The trip began in the early hours of Sunday October 26. It began with a detour to the bank to deposit an unexpected cheque. As it turned out I made this run south just ahead of some rather wintry weather. I groaned at being hit by a gusting North wind as I walked across the lot to my motorhome. The young male customs officer was polite and efficient sending me on my way with a minimum of bother. Pennsylvania Welcome Centre was open and manned when I got there, Ohio’s was open but no one present to give the welcome.
When travelling from state to state or province to province there’s an art to understanding how far after the signpost to look for the turnoff you need to make. When highway speeds are high sometimes they don’t leave enough space to slow down in time. After missing it the first time I eventually found Cross Creek Campground in the middle of nowhere. No overnight frost this time round.
Made my way through Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis for the 250 mile hop to Terre Haute. Wouldn’t you know a southerly cross wind to match yesterday’s northerly. The quiet parklike KOA there gave me warm welcome in all senses. A cicada buzzed in the trees above my head as darkness fell and the pet donkeys brayed.
Awoke to thunder, lightening and rain. After gassing up contended with ill-lit poorly marked wet streets and highways with worn out markings. I don’t like driving on wet pavement in the dark particularly when the road is not marked. The day didn’t so much dawn as the darkness lessened and the world slowly became apparent. The Dennys west of Chicago remains the only outlet to provide decent coffee. The one I stopped at this day was busy but the Wi-Fi worked. Gas prices remained high in the North.
Allow me to inveigh against idiots who leave highway construction signs up after the construction is finished or when they go home for the night or weekend. I think there should be hefty fines levied against the perpetrators. After the tenth or so such abuse no one takes them seriously. The owners of Tulsa Warrior Campground have been running it too long. I was somewhat peeved after making a supreme effort to arrive during office hours to discover they’d gone home early. At least they leave behind the code for Wi-Fi which I eventually got to work. The place has a rather casual business sense, their residential campers being their principal income. Driving 560 miles in one day may have used up my tolerance. After discovering there’d be no place to park gave up on playing tourist in Tulsa, I needed the rest anyway.
Since my acquaintances in Lubbock couldn’t be bothered to return my attempts at contact gave up on making that detour and drove down to Lewisville just north of Dallas Texas. I-35 is a horror of road construction, dust, and heavy traffic from one end to the other the section through Dallas and south to Austin being bad whatever time of day you travel. All it takes is one collision caused by drivers following too close to back it up for hours and attempting to leave sufficient breaking distance seems to require some moron to occupy it. Detest lane hoppers.
Stopped at the Texas Visitor’s Centre which was open and manned though under construction. I was not attracted to the monument to a youngish vet with rifle in hand outside. Such centres are rarely at the border in Texas. When my GPS informed me I’d reached the exit for Lewisville Lake Campground the construction signs informed me it was closed, permanently. Abandon GPS and use horse sense.
Camping at Lewisville Park is still $8/night for seniors though the list of 20 fineable offences in the handout tends to make one feel unwelcome. In spite of threatening clouds went for a walk. The improvised benches around the lake are a considerable distance from the water these days. The “no fishing” sign at the boat launch is at odds with Texas Best Bass Lake sign elsewhere. Interrupted a session of advanced petting on a rather public picnic table.
Next morning waited out rush hour traffic as a locked gate precludes an early start. To no avail due to a collision blocking 2 of 3 lanes. Didn’t make Austin until 1:30 PM. Driving anywhere in Austin is a pain.
When travelling from state to state or province to province there’s an art to understanding how far after the signpost to look for the turnoff you need to make. When highway speeds are high sometimes they don’t leave enough space to slow down in time. After missing it the first time I eventually found Cross Creek Campground in the middle of nowhere. No overnight frost this time round.
Made my way through Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis for the 250 mile hop to Terre Haute. Wouldn’t you know a southerly cross wind to match yesterday’s northerly. The quiet parklike KOA there gave me warm welcome in all senses. A cicada buzzed in the trees above my head as darkness fell and the pet donkeys brayed.
Awoke to thunder, lightening and rain. After gassing up contended with ill-lit poorly marked wet streets and highways with worn out markings. I don’t like driving on wet pavement in the dark particularly when the road is not marked. The day didn’t so much dawn as the darkness lessened and the world slowly became apparent. The Dennys west of Chicago remains the only outlet to provide decent coffee. The one I stopped at this day was busy but the Wi-Fi worked. Gas prices remained high in the North.
Allow me to inveigh against idiots who leave highway construction signs up after the construction is finished or when they go home for the night or weekend. I think there should be hefty fines levied against the perpetrators. After the tenth or so such abuse no one takes them seriously. The owners of Tulsa Warrior Campground have been running it too long. I was somewhat peeved after making a supreme effort to arrive during office hours to discover they’d gone home early. At least they leave behind the code for Wi-Fi which I eventually got to work. The place has a rather casual business sense, their residential campers being their principal income. Driving 560 miles in one day may have used up my tolerance. After discovering there’d be no place to park gave up on playing tourist in Tulsa, I needed the rest anyway.
Since my acquaintances in Lubbock couldn’t be bothered to return my attempts at contact gave up on making that detour and drove down to Lewisville just north of Dallas Texas. I-35 is a horror of road construction, dust, and heavy traffic from one end to the other the section through Dallas and south to Austin being bad whatever time of day you travel. All it takes is one collision caused by drivers following too close to back it up for hours and attempting to leave sufficient breaking distance seems to require some moron to occupy it. Detest lane hoppers.
Stopped at the Texas Visitor’s Centre which was open and manned though under construction. I was not attracted to the monument to a youngish vet with rifle in hand outside. Such centres are rarely at the border in Texas. When my GPS informed me I’d reached the exit for Lewisville Lake Campground the construction signs informed me it was closed, permanently. Abandon GPS and use horse sense.
Camping at Lewisville Park is still $8/night for seniors though the list of 20 fineable offences in the handout tends to make one feel unwelcome. In spite of threatening clouds went for a walk. The improvised benches around the lake are a considerable distance from the water these days. The “no fishing” sign at the boat launch is at odds with Texas Best Bass Lake sign elsewhere. Interrupted a session of advanced petting on a rather public picnic table.
Next morning waited out rush hour traffic as a locked gate precludes an early start. To no avail due to a collision blocking 2 of 3 lanes. Didn’t make Austin until 1:30 PM. Driving anywhere in Austin is a pain.
