Day #6: Thursday, April 13, 1995
132,175 Miles


Had free continental breakfast at hotel, then left at 8:15 AM. Went to Colorado Springs Post Office and mailed two parcels home. Then went to the AAA office there and got a map of Colorado Springs! The previous night when I was driving down from Denver, I saw the Air Force Academy from the freeway and thought to myself that I should take their guided tour this morning. After I left the AAA office, I changed my mind. The academy was not in my plan anyway (it had been at once, but not now), so I thought "I really wouldn't be missing too much, since I had not planned to go there anyway!" That was a mistake I now regret. The Air Force Academy is one of the very few places in this country that I have not been to but would like to go to some time.

I was in Denver by 11:00 AM. I picked up the first three of many film rolls on this trip, and was delighted to see that the "100 Miles Per Hour" photograph came crystal clear!!! I dedicated that photo in the back side, then realized how many more photographs there were going to be on this trip. I was there for almost three hours -- inside the car in the parking lot -- writing descriptions on the back side all of the photographs. The car was (coincidentally) parked facing West (which I now consider to be a miracle). Immediately to the West of Denver are -- well -- ROCKS. A lot of rocks. Enough rocks to fill a mountain range. And the view from that parking lot of the brown stuff topped with a whole lotta white stuff was --- hmmm... I can't think of any words to describe it. Use your imagination!

I was finally done writing all the descriptions by 1:45 PM. Mailed all rolls home. Bought lunch at both Subway (did not eat immediately) and Burger King (ate immediately). An hour later, I was out of Denver city limits -- headed East, with the brown stuff and the white stuff in the rear view mirror.

3:45 PM Saw an exit sign on the freeway that I THOUGHT said "Lemon". I was hungry, so I took the exit. Ate 1/2 of subway foot-long sandwich as lunch (I thought it would be fun to write in this journal that I ate a sandwich in a Lemon!). Then looked at the Colorado map. The town that I was in was actually called "Limon", not "Lemon"! I had misread the exit sign -- I must have been more hungry than I had realized! After lunch, filled gas in Limon, then left the town of Limon at 4:15 PM.

5:30 PM Not long after eating that sandwich, I entered the "Breadbasket of the Nation" -- Kansas; 132437 Miles. By this time, the <insert your adjective here> Rocky Mountains of Colorado had disappeared beyond the horizon, and all I saw was an incredibly DULL, FLAT landscape [notice I did not use the word "boring" -- it was not "boring"... it was "dull"]. I took a picture of the "Welcome to Kansas" sign, just like all the other "Welcome" signs I had been photographing. But this photo had something extra -- something that no other "Welcome to..." picture had. THIS photo had FARMS. Not just any farms. Kansas farms. Farms as far as my eyes could see. Farms stretching out in all directions. A lot of Farms. I did not see Dorothy or Toto anywhere, but I could tell I was in Kansas just by looking at those farms. Kansas farms. In Kansas. I was now officially in the "Midwest". That was what I knew. What I did not know was that the next few days would be a long, DULL (but not boring), journey.

Not long after the "Welcome to Kansas" sign, there was an exit for the "Kansas State Visitor Center"[4]. I did not have anything to see in Kansas(surprised?), but I took the exit anyway. This was at 5:40 PM. The visitor center closed at 5:30 PM. Good. Didn't make any difference anyway. Used the "Kansas Visitor Center"[5] as a rest stop for the car, then started driving again at 6:15 PM.

8:45 PM - 9:30 PM [In Central time zone now] At Wakeeney, KS[6]. Bought Kansas postcard. Wrote and mailed.

10:45 PM Filled gas in car in some really really really small town in the great state of Kansas.

11:50 PM Pulled over at a rest area just East of Salina. Ate the other 6" Subway sandwich as dinner. This sandwich was bought in Denver -- more than 400 miles away, which became a never-to-be-broken trip record of:
1. Longest time spent between buying a MEAL (not snacks) and eating it.
2. Longest distance driven after buying a MEAL and eating it.
3. The first time on this trip that I bought a meal in one state and ate it in another state.
4. The first time on this trip that I bought my dinner before eating my lunch!

