Day #95: Tuesday, July 11, 1995
147,427 Miles


...provided that I leave the motel early in the morning.

I left the motel very early in the morning. Took a picture of a "Perryville" sign.

ON MY WAY TO NINE STATES IN ONE DAY!!!

I continued driving South.

The nine states were supposed to be:

Missouri (1), Illinois (2), Kentucky (3), Tennessee (4), Mississippi (5), Tennessee again, Arkansas (6), Louisiana (7), Texas (8), Oklahoma (9).

I set out to accomplish this; then I got another idea.

Ever since leaving Chicago, I had been traveling on I-55. Whenever I exited from the freeway, I would always get back on the freeway at the same point. That meant I had driven all miles on I-55 from Chicago to Cape Girardeau[48].

"Why not go all the way down to New Orleans??? That would be the FULL length of this freeway!"

Just a thought.

"Tough decision. {9 states in one day} or {driving entire length of I-55 from Chicago to New Orleans without missing a single mile}. Doing both is impossible. I have to make up my mind very quickly -- the Illinois border is getting farther and farther away. I know what I'll do!"

I took a coin out of the car's ashtray (that's where I was keeping my spare change on this trip).

While I was driving, I flipped the coin, and caught it as it came down. I did not look at it.

"If it is `Heads', I go to New Orleans (entire length of I-55). If it is `Tails', I go to Oklahoma (nine states)."

Deep breath.

I opened my fist.

I saw the coin, and it had spoken. I would obey its decision...

I filled gas in Cape Girardeau, then continued driving.

Entered Illinois; 147467 miles.
Entered Missouri again; 147468 miles.
Entered Illinois again; 147522 miles.
Entered Kentucky; 147529 miles.
Entered Missouri again; 147532 miles.

Got back on I-55, and entered at the same point I had left; 147556 miles.

Entered Arkansas; 147620 miles.
Entered Tennessee; 147690 miles.
Entered Mississippi; 147724 miles.

Mississippi was the sixth (new) state today.

Ate lunch at a Burger King near the Tennessee-Mississippi border in Mississippi.

Entered Tennessee again; 147728 miles.
Entered Mississippi again; 147733 miles.

I stopped near the town of Coffeeville, MS to fill gas in the car. That was the first time that I felt the extreme heat of the deep South. 115deg. Fahrenheit and rising rapidly.

I drove to the town of Vicksburg, MS and checked in at the Best Western Inn there.

I was driving to New Orleans via the entire length of I-55.

Later at night, I drove to a McDonalds for dinner. It was very late at night, but according to the radio report, the temperature was still an unbearable 109deg. Fahrenheit.

... the coin toss was "HEADS".

Miscellaneous:






















Town: Cairo, IL
Town: Future City, IL -- That's the real name of the town, not a future development!
Town: New Madrid, MO
Town: Holland, MO
Road: Getwell Road, Memphis, TN
Town: Grenada, MO
River: Big Black River, MS -- "Couldn't think of a better name???"

License Plates:





























HOODOO MO Toyota
TUF KOP 1 IL? Mazda RX7?
QUANA MS Nissan Altima
JOYSTIK TN Mitsubishi Eclipse
CME2WED TN Chevrolet
TR1N1TY MS Nissan Maxima
BQ CPA MS Buick

Expenses:































$25.49 Discover Budget Host Motel -- Paid in advance last night upon checking in Perryville, MO
$11 CB Gas Cape Girardeau, MO
$3 Cash Lunch -- Burger King Southhaven, MS
$12 Discover Gas Coffeeville, MS
$8.37 CB Coke-n-stuff @ grocery store Vicksburg, MS
$4 Cash Dinner -- McDonalds Vicksburg, MS

Go to start of this date

Day #96: Wednesday, July 12, 1995
147,963 Miles


DAY TWO OF THE "MAD DASH ACROSS AMERICA".

VERY, VERY, HOT.

I checked out of the motel when the merciless ball of fire in the sky had climbed approximately 1/4 of its way up.

I drove back to Jackson, MS (repeating a section of I-20), then continued driving South on I-55 (did not miss a single mile).

