it a day only to return tomorrow to do the other half of the park. The one outstanding point that we found staggering was in spite of all the signs and the treat of severe penalties and the ability to buy legal petrified wood, people still choose to remove one ton of the petrified forest per month.

Holbrook, AZ

Well, we have officially made the turn on the I-40 east to start our trip home. Not that I'm in a hurry but all things must come to an end. We do need to get home so we can unpack and then repack for our trip to Labrador and Newfoundland. In the meantime however we are still a long way's away but it's closer. Deciding to spend a few days in Holbrook, AZ was an easy choice since it's close to Petrified Forest National Park. We choose OK RV Park as our home base since it has great reviews plus it was just off the highway. We all like easy off, easy on. 

Entering Holbrook

Registration Office

The park's petrified log garden

Way back by ourselves until everyone decided to pull off the road then every site was filled

At an elevation of 5082 feet, the town of Holbrook was founded in 1882. Back in the day women and children did not have a place in this town. The cowboys worked hard but they also played hard. On many occasions the playing hard resulted in gun-play. On one such occasion in 1886, the playing hard resulted in 26 shootings in a town of 0nly 250 people. Even today history lives on with a street called "Bucket of Blood".

"Bucket of Blood Street"...it looked a little scary down there so I stood at the top of the street to take the picture

Through the fire of 1888 that destroyed the entire town, to the droughts, floods, and the men themselves, Holbrook continued to grow. The first major building erected was the Navajo County Courthouse which was completed in 1898 at a cost of $15,000.

Navajo County Courthouse

Today the courthouse is a museum filled with documents and books dating back to the 1890's

Within the courthouse was the county jail. It was built in St Louis and shipped as an entire unit to Holbrook by rail. Installed during construction in 1898 with a total cost of $3000. The jail was last used in 1976.

I went in...what an eerie feeling

The communal toilet...no privacy here

Born from the hearts that love and call Holbrook home, the community commissioned artists to paint several murals depicting the towns sometimes shady past.

A local hangout on Route 66