Day 1 - May 13, 2013  Birmingham, AL to St. Louis, MO

David has assured me we can do this all in one day, so I pick the time to leave.  6:00 a.m.  I just didn't say what time zone!  We loaded the car with the last load for the RV, grabbed the dog, and headed for the RV.

It's Monday, May 13 and cold for Alabama.  It's down in the 40's, but it's sunny.  Both the dog and I have on our winter clothes.

Today the plan is to drive to St. Louis.  Rather, David will be driving.  I can't drive the truck much less the truck and trailer.  Besides, I have enough trouble just getting into the truck!  David says his job is to drive and supply the money and mine is to tell him where to go...well, the GPS and I will tell him.  I have a long list of places to go!

After St. Louis, we'll turn left and head to Utah.  Along the way we have a number of stops planned.  The trip home will have us in Kentucky for a number of days.  We have friends to see in Louisville and I want to try to photograph moon bows at Cumberland Falls.  Moon bows you ask?  Like rainbows around falls in the sun, but taken at night by moonlight.

Just before 7:00 a.m. we head out!  Of course, Sir Garmin wants to route us one way and we want to go another.  Easy to silence the GPS!  We're taking Corridor X (Future I-22) to Memphis.  We've been this way before, but this time we actually saw a real I-22 sign.  Missed taking a picture of it and didn't see another one!

8:33 a.m.  Pit stop for the dog.  She is on heart medication and a diuretic.  She takes in a lot of water...and you know the rest.

9:14 a.m.  Mississippi!

Fuel Stop in New Albany, MS - $3.25 a gallon.

11:42 a.m.  Tennessee!

12:12 p.m.  Arkansas!

Time for lunch at the rest area and back on the road at 12:50 p.m.

1:57 p.m.  Missouri!  We're thinking one more state to go - Illinois to spend the night.  After looking at the road map and ignoring the GPS, we decide to turn left at St. Louis and keep driving on to St. Charles.  Keeps us from driving on to I-70 in the morning traffic of St. Louis.  If we'd known then what we know now, we'd have headed to Illinois!

3:30 p.m.  Fuel in Cape Giradeau $3.49

We arrived at the "new" campground just before 6:00 p.m.  David went to register, but found a note that they closed at 5:00 p.m. and to find a spot and register in the morning after 8:00 a.m.   So....we did.  We're near the interstate, airport, and train tracks.  Oh, the river is right beside the campground.  It's level and we're tired.

David was outside setting up the RV when he hears screams.  A woman has closed her hand in the trunk of her car.  Her husband has to go inside, get the keys and unlock the trunk.  David went to see if he could help. The lady had a nasty cut, but didn't appear to have broken anything.  Her husband took her to the ER, but we didn't know what else happened to her.  Didn't see her again.

We were so tired we went to bed early.  We had planned to leave early as the next day was about 500 miles, too, but having to wait until the office opened at 8:00 a.m. stopped that.  Shortly before 8:00 a.m., I saw the office open.  Good thing I didn't go.

David had gone to the bathhouse earlier, but couldn't get in because he didn't have the code.  We couldn't use the wi-fi because we didn't have the code.  David asked the lady why it wasn't posted somewhere.  She replied it was to keep the "riff-raff" out.  That didn't set well.  Paid $60 to park on a noisy concrete pad.  Had I known, I'd have spent my first night at Wal-Mart!

So much for Day One.

There's a better day coming!

Jenny :)