Day 12

This morning, just after we left the “Keep your dog off off of the grass RV camp”, our I phones computer guidance system tried to send us on a bizarre multi u -turn journey to get to I – 25. But fortunately, this trip has taught me that you can put your underpants on at the same time as your jeans and to stop depending so much on the iPhone for directions.  So, before you leave on a trip, look at the route in detail that your “Smart Ass phone” has planned for you. Zoom in on that blue line and decide if there’s really a bridge over that river before you take the plunge. Also, look around and use your brain. This morning, for example, we stopped at an intersection and the very polite and persuasive computer voice said “Turn right and proceed 5 miles to route 80.” I looked to the left, and 100’ away was the on ramp to south I-25. I cranked the wheel to the left and hit the gas. “Nice try knuckle head!” It didn’t hear me.

You would think that a true “smart” phone in this situation would say “Oh! I did not think of that. Please proceed on I-25 south smart human.” But instead it stubbornly kept trying to get me to do u turns for about two miles down the interstate before it was like (“Fine… you have the steering wheel”) “Proceed on route.” And so:we did.

Our route is now I-40 which is the same route as the old Route 66. Old people like me will remember it from the tv show of the same name. Everyone else will remember it from the animated movie “Cars”. And just like in that movie the old signs, businesses and attractions are either abandoned or really struggling. Especially across Texas.The upper part of Texas isn’t pretty. It’s old tired, used and abused.

However, Oklahoma actually is O.K.!   In fact it’s better than that… it’s .really nice. You can tell there’s been a great deal of investment in the corridor. Even the industrial and farm properties are well kept and well cared for. So much so that we decided to stop at (yet another) KOA just outside of Oklahoma City.

After we set up camp, we were going to walk over to the near by “Cherokee restaurant” when we noticed some ominous clouds gathering. This is tornado country (Remember the movie Twister?) so we thought we might wait for a bit. Plus, the camp host had casually said “Oh yeah, and if a bad storm comes, the shelter is the bathrooms.” Not a pretty thought. 50 retirees, parents and babies and a group of oil field workers huddling in a garage sized bathroom.

And then it actually got pretty bad. The RV got rocked with 70 m.p.h. winds, torrential rain and hellacious lightning for a good hour. As a Floridian, I can tell you that it was a hurricane like experience. But we stayed snug inside of “Thor”, which, now seems an even more fitting name for our motor home. The rain has stopped for now… but there are more storms on the way.

Hopefully, we will only have to use the bathroom for it’s intended purpose tonight and then tomorrow we head to Memphis!