Five thousand, two hundred and ninety eight miles, in 15 days.
It took four days on the road from New Jersey, with a first stop for the night near Columbus, Ohio. Alton RV Park was full of really big RV’s, there for the annual P-51 Mustang shindig at the airport but they gave us an extension cord and squeezed us a spot near the lighted sign beside the road. Clean restrooms/showers. Our second night was spent at the Casino Queen RV Park across from St. Louis. Absolutely top notch heated restrooms/showers. Spent $100 for dinner, then lost $15 at the slots. Third night was Rockwell RV Park off I-40 Oklahoma City. Clean, heated, restrooms/showers. We spent the fourth night in a Moriarity, NM Super8. (Hey, we aren’t totally nuts.)
Our fifth night was at our first prime destination, Cochiti Lake Campground, off I-25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM. Spent 3 nights there, did the Balloon Festival, Old Town, etc. Clean restrooms/showers. Lunch at the Frontier.
Then it was off to Moab, Utah and Canyonlands, Arches NP, etc., this our second prime destination. We think this area is more spectacular than the Grand Canyon, but that’s us. Hit road again on the third day, eastbound now, through Colorado and Rocky Mountain NP, Roosevelt Forest,
boondocking in the White River National Forest, ($5) and on up to I-80 and Nebraska. We stopped and boondocked at the Cabella’s RV Park for free (heated, top notch restrooms.)
By 7 PM the next night we had to take a chance and followed campground signs for a couple miles off I-80 through Dexter, Iowa to Beaver Lake Campground. It was safe, clean, with heated showers, $10 boondock. Our last night on the road was west of Toledo on I-80. Again, we opted for a Super 8. Drove all the next day and made it home to our own bed by 8 PM.
While in transit our late suppers were Bertolli brand frozen prepared pasta meals. Heat 8 minutes and eat, followed by canned, sliced peaches or pears, maybe carrot cake. Fast and easy, quite tasty. Dog Ben usually slept. Switched drivers every 2 hours or so. Driving through Missouri we listened to Jack Lemmon read Huckleberry Finn on CD and in Oklahoma and Texas it was Louis L’Amour’s Hondo. On the way back we listened to Michael Crieghton’s book, Point of Fear. (It’s about global warming.)
No mechanical problems with the tow, no close calls on the road, no bad weather, no sudden fear, except maybe one time getting gas in a shady part of St Louis when I got lost looking for the Cardinals’ ball field, and another time east of Moriarity when I forgot to watch the gas gauge and we almost ran out.
Gas station stops: 23.
Anti-freeze: 2 gallons.
Motor oil: 5 quarts.