Day 3 - Tuesday, Sept 26 - Collinsville, IL to Tulsa, OK
Starting mileage: 1033 Starting time: 9:00 am
Ending mileage: 1448 Ending time: 4:00 pm
Travel mileage: 415 Travel time: 7:00 hours
This morning at the hotel breakfast buffet, Fox News was on the TV, a bit different perspective from what we are accustomed to.
The woman at the front desk said that rush-hour traffic around St. Louis was pretty bad so we didn't leave until 9am since we had plenty of time to get to Tulsa. Even so, due to construction, traffic was very slow getting around St. Louis.
The terrain changed very quickly after crossing the Mississippi. It was no longer agricultural but mainly rolling hills and forest, with oak trees and shrubby cedar trees. The area of southern Missouri and northern Oklahoma is considered to be the Ozarks. The geology is mainly limestone, with many outcroppings and sheer cliffs. There are also quite a few caverns in this area.
After doing Google searches of caverns, we decided to change our route and visit the Carlsbad caverns in southern New Mexico which is where we will head tomorrow.
Along I-44 we saw large billboards for the Uranus fudge factory and decided that we had to stop. There are a bunch of somewhat tacky tourist businesses just off I-44 and on the old route 66. It was a good place to get gas, stretch our legs and buy some fudge.
The driving was very easy with a speed limit of 70 in Missouri and 75 in Oklahoma. It is a bit disconcerting to program the GPS and be told to continue straight for 386 miles.
We are staying at another Comfort Inn in Tulsa, just off I-44. It was time for an oil change for our car so I found a nearby Jiff-Lube and got an oil change.
Roger called me and we were able to arrange to meet for dinner at a restaurant near our hotel. It was surprising that we recognized each other right away at the restaurant. Aside from a little gray hair and a few more pounds we both look pretty much the same as when we were in college. It was great to catch up and share about our respective families. Roger has a son and daughter who are about the same ages as Amy and Anna. Roger and his wife have remained married almost as long as Carmen and me.
Roger was quite amused to see the honorary lifetime pass to ride on the Tulsa-Sapulpa Railroad that his father had given me when we were freshmen at Princeton. Roger still owns this very short freight railroad that serves customers on about 20 miles of line out of Tulsa. He said I could go on the train but it only goes 5 mph.
Ending mileage: 1448 Ending time: 4:00 pm
Travel mileage: 415 Travel time: 7:00 hours
This morning at the hotel breakfast buffet, Fox News was on the TV, a bit different perspective from what we are accustomed to.
The woman at the front desk said that rush-hour traffic around St. Louis was pretty bad so we didn't leave until 9am since we had plenty of time to get to Tulsa. Even so, due to construction, traffic was very slow getting around St. Louis.
The terrain changed very quickly after crossing the Mississippi. It was no longer agricultural but mainly rolling hills and forest, with oak trees and shrubby cedar trees. The area of southern Missouri and northern Oklahoma is considered to be the Ozarks. The geology is mainly limestone, with many outcroppings and sheer cliffs. There are also quite a few caverns in this area.
After doing Google searches of caverns, we decided to change our route and visit the Carlsbad caverns in southern New Mexico which is where we will head tomorrow.
Along I-44 we saw large billboards for the Uranus fudge factory and decided that we had to stop. There are a bunch of somewhat tacky tourist businesses just off I-44 and on the old route 66. It was a good place to get gas, stretch our legs and buy some fudge.
The driving was very easy with a speed limit of 70 in Missouri and 75 in Oklahoma. It is a bit disconcerting to program the GPS and be told to continue straight for 386 miles.
We are staying at another Comfort Inn in Tulsa, just off I-44. It was time for an oil change for our car so I found a nearby Jiff-Lube and got an oil change.
Roger called me and we were able to arrange to meet for dinner at a restaurant near our hotel. It was surprising that we recognized each other right away at the restaurant. Aside from a little gray hair and a few more pounds we both look pretty much the same as when we were in college. It was great to catch up and share about our respective families. Roger has a son and daughter who are about the same ages as Amy and Anna. Roger and his wife have remained married almost as long as Carmen and me.
Roger was quite amused to see the honorary lifetime pass to ride on the Tulsa-Sapulpa Railroad that his father had given me when we were freshmen at Princeton. Roger still owns this very short freight railroad that serves customers on about 20 miles of line out of Tulsa. He said I could go on the train but it only goes 5 mph.
St. Louis arch
Uranus fudge factory
Dinner with Carmen and Roger
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