FARTHER SOUTH

While still in Illinois, we started feeling the effects of Hurricane Helene with wind in the 40 MPH range and lots of rain.  No flooding where we were, but we did see some of the local creeks swell and spilling over their banks.  It rained pretty solid for 3 days before letting up some.  We managed to stay dry and see what we had intended on seeing.

In Kentucky we stayed in a nice Corp of Engineers campground (COE) in The Land Between The Lakes.  Formed when the Kentucky Dam across the Tennessee River was built.   The resulting lakes surrounded the high ground forming a 170,000 acre inland peninsula.  Approximately 110,000 acres are in Kentucky and 60,000 in Tennessee. Lake Barkley and Lake Tennessee are part of the Tennessee Valley Authority which provides power, flood control in addition to miles of river and lake fishing and boating. In my opinion, COE campgrounds are above the rest in the Federal Park system.  Clean, well maintained and usually scenic.  That campsites are spacious with plenty of space between you and your neighbor.

We took the scenic drive which travels the length of the peninsula taking us to a demonstration village set in the 1800’s. Most scenic drives in the east and south consist of a road or highway cut through the thick forest allowing you views of the trees.  Unlike the west, there are few grand vistas.  At HOMEPLACE the demonstration village, the buildings are original but moved there from other homesites in the area.  Not too many demonstrations going on being a weekday, but volunteers who were there answered all our questions.  Check out some of the building methods of the time.

We next headed to Eastern Tennessee to visit a friend.  The community where he lives was spared from hurricane damage, but many places within a few miles were devastated.  We made one more stop at DEFEATED CREEK, another COE campground. This one was a real gem right on another TVA lake.  We were disappointed that we would only be staying one night.  It gets its name from a Cherokee Indian attack on a group of settlers who were surveying the area and were run off by the Indians.

In getting to Eastern Tennessee, we abandoned the blue highways and jumped on the Interstate.  We noted that driving on blue highways was way better and less stressful.  After a month of avoiding the Interstate and now on one, we knew that blue highways were the way to go. We stayed 3 nights camped in front of Randy and Liz’s beautiful home in the Tennessee hills.  Randy and I used to work together back in the day.  We enjoyed catching up, telling war stories and reminiscing about our old partners.  We barely scratched the surface so perhaps there’ll be another visit in the future.

We took a little time away from the story telling, and attempted to pay a visit to Davy Crockett’s birthday place.  We soon discovered that a visit was not possible due to the flood damage it and the adjoining campground sustained.

Leaving Randy’s we again took the Interstate back to the west, landing in Nashville for a couple of nights for a resupply.  It is here where we will turn left and head to New Orleans.

SLOW TRAVEL CONTINUES

 We continued southeastward still sticking to Blue Highways, passing through many small towns and staying in government campgrounds.  In the small town of  Keosauqua, say that three times fast, we stayed in a beautiful state park of the same name.  The towns population is less than a thousand souls and at lest some of it’s livelihood comes from supporting folks who canoe the Des Moines River  The town derives it’s name from the Meskwaki and Sauk Indians, meaning, bend in the river. Being right on the river an early morning sunrise walk was in store.  Heavily wooded, most of the views were restricted but I did manage to see the sunrise. Still beautiful made all the more enjoyable with numerous deer scurrying away upon my approach.

Continuing on we reached the Mississippi River in the town of Canton Missouri. Here we managed to snag a spot in a city park which is situated on a narrow strip between the river and the railroad.  The best of both worlds, watching river barges entering and exiting the locks and trains going by right behind the RV.  Who could ask for anything more.  Most of the barge tows comprise of 15 barges, three abreast pushed by a powerful tug.  The locks can accommodate the width of the three barges, but the 15 barge length is too long to fit.  The group is split and sent through in two sections, which takes time.  At times they line up waiting for their turn through.

