Heading North in 2016

The last week in Austin had a definite sense of unreality about it. An orgy of cooking when I was offered too many opportunities to dine out. Breakfast Tacos Easter Sunday Morning. Wednesday noon cookies and coffee. More Tacos at Supper. Thursday noon BBQ. Thursday Evening Lasagna. Saturday Ziti and salad, and a meal offer I had to refuse.

Did laundry including my bedding replaced with flannel sheets for the trip toward colder climes. I cooked Sweet and Sour Salad, Chili Con Carne, Quinoa Salad, Tuna Salad.... Bought HEB's Hill Country House Brand Homestyle Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, BBQ Cowboy Beans. They may have decreased the salt content in all these but upped the sweetness to a disgusting level. Managed to fit it all in my fridge.

Saturday Night was the Youth Dinner Theatre written words and music by Lane Holmstrom. It's one of those events that attracts adoring grandparents, parents, and reluctant siblings. Items for silent and public auction. Frightening the amounts some bid. Said my good byes and finished making the van ship shape for travel.

Sunday at 3:30 AM a final heated coffee and off for a 300-mile drive. I'd have preferred to see the landscape in daylight but wanted to travel in light traffic. Managed to avoid running afoul of toll roads. South on 183 frontage road, East on 290 frontage road almost to Manor. North on Regional 973 through New Sweden; then North-East on Texas 79 to Taylor where I finally met up with I-20 East Bound. Never pleasant driving into the rising sun. Stopped for fuel in Jacksonville, Texas. To this point most of the roads were local two-lanes with winding ways and traffic lights in small cities—I'd call them towns in Canada.

I-20 is a 75 mph expressway. Left the Great State of Texas around 10:30 just short of Shreveport, Louisiana where I got off West of the city to camp at Tall Pines KOA. Paused for a free coffee at the Welcome Centre. The Red River divides Shreveport from Bossier and at present is at flood stage. That same river divides the state of Texas from Oklahoma where the oxbows existed when the border was defined. In the Texas Panhandle it cut the canyon that is Palo Duro.

The Shreveport KOA changed hands since I stayed there last but is still a pleasant location. Renewed my stay for a second day when I read the forecast for up North. Warm enough in Shreveport that I ran A/C all day and limited my sun exposure. I did get out to shoot some pictures.

Remarkably little traffic Tuesday Morning as I headed out leaving I-20 to take a regional two-lane north to Texarkana. The highway passed through rural farm country and wooded areas. Stopped before taking I-30 for brunch at Dennys. Still can't make decent coffee and my waitress here couldn't get my order right and had to be reminded to bring the orange juice the menu included. Stopped at the Arkansas Welcome Centre.

Passed the boyhood home of Bill Clinton at Hope, AR. Traffic was light until I approached Little Rock where I switched to I-40 a heavily travelled truck route. Nothing worse than getting caught behind two tractor trailers attempting to pass. The day was sunny and warm though cooled enough that I didn't have to run A/C. Only a slight breeze. Lost track of the fuel gauge as the miles passed until the low fuel alarm sounded. Fortunately there was an exit immediately after with an aging Shell Station where the geriatric fuel pump strained to pump 30 gallons of fuel. The card reader was non-functional. I was 25 miles short of my destination after driving 360 miles on a single tank.

Tom Sawyer's RV Park is on the Mississippi flood plane and the access route passes through a nondescript semi-industrial subdivision. West Memphis doesn't amount to much. A sign on the two-storey washroom/laundry building indicates the Flood Level in May 2011 about 15 feet up. The host's hillbilly beard reaches mid-chest.

The campground was full overnight but cleared out rapidly Wednesday Morning despite rather stiff winds blowing the dust around. I booked for two nights. Ole Man River is in full flood but still within its banks though the current has upstream barges moving at a proverbial snail's pace.

Internet Wi-Fi here, never up to much failed shortly after I sent my safe arrival E-mail and has been down ever since. The claim is that the ISP isn't answering calls. At least the power works. Wonder of wonders....