License Plates:
73BLZR CO Chevy Blazer
ISMILE CO Prelude
LEUBH IA Nissan Maxima
TURBO X CO Dodge Ram 250 Truck
ELFKYN CO Chevy 4x4
CYNTHIA KS Chevy Van
SGTMAD2 KS Camaro

Expenses:
$45.88 Chase Holiday Inn Express Colorado Springs, CO
$21 Cash Post Office -- mailed parcels Colorado Springs, CO
$35.22 CB Picked up photos Denver, CO
$5 Cash Subway lunch/dinner Denver, CO
$2 Cash Burger King lunch Denver, CO
$13 Cash Gas Limon, CO
$11 Cash Gas Some place in Kansas, KS

Go to start of this date

Day #7: Friday, April 14, 1995
132,694 Miles


"Today is Day #7. It's been a week. I'm still alive. Sure there have been a few bad days. A little rain, a little snow, a little (?) blizzard, a little hail. But so what? And besides, without any of it, the <something> Rocky Mountains would not be so <something>. On the whole, the trip so far has been just great! The car is doing fine. I'm all right. Everything is just great! Kansas could use a little bit o' scenery, but other than that, all's well. Hope it stays that way!"

8:00 AM Woke up. Talked to myself again. Getting used to it by now. Some people outside stare at me, "but they don't even know me; by tonight they would have forgotten that they saw some lunatic talking to himself; so who cares anyway? I am more than a thousand miles away from anyone who might know me, so what difference does it make? Hmm... STOP IT!"

8:50 AM Left rest area.

11:00 AM Arrived in Topeka. "This is the capital of the `Breadbasket of the Nation'. So then what would this be called? Can't think of nutin'. Gotta stop talking to myself. People are staring. Oh what difference does it make anyway? Hmm... `Capital of the Breadbasket'. That's ridiculous! Capital of... of... forget it! I'm getting hungry! Where do I want to eat? Oooh -- Burger King. No. Had that yesterday. McDonalds. Nah. Dennys. Good ol' Dennys. It's going to be costlier than a fast food place. That's ok. Dennys it is."

Had lunch at Dennys. Stopped off at K-Mart to buy Coke. Yep -- this city really did have a Burger King, McDonalds, Dennys, and even a K-Mart! Left Topeka at 1:00 PM. Then entered the first of many toll roads on this trip -- another sign that I was headin' East.

3:50 PM Arrived in the largest city in Kansas. "Boy, it's hot. Less than 72 hours ago I was freezing to death! Wait a minute -- I have driven almost a thousand miles since then. That would explain it. Why is everyone staring at me again? WHAT'S THE MATTER? HAVEN'T YOU GUYS EVER SEEN ANYONE FROM LOS ANGELES? Ever been there? You know -- the `O.J. Place'! WHY DON'T YOU MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS? STOP STARING AT ME!!! YOU LIVE HERE! YOU'RE USED TO ALL THIS! YOUR FARMS ARE DRIVING ME NUTS!!! I'M TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY INSANE, AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!"

4:50 PM "OKLAHoooooMA!!!! OKLAHoooooMA!!! I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toyota. OKLA... OKLA... ho. ma. Hmph. WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE <insert adjective here> MOUNTAINS??? I BETTER SEE SOMETHING NICE SOON -- I'M GOING CRAZY!!! FARMS!!! NO MORE FARMS!!! PLEASE!!! hmph. Loosing my voice (and my sanity). I think I'll shut up now." [132978 miles]

5:01 PM - 5:30 PM At "Oklahoma State Visitor Center"[7]. This one was also closed. This one closes at 5:00 PM. "What does it matter, anyway?

[A musical interlude...]
"Oklahooooma (la la la la)
Oklahooooma (la la la la)
There is nutin to see ere (la la la la),
There is nutin to seeeeee ere (la la la la la la),
THERE'S NUTIN TO SEEEE.... HEEERE!!!!