When the ball of fire in the sky was a little past "directly overhead", I entered Louisiana; 148111 miles.

A couple of hours later,

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. DROVE TO END OF I-55 AT INTERSECTION OF I-10.

In the process, I had driven through seven states from Chicago to New Orleans.

New Orleans was very familiar to me. I knew the location of a AAA office in the suburb of Kenner, LA. I had been to that office twice on my last trip. I needed more city maps, so I went there again. Got some city maps, but not all the ones I wanted.

I started driving West on I-10, away from New Orleans and towards Baton Rouge.

Now, the times are significant:

5:00 PM Lots-a-thunder and lightnin' but no rain. At least, not yet.
5:05 PM A whole buncha lightnin' and dunder, but still no rain.
5:06 PM Rain Cometh, and it Cometh hard!
5:07 PM Fog! Can't see Diddly Squat after one hundred feet in front of car. All this with Baton Rouge rush hour traffic.
5:11 PM As quickly as rain cometh, rain goeth away!
5:15 PM Mississippi River crossing during a lightning storm in Baton Rouge.
5:24 PM Rain cometh hard. Lots-a-dunder and lightnin' and fogg again. More severe.
5:35 PM Rain goeth away, and it goeth away for good.
6:10 PM Checked in at Quality Inn in Lafayette, LA.

License Plates:

















THMD2BE MS Pontiac Grand Am
2 IMAGE MS Buick
OL BLU LA [Blue] Mitsubishi Galant
BCOOL LA Mazda 626 -- "How am I supposed to B cool with 110deg. temperatures?"

Expenses:





















$43.79 Chase Best Western Inn Vicksburg, MS
$80 Discover Cash withdrawal -- Trustmark bank Vicksburg, MS
$2 Cash Lunch -- Burger King Ponchatoula, LA
$11.51 Discover Gas -- Chevron Ponchatoula, LA

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

Day #97: Thursday, July 13, 1995
148,318 Miles


Some time during daylight, I checked out of the motel.

Bought, Wrote, Mailed PC2PG.

Unbearable heat.

No air conditioner.

The fan I bought in Detroit was no match for the sweltering heat.

Drank cold Coke.

Outside temperature still hot.

For five continuous minutes, I was driving in two lanes.

Ate lunch in the city of Shreveport, LA.

At the height of the heat, I entered the Lone Star State (Texas); 148535 Miles.

MISSION #2 ACCOMPLISHED! NOW, BY THE TIME THIS TRIP WOULD BE OVER, I WOULD HAVE GONE TO ALL STATES IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES IN ONE TRIP ALONE.

Very, Very Hot.

Very humid.

Drinking what was once cold Coke.

In the late hours of daylight, I checked in at a La Quinta Inn in Longview, TX.

I went to a post office nearby to buy a parcel box, then went across the street from the motel to a Dennys restaurant for dinner. This dinner included a cold glass of Coke.

I bought a postcard for Texas. I wrote it and stamped it. I put it away to be mailed. I lost it.

Packed parcel box to be mailed back to the Golden State (California) tomorrow.

License Plates:





BATISTE LA Toyota Celica

Expenses:


























$41.34 Chase Quality Inn Lafayette, LA
$12.55 Discover Gas over-fill-up at Chevron Shreveport, LA
$4 Cash Lunch -- Burger King Shreveport, LA
$1 Cash Parcel box -- Longview Post Office Longview, TX
$8.23 Discover Dinner -- Dennys Longview, TX

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

Day #98: Friday, July 14, 1995
148,578 Miles


The post office opened early in the morning, and before checking out of the motel, I went to the post office to buy another parcel box. I came back to the motel and packed a second parcel, then ate the motel's free breakfast, then checked out and went back to the post office. I mailed the two parcels, then went across the street to a mall. Bought a second postcard for Texas, since I had lost the first one. Wrote it, stamped it, went back to the post office, mailed the postcard.

Soon after, I was "On The Road Again".

Ate lunch at a McDonalds in Paris (the one in Texas, not France).

