HIT THE ROAD JACK

IT FEELS SO GOOD TO BE BACK ON THE ROAD, EVEN IF IT'S ONLY A ROAD TRIP WITH THE HONDA AND NOT WITH THE CAMPER.  WE ARE HEADED TO WISCONSIN TO VISIT FAMILY, FROM GRANDMA TO GRANDCHILDREN.

THE FIRST DAY ON THE ROAD HAD US HEADED STRAIGHT EAST ON INTERSTATE 40.  LAST WEEK INTERSTATE 40 WAS CLOSED A COUPLE OF TIMES DUE TO WINTER SNOWS AROUND FLAGSTAFF.  THE MOUNTAIN TOPS WERE WHITE, AND THERE WERE STILL SNOW BANKS ALONG THE INTERSTATE, BUT THE ROAD WAS DRY AND SUNNY.

IN NEW MEXICO HOWEVER INTERSTATE 40 WAS CLOSED DOWN TWO HOURS DUE TO A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT.  WE WERE ONLY 10 VEHICLES BACK AND HAD FRONT ROW SEATS TO SEE THE EMERGENCY CREWS IN ACTION.  IT WAS A ONE LANE CONSTRUCTION AREA AND A MOTORCYCLE WITH TWO PASSENGERS HIT THE GUARD RAIL AND ONE OF THEM TOOK A LONG TIME TO SCRAP UP OFF THE PAVEMENT.

HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE SCENE.  YOU CAN SEE THEY ALSO CLOSED DOWN THE WEST BOUND LANES TO LAND THE MEDICAL HELICOPTER.  THE FIRST VICTIM WAS LOADED RATHER QUICKLY INTO A REGULAR AMBULANCE, HOWEVER THE SECOND VICTIM WAS SLOWLY LOADED INTO THE HELICOPTER, AND EVEN FROM TEN VEHICLES BACK YOU COULD SEE THEM DOING CPR FOR OVER AN HOUR.  HE MAY HAVE LEFT THE SCENE AS A VICTIM, BUT I'M GUESSING HE ENDED UP AS A ORGAN DONOR BY THE END OF THE DAY.

ENOUGH OF THAT.  DESPITE THE TWO HOUR DELAY WE MADE OUR 700 MILE GOAL OF TUCUMCARI IN THE DAYLIGHT.  WE BELLIED UP TO THE BAR AT THE LIZARD LOUNGE WHERE WE SPENT TWO DAYS SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE STUCK IN TUCUMCARI BY HIGH WINDS ON A TRIP WITH THE CAMPER.

WE WERE ALSO VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE THE STATE OF ARIZONA IN CLOSING ALL THEIR REST AREAS ACROSS THE STATE, DUE TO THE GLOOM AND DOOM OF THE ECONOMY.

THE SECOND DAY IS BASICALLY DRIVING ACROSS KANSAS.  IF YOU THINK DRIVING ACROSS KANSAS ON I-80 TAKES FOREVER, YOU OUGHT TO TRY DOING THE DIAGONAL ON TWO LANE STATE HIGHWAYS.  YOU'VE GOT TO SLOW DOWN FOR EVERY GRAIN SILO PODUNK TOWN.  AFTER FOUR HOURS, MARY, WHO DOES ALL THE DRIVING, WAS FED UP AND AT WICHITA  HEADED THE OLE HONDA UP ON TO THE KANSAS TURNPIKE WHERE SHE SAILED ON AT 70 MPH TILL SHE GOT TO MISSOURI.

WE MADE OUR 700 MILES ON THE DAY, AND WILL ARRIVE EARLY TOMORROW AFTERNOON IN SIOUX FALLS, SD OUR FIRST STOP FOR SOME BUSINESS THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF IN OUR LEGAL STATE OF RESIDENCE.