We drove through mostly farmland again from Kansas City, MO to Lexington, KY. We crossed the mighty Mississippi River in St. Louis, MO where the evidence of the swollen river was all around. This is where we were to pick up I-64 from I-70 but we were surprised to find signs telling us it was closed. Karen called the Road Conditions number given her by AAA to get redirected. After a few minutes delay we were back on track toward the familiar I-64 - the road HOME! At 7:00 pm we arrived in Lexington but had to make one more stop at….WalMart. The last provisions stop. The unfortunate thing about a small space is there isn’t much storage room for food for 4 people, so we had to stop frequently for food stuffs. We finally pulled ... read more

The morning did improve. Breakfast and showers for everyone were first on the agenda, then a thorough cleaning for mini-Molly inside and out. She has seen some rough terrain and has been inhabited non-stop for 10 days. She needed it! We packed up and headed out. Next to the campground was a funny little animal farm. That's where we saw the goats clibing the goat bridge. On to Mount Rushmore. Can you remember the order of the presidents on the monument? (Answer at the end). The campground was an easy five miles from the monument so it was a quick drive. Rounding the last hairpin turn on the mountain you get your first glimpse of the majestic sculpture. Its dimensions are astounding and its amazing how well-proportioned is each image. The engineers among our readers will ... read more

Heading east to Albuquerque NM, we’ll hang a left toward Denver. On the road for another very long day of driving. We were very late leaving Williams and made a stop in Flagstaff so our travel time began about three hours behind schedule. Crossing another time zone back into mountain time, we took a vote and decided to stop short of our goal. We spent the night in the parking lot at, where else, WalMart in Trinidad CO, just over the border. Just one more thing, my husband has a history of consistently bringing rain with him on trips. He visited Phoenix for a week 6 years ago. It rained for 7 straight days. This trip to Arizona it poured rain on us at the Grand Canyon and it rained on us in Flagstaff while we ... read more

After a SWELTERING night on Lake Mead, we hit the road again. It was over 100 degrees all night and we took a vote - a dry heat is STILL heat. The treat was waking up the next morning to the view of the lake. The orange-brown mountains plunging straight down into the blue-green lake with a band of white dividing the two was a beautiful sight. The lake is 55 feet below its normal level due to a nine year drought which is what created the white band of calcium and aluminum deposits on the canyon walls. It was a Saturday morning so there were easily a hundred boats and other water vessels on the lake enjoying a respite from the heat. The RV park was a mere 10 minutes from Hoover Dam, a place ... read more

Starting out at 7:00 am we made tracks for Utah. The Bridger Teton National Forrest gave way to rolling hills and beautiful countryside as we made our way to Salt Lake. This seemingly endless drive through ranch land sporting llama and deer farms was interesting, yet timeless. These small-town communities sprouting out of the plains are a testament to the hardiness of Americans. Arriving in Salt Lake City was a shock to the body. It was 44 degrees in Jackson Hole when we left and 104 degrees in Salt Lake when we arrived around 1:30 pm. The helpful KOA staff assisted us in securing directions to the nearest transmission specialist. The Chrysler dealer was unfriendly and unwilling to help but we found quite the opposite reception when calling Aamco. Since we had to tow the vehicle ... read more