Dodge City KS & Joplin MO

 

As mentioned in my last blog, with the weather turning nasty in the Denver, CO area spreading to the south and east, I decided to take off for the Dodge City KOA at 3:30 pm the day before scheduled. I knew I would be driving into the night but how bad could that be? Have you ever driven through the Midwest? (Here, hold my beer.)

Some adjectives to describe driving through the Midwest:
long, straight, barren, desolate, boring, dangerous.
Dangerous? Gusts of crosswinds could easily throw you "off course" IF you're
driving a "high profile vehicle" like an RV. My knuckles are still white.

But, I had a late lunch, my cup o' Joe, my music, a full tank of gas and the feeling that I was leaving "blizzard conditions" behind me. The NWS definition of blizzard: "storms with sustained or frequent winds of 35 mph or higher with considerable falling and/or blowing snow that frequently reduces visibility to 1/4 of a mile or less. These conditions are expected to prevail for a minimum of 3 hours." Who needed that?

First problem encountered; a gas pump whose automatic shut-off malfunctioned in Lamar, Colorado resulting in a pool of diesel.

That's about 3 or 4 gallons of diesel spilled as I'm paying attention to the latest
weather reports behind and ahead of me. Curse, curse and I'm sure about $15-$20 wasted.

Second problem encountered; In the middle of nowhere, around 9:30 pm, no lights anywhere, pitch black, no towns for miles, on a Sunday night, my digital display sounds an alarm about "getting to a tire workshop." Background: A week ago, I had an unexpected expense; the purchase of 6 (yes, S-I-X) new tires in Williams, AZ. With 25,000 miles on them it was overdue and one showed signs of failing (and supposedly, when one goes you should change all.). Fella at a gas station called my attention to it. I had to bite the bullet and accept the expense but have the future security of good tires for the remaining 2,400 miles back home. One day later, in Utah, my TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) gives an alarm of lowered pressure in the rear driver side outer tire. Fortunately, I am able to handle 'slow leaks' with my air compressor...but I had to fill the tire prior to each day's journey since then.

Third problem encountered: In Colorado, I called ahead to the KOA to inform them of my early arrival and to just leave a site number for me (my stay was already paid for) as I expected to arrive around 9 or 10 p.m. No answer, so I left a message. When I arrived, there was nothing for me. So I chose an empty spot and got cozy for the night. This was a blessing in disguise because now, arriving early, I could use the morning to visit OK Tire of Dodge City, a mile away. Now that was a pleasant experience. $28.00 later, a young kid, Tony, had the tire repaired as well as the leaky valve extender; the TPMS was now silent and happy. I then returned to KOA after an iHOP breakfast, signed in and now occupy site #88.

Fourth problem encountered: That very afternoon, I received a weather alert: "High winds and 'blizzard' conditions expected in Dodge City from 9 pm till 10 am Tuesday morning". Well, deja vu all over again, says I. Do I hunker down another day here or make a run for it and "get outta Dodge". The high winds decided for me. Beginning around 8:00 p.m., without stabilizing jacks, Winnie started to rock with each gust of wind. Throughout the night it was a rock and roll situation with winds gusting to 28 m.p.h. When I thought of the crosswinds encountered from CO to KS, I decided to hang out another day. Here's a glimpse of a windy night. Note the motion of the bathroom door and the venetian blind adjustment wand. It served as my unofficial "seismograph."

Tuesday morning. the snow is gone, the sun is shining, the temperature is 44º but the strong, gusty winds, now over 35 mph, persist. A good choice to stay, I think... Brandi, in the KOA office told me about a cousin in Austin who was hurt yesterday when walking into a Walmart and got caught up in a tornado that touched down. Friends, Pat and Marty in nearby Georgetown, speak of damaging winds in their neighborhood as well.

Fifth and final problem encountered: They don't sell potato chips! So now, I really gotta get outta Dodge, tomorrow.

A sunset in Kansas

Off to Joplin, MO

Today's 6¼ hour trip, including a fuel stop w/lunch, was uneventful but filled with wonder as the view from horizon to horizon was one of continuous farmland dotted with grazing herds of black Angus. On other farmlands, it was nice to see young, sprouting green plants as well. Rich, black soil recently plowed and turned awaiting seeds also gave a hint of spring. America's Heartland was once again getting ready to produce for the nation.  As expected and predicted, the gusty crosswinds buffeted Winnie for a few hours along SR400. In addition, oncoming semi's created enough of a wind punch that if you didn't anticipate and plan to compensate and navigate the major turbulence, you could be blown off course and into a ditch.

Bacon cheeseburger with pickles, onions,
ketchup and mustard. Quite good.
Had half for lunch and the other half for dinner.

My fuel saga continued. If you've read any of my past blogs...for years, the one thing that aggravated me, continues: Wherever I stop for gas, invariably, the next gas station I come upon posts a cheaper price. It continued. Love's Fuel/Truck Stops continue to be the most expensive I found. Today, after filling up, the next gas station a few miles further along, diesel was $.20/gal. cheaper. Love's diesel: $4.889/gal., Conoco diesel: $4.699/gal. Why did I stop at a Love's? Because in these parts, you don't know if you'll ever see another gas station. There are no signs along the highway to indicate upcoming amenities. And, as you're cruising along at 70 mph, you notice too late the gas station on the other side of the road and there's no way you can turn around. It was at my second stop (Conoco in Severy, KS) that I stopped for cheaper diesel and a lunch break. Did you ever have a Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza?

Joplin, MO, is about as close as you can get to the OK, KS borders. They have their own little Tri-State Marker located at 1183 South East 118th Street, 

With the loss of a day due to weather, some changes in my itinerary had to be made. I'm eliminating Bluff Dwellers Cave, south of Joplin; a 100-mile out-of-the-way round trip in the wrong direction. Another cavern tour? I'm okay with that. I have another scheduled in Hummelstown, PA, a 1:00 p.m.  A tour of Indian Echo Cavern. There are over 4,900 caves in the US, so I don't have to see them all this trip.  I decided to also eliminate...

Grand Falls  just outside Joplin. This photo is from website, so I've just seen it. And,

 

Bonnie and Clyde's apartment hideout 
which you can view only from the outside. So, I just saw what had to be seen.

Tomorrow I'm off for the St. Louis West/Historic Route 66 KOA in Eureka, MO, for my next overnight stay. When I leave there, just thirty miles later, I'll try to take in a morning,  free two-hour tour of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery and then make the 2:00 Gateway Arch Tram ride in St. Louis. Till then, take care.