                                                             A MISSISSIPPI RIVER SUNRISE

After a couple of days we moved on crossing the river into Illinois, stopping in Springfield to explore the State Capital.  It is our practice to visit the capital in states we pass through, taking in the capital building and other historic sites.  Being the Land of Lincoln, Illinois and its capital is full of sites relating to President Lincoln.  His home, THE LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSUEM  are within walking distance of each other.  The Library just had a few displays, but the museum was very well done.   His HOME has been restored and much of the furniture inside belonged to him.  Operated by the National Parks, you can take a guided tour which is free as required by Lincoln’s son when he donated the house to the government.  The four square blocks around the house have been purchased by the Park Service and the homes and buildings have been restored.  Many are open for you to explore on your own, with docents available to answer your questions.  We were disappointed that we were unable to tour the capital building as it was undergoing major restoration project.

Heading south we crossed the Ohio River at Paducah, Kentucky.  If we had known about the Brookport Bridge, we would have jumped on the interstate to cross the river, but we didn’t know until it was too late.  So we’re going along fat, dumb and happy when we come to bridge,  It was appropriately painted blue as a blue highway crosses it.  After entering the steep approach to the bridge, Cathie says, “Did you see that sign back there? It says the hight restriction is 9”6’!”  Nah, that can’t be right, must be the width.  We are 11’7” high, but it had to the reference to the width.  The bridge is a steel deck bridge which what wet because of the rain. That made it very slippery, spinning the tires up the steel ramp and a little bit of fishtailing.  That will get your attention when pulling a trailer.  Not fun.  Turns out the height is higher than 9”6’, the sign is meant to keep semi-trucks off the bridge.  It didn’t refer to the width either as the width restriction was 8 feet.  We’re having fun now!  It was a white knuckle E-ticket ride with a high pucker value.  Just shy of a mile in length our hearts were pounding and we breathed a huge sigh of relief having made it.  I would do it again in a car, but never with a trailer.  That’s why it’s called Gassaway’s Adventures.

NOT MY VIDEO

Next up, Kentucky and Tennessee 

OMAHA AND BEYOND

We spent a couple of days in Johnny Carson’s home town of Norfolk.  I managed to get in a couple of bike rides on a combination of bike trails and city residential streets.  Found a nice little coffee shop downtown and having arrived before they opened I waited with a homeless guy who filled me in on the city.  Actually a nice guy and he appeared to be sane.  He was there the next morning with his guitar strumming away while he waited for the coffee shop to open.

Continuing on still on our preferred blue routes, we made our way to Omaha for a re-supply.  We seem to always make a stop here on our cross country trips.  It’s right about in the middle of the country and has everything we need, Costco, Trader Joe’s plus things to do and see.  We stayed in a new (for us) city campground at GLEN CUNNINGHAM LAKE that has water, electrical and sewer hookups for the RV.  Large mature trees, maintained grass, and a paved trail for bikes and walkers around the lake.  Omaha has miles of paved bikes trails around the city, another reason to stop here.

We did manage to get downtown to see the JOSLYN ART MUSEUM.  A large facility with many galleries and many styles of art, from the European master, to American western and Native American.  We spent a couple of hours there and I especially liked the Native American exhibit with its pottery, decorated leather and beaded items.  In downtown there is a series of life sized bronze statues depicting the arrival of a pioneer wagon train.  The statues cover several blocks, with buffalo fleeing the settlers arrival and the buffalo spooking Canadian Geese.

When arriving in Omaha, we got a trailer wiring fault on the trucks computer and the trailer brakes quit working.  Still drivable, but worrisome.  So I found That Place RV Repair in the small town of Fremont, Iowa that happened to be right on a blue highway and in the direction we wanted to go.  So I gave them a call and spoke with Rich, the owner and sole employee.  He said he could take a look at it on Thursday and to call him on Thursday morning to remind him.  That was a little unsettling, but maybe he has a tendency to sleep in.  On the appointed morning, a gave him a call and told him I was on my way.  Arriving at 9, he told he needed a couple of hours and suggested that we head to Oskaloosa, some 15 miles away and get some breakfast.  What about Fremont the town we were currently in.  No restaurants here, go to Oskloosa.  So that’s what we did.  Pretty small city with a courthouse on the town square.  Had breakfast at Julie’s Cafe which was ok, but the price of a 3 egg omelet with sausage and cheese, potatoes, toast and coffee for $8.50 made it better.  Got the truck washed for $7.50 and headed back to the RV shop.  Rich told me he solved the problem by replacing all of the wiring between the RV and the 4 wheels.  He said the old wiring looked “sketchy”.  $75 later and we’re back on the road with no more brake issues…..Gotta love Middle America.

