Missed Our Junction and A Misadventure Turned Adventure.

Our Location today is Fidelity, Missouri, U.S.A. 

Just before we posted our Blog last night we had a new neighbour arrive. Being that we were parked amongst the Semis we couldn’t complain to anyone but ourselves. As suggested we might have to break out the Earplugs in order to get any sleep. Since I had to wear them for over thirty years to protect my hearing I had to instruct Kathy how to roll them before inserting them in her ears. The result was Kathy asking me if the trucker had suddenly left. 

Way too much Bacon for an Omelet.

When you put too many miles in on the road when your body tells you it needs to sleep, it’s wise to listen and allow yourself that little luxury. We didn’t wake until after 8:00 CST this morning and it felt good. We always patronize the places we stay at so after securing the trailer for travel we walked up to the restaurant to have Breakfast. 

Clear travel day.

This location on the edge of Edmond, Oklahoma felt strange because instead of having a Denny’s restaurant it had a Huddle House. Even though we have seen many of their locations across the lower states this was our first time eating at one. Even though we made certain the waitress knew we both wanted Orange Juice and Coffee after reminding her a few times I’d already finished my first coffee before she finally remembered my juice. Maybe it was nearing the end of her shift but it just seemed she wasn’t paying full attention as to what we were saying and she wasn’t that busy. The food was not bad but my Omelet had so much Bacon Chips on it that I couldn’t eat it all. 

Tulsa ahead.

It was nearly 9:30 when we got on the I-40/I-44 heading in the direction of Missouri. The sky was clear and there was barely any breeze. We’d been on the road for a good twenty minutes not using our GPS when I mentioned to Kathy that we were going north and the highway markings were I-35. Somehow we’d missed our junction to I-44. 

Wide enough for two cars.

Using only the maps and a magnifying glass Kathy found an upcoming junction that would take us right into Tulsa and I-44. It wasn’t until we’d travelled more than thirty miles on that road we saw a sign indicating Toll Booth 1 Mile Ahead. That is the one thing we try to avoid and it is not mandatory that the highways be marked as such. Being out in the middle of nowhere we were forced to continue to Tulsa on that Toll Road. 

Arkansas

When we reached Tulsa we stopped at the Flying J where we only paid $2.379 per gallon for Diesel by using our Good Sam Members Card. We also enjoyed a Hamburger for lunch at the Denny’s restaurant. The service was far better than we’d had for breakfast.

Missouri

Back on the road the term bad drivers really excelled today. Vehicles would not even be past the truck and start changing into our lane. Our horn and brakes got quite a workout on those occasions but it got me so frustrated that when I saw that I-44 was suddenly changing to a Toll Road I just took the next exit. I should have just pulled over but I didn’t. I went down one road that ended up being a big loop because country roads in mountainous terrain are not like city streets back in Windsor that resemble grids. Kathy tried programming the GPS but there is something about that program that Rand McNally needs to work on. 

Glad we weren't on the other side of the road with our trailer.

We pulled over at a deserted building lot where once again using a map and magnifying glass Kathy found the highways we needed to get us where we were going. We drove through the backroads along summer camping areas with overhanging cliffs that made us glad we were on the opposite side of the road. We finally came out onto I-49/I-44 just before entering Joplin, Missouri. As soon as we saw a Flying J we pulled in. Since the RV Fueling Islands were full and Expedite Truckers had filled the RV Parking Area we drove to the back. The way their Semi Parking is set up we couldn’t find a decent place to park.  

People rafting down the river.

We finally got back on I-44 heading east with the intention of finding another truck stop or a campground. Kathy had just finished mentioning going to a campground when there was a sign saying that Ballard’s Campground was the next exit. In less than three minutes we were parked in front of their office but being after 7:00 in the evening they were Closed. There was a small sign in the door that said to just take an empty site and settle up in the morning. This is a small park with only about thirty sites with only a few having full hook up but we got site number one. 

We drove 326.8 miles today and even though our misadventure led to a new adventure and scenery we would never had seen otherwise, we plan to stay put for a couple of days and relax. Due to our heavy lunch for supper we only had Cheese and Crackers along with a Clementine Orange. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy! 

It’s about time.

Krackers 

Ask a silly question:  

Why is the person who invests all your money called a broker?