"hmph. STOP STARING! DON'T ALLAYA OKLAHOMANS KNOW IT AIN'T POLITE???"

A farm. Another farm. Another farm. Then a patch of land. Then another farm. A patch of land. Three more farms. Then the whole cycle is repeated. It gets really DULL very quickly.

8:00 PM Arrived at the largest city in the state of Oklahoma, which is also the state's capital. Checked in at Quality Inn near that largest city's airport. Ate dinner at McDonalds in that capital and largest city in the state of Oklahoma.

"Couldn't they think of a better name for this city? Something that requires just a little bit more imagination? Actually, now that I think about it, there are a lot of cities named after the state. New York City. Florida City. Kansas City. No wait a minute. Isn't that one in Missouri? All right, so at least the Missouri people have SOME imagination. But then there is also a Kansas City in the state of Kansas. Figures. OK so maybe it's not their FAULT -- can they help it if they have to see THIS every single day of their lives? I wish they'd stop staring at me though. Really annoying. THIS city -- Oklahoma City -- NOTHING INTERESTING EVER GONNA HAPPEN HERE -- EVER!"

[Note: It is POSSIBLE that I may not have actually said that last sentence aloud. Possible. If I did, I would be proven wrong very shortly. But all other quotations above -- although they may not be word-for-word, are accurate enough as to both their general content and my feelings at the time. My short song about Oklahoma, however, appears here exactly how I sang it (I remember it today because I also sang the song when I entered Oklahoma again on Day #98 -- on my way back). In case you are wondering why I was talking to myself during my drive through Kansas and Oklahoma... all I can say is... apparently you have never driven through Kansas or Oklahoma by yourself.]

License Plates:
HORN DR KS Plymouth Horizon
MD2B KS Honda Civic LX
92 KS Buick
TURKEY KS Toyota
BUBBASR OK Ford
LUVHUGN KS Pontiac

Expenses:
$6 Cash Brunch at Dennys Topeka, KS
$11 Cash Coke at K-Mart Topeka, KS
$12.50 Discover Gas -- Kansas Turnpike between Topeka, KS and Wichita, KS Kansas
$4 Cash Toll -- Kansas Tpk at end (OK border) Kansas
$3 Cash Dinner at McDonalds Oklahoma City, OK

Go to start of this date
Go to start of this section

Day #8: Saturday, April 15, 1995
133,095 Miles


Ate free continental breakfast, then checked out of motel. Withdrew cash for the first time on this trip (my cash supply was finished by now). Called home, then left Oklahoma City at 12:20 PM.

Saw a tree!!!

After I saw that tree, I arrived in Henryetta. Bought a Subway foot-long sandwich in Henryetta, then drove to Sallisaw, OK and checked in to Holiday Inn Express there at 3:30 PM. This was the shortest day of my trip -- so far.

Miscellaneous:
Sign on road: STUCKEY'S RESTAURANT
RELAX, REFRESH, REFUEL, CLEAN RESTROOMS.
[how is cleaning restrooms going to help me relax and refresh?]

Expenses:
$36.42 Chase Quality Inn Oklahoma City, OK
$100 ATM Cash withdrawal Oklahoma City, OK
$8 CB Gas Oklahoma City, OK
$5 Cash Lunch & Dinner @ Subway Henryetta, OK

Go to start of this date
Go to start of this section

Day #9: Sunday, April 16, 1995
133,267 Miles


Had yet another free continental breakfast at the motel, then checked out at 10:35 AM.

10:55 AM "So long, Oklahooooooma... Greetings, Arkansas. Ya sure got a lotta trees 'ere! Nice!" [133,288 miles]

Soon after entering the home state of our president's husband, I bought and sent a postcard to Perry informing him of my arrival in this state, or rather, my departure from Oklahoma. I was glad to be outa there. Stopped talking to myself because there were a lot of things to see along the road. Mainly trees. A lot of trees. Green. A st-ark contrast from 'ansas. Kansas was yellow. Oklahoma was yellow. The home state of our president's husband was GREEN! It was fantastic.

