Arkansas is REALLY Flat!

Early morning at rest area in eastern Arkansas

One of the first things I noticed when we started driving west on I-40 in eastern Arkansas was that it is flat - really flat. They have some interesting crops at this time of year. We saw cotton that was ready to be picked, something that Don thought was milo in its early growth phase (less than a foot tall); some short, green cover crop (or possibly winter wheat); and some fields that were in various stages of pre-planting.

Field of ripe cotton

Did I mention it's flat?!

Look closely.......This lady had a dachshund!!! (Couldn't resist this one)

Little Rock is in the middle of the state, and we could just see a glimpse of its skyline in the distance.

The rest of Arkansas is still flat but at least it has more trees. 

We left Arkansas at dusk. By sunset, we were in Texas!

(Ignore the smudges on the windshield.)

Tennessee, Arkansas and a Gift of Time

We had pulled into the truck/RV area of the rest area long past dark on Saturday night, so I had no idea of the beautiful sight that would great us the next morning. It just goes to show that there can be beauty all around us, but we can't always see it.

Ours and "Not Ours" 

In order to go from southwestern Virginia into northeastern Tennessee, one has to cross the Appalachian mountains. They happen to be quite beautiful but large, aging motor homes pulling vans do not like them. Our poor RV struggled to hit 25 miles per hour going up those hills. Don said that an RV with a diesel "pusher" would have had no trouble with the hills, but our 1990  Winnebago "Chieftan" had a very hard time.

We did run into one traffic jam on I-40. All of a sudden, the traffic was just stopped. We sat on the road, with no one moving, for a good 15 or 20 minutes. Then everyone started moving again and we never did see what the problem was. My guess is that there was an accident that was cleared right before we got there. We saw what appeared to be some remnants of an accident on the side of the road, but who knows.........



After struggling to go up and down over the mountains in Virginia and eastern Tennessee, the highway flattened out and we began to make good time. However, after a long day of driving, we still had made it only to West Memphis, which is in Arkansas, just west of Memphis, Tennessee, and the border between Tennessee and Arkansas. It was time to admit to ourselves that it would be impossible to reach Tucson in time for me to start my job at 6 pm Monday, October 22. I sent an email to my new boss to tell her what was happening and she replied back that we should not worry--I can just start Thursday afternoon, instead. What a HUGE relief! Now, we could take our time and not have to push ourselves OR the RV. After we got that great piece of news, we settled in for a good night's sleep, instead of what we thought was going to be a quick nap and the need to get back on the road.

Virginia, the State That Goes On and On....

Early morning, I-81 in north-central Virginia

I think we should chalk up our trip through Virginia as the day we spent recovering. We entered the state of Virginia on Friday night (October 19), in a state of exhaustion, exacerbated by rain, traffic, bumpy roads, and construction zones and had to stop every few hours just to rest. Everyone knows that Pennsylvania is a huge state, so it is no surprise when it takes a long time to get through it. But Virginia--It just doesn't look that big. Friday night, we parked in an overcrowded rest area on I-81 in northern Virginia. We had tried to stop at the one in West Virginia, but it was completely jammed with tractor trailers. We did get a pretty good night's sleep and were up early Saturday morning.

Don, in the driver's seat of the motor home

 

Our next stop was Staunton, Virginia, where my parents relocated in 1976, the year I started veterinary school. My sister and her family moved there, too, about 10 or 12 years later, to be near my mother. (My father had died in 1982.)

Entering Staunton, VA

  We just had to have breakfast at Kathy's restaurant in Staunton, one last time before moving West. My mother passed away in September, 2011, and her house was sold earlier this month, on October 1.

We headed out again after breakfast, but were still so tired from the difficult driving conditions the previous day that we had to stop for a short nap. While we were resting, Don got the satellite radio installed, an essential part of Don's ability to remain energized while he drives. Since he is most comfortable and relaxed when he is doing the driving, keeping him energized is a top priority!  Fortunately, after this, we were both rejuvenated and ready for the rest of the journey. We finally made it to to farthest. southwest corner of Virginia and spent a restful night at a rest area.

Going through the mountains of Virginia

Daylight is waning.

A Beautiful Sunset over I-81

Pennsylvania.....and a Quick Visit With Family on I-78.

I-78, near Allentown, PA

Yesterday, it rained for most of the morning and afternoon, but later, the sun came out and I was reminded about how beautiful the hills of Pennsylvania are.

My sister, her husband, and their English Mastiff "Scout" were heading to Vermont from Virginia along the same route that we were travelling--only in opposite directions. We were passing each other near Allentown, so we met briefly at the Cracker Barrel, where Don and I stopped to eat, while my sister and husband kept going.




Don was still so exhausted from the packing ordeal that we stopped again in northern Virginia and puttered around WalMart for a while, picking up miscellaneous supplies. I am glad we did, though, because just as we were getting ready to leave again, a narrow vertical band of severe weather came through and really pounded us---thankfully, only in the parking lot.




.