A little later in the afternoon, I crossed Red River and thereby entered the state of...

"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!!!!

148712 miles.

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

Sang a song.

Yelled at complete strangers.

Continued driving through Oklahoma.

After a while, I came up with a new style of driving on this trip:

6:45 PM Started driving with legs only (no hands). Drove through two towns, one stop light, and several (smooth) turns. Averaging 65 Miles Per Hour on non-Interstate freeway road.
7:00 PM Using hands again -- but only because I had to enter the turnpike, which involved making a sharp right turn.

Before dark, I was in Missouri... again. 148955 miles.

I drove for fifteen minutes.

After dark, I checked in at a Best Western Inn in Joplin, MO. Went to dinner at a Wendys in the same parking lot as the Best Western.

Miscellaneous:

























Town: Pittsburg, TX
Town: Reno, TX
Town: Paris, TX
Town: Detroit, TX
Town: Frogville, OK
Town: Antlers, OK
Town: Canadian, OK
Town: Miami, OK

License Plates:





3 ABBA IL Chevrolet

Expenses:









































$1 Cash Parcel box -- Longview Post Office Longview, TX
$48.82 Chase La Quinta Inn Longview, TX
$31 Cash Postage -- 2 parcels -- Longview Post Office Longview, TX
$4 Cash Lunch -- McDonalds Paris, TX
$2 Cash Toll -- Indian Nation Turnpike Savanna, OK
$10 Discover Gas
fill-up -- CITGO
Eufala, OK
$2 Cash Toll -- Will Rogers Turnpike Vinita, OK
$5 Cash Dinner -- Wendys Joplin, MO

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

Day #99: Saturday, July 15, 1995
148,966 Miles


After checking out of the motel at my own pace, I went to brunch at Wendys again.

Half an hour later, I was "On The Road Again".

I stopped at a "Flying J Travel Plaza" in Kansas City, MO. Filled up on gas. This was the cheapest rate I got anywhere on this trip. The gas was 95 cents per gallon. I bought another bumper sticker there -- this was a flag of the United States. I stuck in on the car before leaving Kansas City.

Late Afternoon: Entered my first "New" state[49] in a long time: Entered Iowa; 149226 miles. Saw a lot of farms. Enjoying the views. Talking to myself. Going crazy.

Just before my arrival in the capital of Iowa, rain falleth from the sky, and it falleth plenty.

The VCB LI T was also very, very low.

Just after I left the capital city of Des Moines, IA, the rain stoppeth, and it stoppeth quickly.

After sunset, but before dark, I entered Minnesota, which was both a "new state" and an "old state". This was the first time I entered Minnesota on this trip, but I had been here before -- in March of this year, while flying to Columbus, OH. 149436 miles.

Total Darkness: Checked in at Days Inn in downtown Rochester, MN. Called home, and there was a barbecue-party going on. Everyone was there.

Miscellaneous:







Town: Nevada, MO
Town: Peculiar, MO[50]


License Plates:

























MOMBA MO Chevrolet van
AUTO M8 MO Mazda 626
JOBHELP KS Grand Am
COOLCAT IA Mercury
Cougar!!!
I TRUCK WI Jeep -- that's right -- JEEP!!!
AGCLASS IA Honda

Expenses:































$46.16 Chase Best Western Joplin, MO
$5 Cash Brunch -- Wendys Joplin, MO
$8 Discover Gas FILL-UP -- Flying J Travel Plaza Kansas City, MO
$8.59 CB Coke & Bumper sticker -- Flying J Travel Plaza Kansas City, MO
$2 Cash Dinner -- Burger King Mason City, IA
$10 Discover Gas -- Casey's Mason City, IA

Go to start of this date
Go to start of this section
Continue on to July 16


[48]The town of Cape Girardeau, MO -- that is where I was when I thought of this.
[49]A state I had never been to before.
[50]When the town was incorporated, the postmaster asked the residents to name the town. The residents replied back saying "You name it." The postmaster asked what the town should be called, to which the residents replied, "We don't care what name you give our town, as long as it is sort of peculiar". That is how the town of Peculiar, MO got its name!