                                                                          OSKALOOSA

After entering Iowa, we would occasionally see FREEDOM ROCKS in the towns we passed through.  Freedom Rocks are huge boulders painted to honor veterans, brainchild of Ray “Bubba” Sorensen and there is one in each of Iowa’s 99 counties.  Each one is different with many honoring veterans from the county in which each rock is located.  Click the above link and see photos of all of them.

SLOWING DOWN

 We pushed it to Denver crossing the Rockies on I-70 which is not a Blue Highway.  We would have skipped Denver altogether, but a visit with my sister and getting together with an old colleague was in store.  Denver was a good place to actually start our Blue Highway journey.  So after a couple of nights, we pushed off heading north on I-25 a few miles to hookup with Colorado Hwy 14 heading east.  Transversing the Pawnee National Grasslands, passing through small towns that mostly support the ranching and farming folks and on into Nebraska.

We saw very few cars, but those that passed the opposite direction would wave.  Most drivers would raise their hand slightly off the steering wheel and hold it up until we passed.  Then there is the one finger wave.  Usually a pickup truck with a guy wearing a cowboy hat in the driver’s seat. He would raise just his index finger while not taking his hand off the wheel and perhaps a nod.  And then there is the driver that just nods.  It’s nice to see these friendly folks and I am sure that if I had a flat, they are to ones who would stop and help. I discovered that those that wave is some fashion are men. Women don’t wave.

The land we travel through is mostly farms are open range.  Corn and soybeans are the prevalent crops, interspersed with cattle.  The towns we past through a small with just a few hundred in population.  One main street just a couple blocks long, most seem to have fallen on hard times.  The land is beautiful though, with its changing colors of browns and greens.  Every so often a lesser road of gravel intersects the highway.  We are sometimes forewarned of the crossing dirt road from some distance away.  Far off a speeding pickup truck, or a semi hauling grain, can be seen approaching on a collision course with us identified by its long dusty contrail.

We pulled into North Platte in the late afternoon and found a spot in the city park.  Almost every town we pass through support a park with campsites.  Some just parking on the grass, others with full hookups.  Cost varies from free to $25 depending on the amenities.  Most county fair grounds have spots for RV’s.  North Platte’s offerings in a large city park, offer a spot on the grass with a table.  The park also boasts a small zoo, ball fields, and a railroad museum.  All the more reason to stop here.

North Platte sits at the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers and was founded in 1866 when the Union Pacific Railroad reached here.  The railroad plays a big part in the city today with its Bailey Yards, the world’s largest rail yard.  It is here where trains heading in all directions come together and the rail cars are separated and put back together into new trains, depending on where the car has to go.  Also there is a major maintenance facility here. The yard encompasses more than 2800 acres, is 8 miles long and employs over 2000.  You can view the yards from the Gold Spike Tower, a 8 story viewing platform.

Keeping in the train vane, we checked out the small train display and museum in the park.  Small is relative when speaking of trains.  Only two engines, but as train engines go these were big.  The Challenger was delivered to the to the Union Pacific in 1943. It was one of 105 built and one of two that survive today.  It was designed to haul both haul and passenger trains and capable of obtaining speeds up to 80 MPH. Its tender is 47 feet long, held 28 tons of coal and 25,000 gallons of water. It was inservice until till 1961.  Also on display was a diesel electric locomotive similar to those in service today.  This locomotive is different from those in service today is that it has two power plants.  We were given a personal tour of both trains and the small museum by John, a docent who use to work for Union Pacific in the Bailey Yards.

After two nights in North Platte, we continued east stopping overnight at another city park in Ainsworth, Nebraska.  $10 for a spot with electricity and the bonus of a junior high football game.  The home team was getting slaughtered.  We are now in Norfolk, Nebraska for a couple of nights in hopes of getting a couple of bike rides in.  This is the eastern terminus of the Cowboy Trail, a 321 mile multi use trail on an abandoned railroad.

I will close with this observation; driving on Blue Highways beats the hell out of the Interstate.