Ate lunch at a Burger King in Russellville. Filled up on gas, then started driving south on Arkansas' scenic State Highway 7; . Finally, I saw something!!! Something worth seeing. Something other than... than... than... those large yellow things over in Oklahoma. Arrived in the town of Hot Springs at 2:45 PM.

Hot Springs is where our president's husband went to High School. Only they were not married then -- I think. I'm not too sure about that. Anyway, I went to Hot Springs for a different reason. The city of Hot Springs, AR is the only city in this entire country that has a National Park completely within that city. This was not like any other National Park. The name "National Park" implies that it is a part of nature. Not so in this case. This was a "City Buildings" type of a "park". I did not like it. In fact, I didn't even stop at any building. Just kept on driving through the city, and got out of the city at 4:00 PM. Rating for Hot Springs National Park = .

Drove through Little Rock, and continued East on I-40 towards Memphis. At precisely 6:00 PM, I saw some beautiful colored lights flashing in the rear view mirror. The lights were on top of a car. The lights were blue and red. It looked really pretty! Then I pulled over. Got a speeding ticket for going 85 miles per hour in a 65 MPH zone.

At 6:30 PM, checked in at Best Western Inn in Brinkley, AR. Ate dinner at McDonalds.

Expenses:
$38.74 Chase Holiday Inn Express Sallisaw, OK
$10 CB Gas Russellville, AR
$3 Cash Lunch at Burger King Russellville, AR
$2 Cash Dinner at McDonalds Brinkley, AR

Go to start of this date
Go to start of this section

Day #10: Monday, April 17, 1995
133,569 Miles


10:10 AM Checked out, without eating a free breakfast. Paid two bucks for breakfast at Taco Bell in Forrest City, AR.

11:45 AM The first crossing (on this trip) of the Mighty Missississississippi River. (well, it's a really big river!) It had not changed one bit since the last time I had seen it. It was still brown. It was still mostly solid. It was still Mighty (although I really think it is unfair to call this a river -- the Santa Ana River in Fountain Valley, CA looks more like a river than the Mississippi River). By crossing this partially liquid dumpsite, I had entered the state of Tennessee. [133634 miles]. I also entered the largest city in the state of Tennessee -- Memphis.

12:00 PM Parked in Graceland ("how could I come to Memphis and NOT come here?") With the exception of Elvis Presley's mansion, Graceland was actually rather nice (there are a lot of other things to see there)! I ate lunch in a 1950s-style diner where The King's music was played on the jukebox. I saw all of Elvis' classic car collection. Saw his two planes. Went inside them. Saw all of Elvis' gold and platinum records -- those were really impressive, considering they filled an entire hallway. Saw what are considered to be some of the funnier clips from his movies at a drive-in-style theater (I did not find them funny). Mailed Parixit a postcard from the post office in Graceland -- it had the "Graceland" postmark on an Elvis stamp that I bought and used on that card. On the whole, this was better than what I had expected. The actual mansion, however, was not at all nice. Rating for the mansion = . Rating for the rest of Graceland = . Left Graceland at 5:00 PM.

5:30 PM Checked in at Econolodge, Memphis Airport.

License Plates:
MOTTY MI Ford Tempo

Expenses:
$37.02 Chase Best Western Inn Brinkley, AR
$2 Cash Breakfast at Taco Bell Forrest City, AR
$2 Cash Parking -- Graceland Memphis, TN
$17 CB Admission -- Graceland Memphis, TN
$5 Cash Lunch-50s diner -- Graceland Memphis, TN
$1 Cash Memphis, TN postcard & Elvis stamp -- Graceland Memphis, TN
$16 Cash Audio tape -- Graceland Memphis, TN
$1 Cash Dinner-motel vending machine Memphis, TN

Go to start of this date
Go to start of this section
Continue on to April 18


[4] No comments please.
[5] No comments please.
[6] It is on I-70 exit 127; but do you really care?
[7] No comments please.