Day 3 of Cross Country Trip

So Day 3:

began with a late start since I blogged and uploaded photos last night. Left St Louis at 835ish.

before I tell you about my journey, let me tell you the Omni hotel in St Louis is great. I really enjoyed the view from the Arch and all the history at Western Expansion Museum. Clearly, being a lover of history made that museum more enjoyable than I expected. I also bought an annual pass to the national parks- figure I will be stopping at maybe 2 more on my trip and there are several in cali to explore. The jefferson expansion park is right next to the river. Just west of it is I-70/64 in a ditch and memorial driver.

Missouri has lots hills, mountains and greenery outside of St Louis. It made for a nice drive. Lots of billboards for fireworks, adults stores, and Branson. In terms of the fireworks: there is this palce called mothers-its huge. Easily the size of a supermarket and then still has an outdoor tent.

The mountains in south Missouri are called the Ozarks. I stopped in Joplin for lunch. On I-44 in the area, I saw lots of downed trees and broken billboards from the tornadoes. Shortly after that I passed into Oklahoma. Most of the interstates in OK are tolls- but the clerks are so nice, helpfully and have a sunny disposition. In terms of the countryside: OK aparently has 11 ecosystems. In the northeast, it is very green though less green than Missouri- its mixed with the color earth/dirt (aka brown). Saw some cows in a waterhole- smart. After all it was 100 F and felt like 105.

Got to Tulsa around 5p. They have to really two really good museums, but they close at 5. So I ate some food, and chilled inside since its really really warm. Tomorrow onto Amirallo Texas- maybe some good steak!

Day 1-2 of move

Day 1: It was hard to leave my sister(Jenn) and my dog (Pepper)- after all I lived with them for 2 years (longer for pepper). Sister had a good idea: wrap 2 frozen waters in tin foil. It lasted all day in terms of coolness. I left Plainview and first headed east. Had to weigh my car fully loaded with my junk. That is the only way the military pays for what is known as a partial DITY move. How much stuff you load in your car. So 1 month ago I got an empty weight and on 6/29 a loaded car.

The I headed on southern state/belt parkway to the Narrows Bridge and eventually through NJ and Pennsylvania. Outside Philly I met my cousin, Robert for lunch. We had a nice lunch and chat in a dinner just off the PA turnpike. Suggestion for PA: repave the turnpike! Interesting mid and western PA has lots of mountains and hills. The turnpike goes through valleys, around and sometimes even through mountains in tunnels.

I then entered West Virginia, passed Wheeling, and stayed 10 miles down the road in St Clairsville, OH. Apparently the Beast of the East plays in Wheeling this weekend. Every hotel in Wheeling was booked and most in the surrounding area. The beast is a little league (from 12- 19) of boys baseball. Scouts even come! This area has a large amt of hills, mountains. Driving was interseting with various grades.

Day 2: had a nice breakfast at Hampton Inn. Left and made great time through in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. BTW: Ohio has a county called Licking. Insert your own opinion, etc. Something else I noticed: a ton of billboards for 2 places: a adult store in Columbus, Boot Country (in indiana). The adult store started advertising in West Virginia over 150 miles away and Boot Country was similar- billboards in Ohio (over 120 miles from their store). Interesting no?

Also by Columbus was Nationwide Children's Hosp. It was huge. It is easily 1/2 the size of Kings County. Impressive in size. Western Ohio through Illinois is flat, flat flat. But Ohio has flowers along their interstates. I almost want to say the blue flower is a blue bonnet but I am not sure. ended up stopping in Indianapolis for lunch and went through Illinois to Missouri. Passed large earth mounds (cant remember the name) made between 800AD and 1400AD.

Stayed in an Omni- in downtown. (drove past east st louis in an interstate- looks run down). Got in around 5 and headed out. St Louis was 89 F today and felt like 99! At 9pm it still 87. Walked to a placed 2 blocks south called city garden: its an urban garden with different sculptures. I then walked to the Mississippi river where you can see where it received its nickname: Big Muddy- its huge, muddy and slow. I walked around the jefferson expansion national park.

That includes the Old Courthouse: where Dred Scott sued and the Old Church. Both close at 430pm, but the rest of the park was open. The arch has a tram and I went to the top. Also viewed a really good museum. It called Western expansion and it chronicles history of the western us via politics, war, settlers, etc in a large semi circle. it is shaped like spokes on a wheel (with one spoke president history, another settlers, indians, etc). As you go further out it has years that bisect all the spokes. You can spend a ton of time here and they have lots of artifacts.

Lacledes landing was not impressive. It consists of restaurants, bars, on the river in restored warehouse district. But it doesn't seem like the architecture was well preserved. Above find some photos of St Louis including a Bud truck. BTW: in one bar almost everyone who had a beer was some sort of Bud drink. Coke is to Atlanta is similar to Bud and St Louis.

Tomorrow onto Tulsa.