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Day 1
West from the Blowout
Day 2
Evidence Missing
Day 3
Old Pavement
Day 4
No Pavement
Day 5
To the Easel
Day 6
The PPOO's PP
Day 7
Colorado Cruising
Day 8
A Pair of Ghost Towns
Day 9
Cows and Pictographs
Day 10
NOTR, PPOO, and Route 66
Day 11
Going to the Son Highway
Day 12
Stationary
Day 13
Starting Home
Day 14
A Little Slow Motion
Day 15
Out of California
Day 16
It's Getting Cooler
Day 17
Unfriendly Weather
Day 18
Missions Accomplished
Day 19
Pie and Sky
Day 20
NM Favorites
Day 21
A Pause With Family
Day 22
Historic Hotel, Czech
Day 23
Unplanned Side Trip
Day 24
Baseball, Jazz, & Loose Meat
Day 25
More Missouri
Day 26
Switching Trails
Day 27
To the Land of Lincoln
Day 28
NOTR Finish
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Postlude - November 12, 2024
Since this trip ran immediately into the Miles of Possibility trip, the
mileage and fuel numbers I have include the five days of that trip. During
the two trips I accumulated 7200 miles and burned 226 gallons of gas. That
works out to about 31.9 MPG which is just a scoch under the 32.4 that the
car's computer reported. I guess the Forester is broken in now. When I got
home, I immediately took the three and a half month old car in for its
second oil change with 13,000 miles on the odometer.
I finished Illinois and crossed all of Indiana to end up right back where
I started Part 1 of this trip in August. The day was filled with big
things in small towns and vice versa.
After exposing myself to some Lewis an Clark history, I moved from the
land of Boone to the land of Lincoln.
I reached the end of one of the old trails of the National Old Trails Road
and the beginning of another as a few memories were triggered.
Ladies both began and ended the day. One was quite solid while the other
looked rather fragile.
I took a few more pictures in Council Grove, stopped at a battle field,
went to Kansas City, and dined at a real drive-in.
I experienced bierock and being mooed for the first time, and saw the
Madonna that first completed the set for me a second time. In between, I
took a little Santa Fe Trail side trip.
Another night in a historic hotel but one that is in the Czech Capital of
Kansas. Along the way, I found a windmill, wagon ruts, longhorn cattle,
and a chapel with an Ohio connection.
After a night in a historic hotel, I stopped to visit a cousin before
reaching another Madonna of the Trail monument.
I began the day at a favorite roadside attraction near Albuquerque then
stopped by another Madonna and moved on north.
Another Madonna to start the day then a tasty stop in a town I'd never
heard of and a nice drive through a field of dishes.
I managed to complete both of my hoped for side trips today although one
turned out to be a little more interesting than anticipated.
Starting a day with hail and snow is almost never good and it certainly
wasn't today. I made it to Holbrook but did not get in either of the side
trips I had planned.
The day started with a cool meet-up in Kingman and ended with cool
temperatures in Flagstaff. In between were Hackberry, Seligman, and
Williams.
I eventually made it to Arizona after taking a commercial break and
setting a new personal high for gas pricing.
After a pretty major delay near Keenbrook, CA, I stopped by a purveyor of
gigantic lawn ornaments and a familiar museum and bottle tree ranch. The
day ended in Barstow, CA.
Although I didn't really get too far, I did turn east toward home today.
No travel today. Jut time with my on and his family.
I did mostly drive-by shots as I wrapped up my PPOO drive and set off for
San Diego to visit my son.
Arizona and Nevada didn't take long and road closures hastened me on my
way to a familiar stop for the night in California.
The day ended in Arizona after cruising some open range, looking over some
ancient art, and passing through a town where everyone is ready for
Halloween.
I visited two ghost towns today but one was in a canyon that was more
interesting than the town.
There was nothing particularly special on today's drive but there was
plenty of stunning Colorado scenery.
I crossed into Colorado and drove what is possibly the ultimate dead-end
road.
Three old theaters, two old gas stations, and one easel. Oh, and a
bulldozer, too.
I entered Kansas twice today. Once to have breakfast with a friend and
once to cross the Jefferson Highway, revisit a well known cemetery, and
drive some unpaved roadway.
Hannibal, Missouri, was the day's centerpiece with some sections of old
roadway both before and after.
Losing a memory card means the only photo I have of the day's travel is one
from my phone.
I returned to the scene of the tire blowout that ended part one of this
trip, and made it somewhat beyond where that drive was supposed to end. Is
three hamburger joints a day excessive?
When I first decided to split crossing the country on the National Old
Trails Roads and Pike's Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway, I anticipated just
adding to the online journal for the first part when I continued the trip
later. However, with some time to think about it, I have decided that
starting a separate journal for part two would be more consistent with how
things have been done in the past. I will include a link on the last day
of part one that connects to the first day of part two and vice versa for
the first day of part two. Otherwise, the trips will appear as separate
outings on this site although this same continent wide locator map is used
for both.
For anyone interested in the thinking behind these trips and their
scheduling, I suggest reading the
preludes to part one.
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