Miss T and I have been planning to drive out to visit our daughter in Oklahoma for the past few years. Tina has flown out several times, but I haven't been out since they bought their little horse farm. My son - in - law is a civilian instructor at the same Air Force Base he used to teach at on active duty in Wichita Falls, TX and they live just across the border. I no longer fly commercial. I love to fly, and have my Aircrew Wings from my time in helos, flew commercial often in the past but it's become too much of a hassle this past few years, so I just don't. I think they intentionally chose those with Mr. T attitudes when they first did the TSA hiring, and told them to be extra nasty to the folks with physical challenges.
We needed to drive out anyway, we had a full pickup load of "stuff" to take out. We have been decluttering the house and outbuildings for the last five years or so and giving family stuff to the kids, and had a lot of stuff for Jess and family.There have been several obstacles in the way. The last trip planned was just days away when I made like the Disney Fantasia Hippo, flew through the air, landed on my face on the deck and shattered my right femur. No I wasn't graceful and it certainly wasn't pretty. Needless to say the helo flight took me NOT to Oklahoma but to the nearest major trauma center and I spent nearly six months learning to walk again.
That was more than two years ago. WE had big plans... going to meet one of my friends from another forum, and attend a Comanche Nation event.Finally everything lined up and last week, we loaded up the truck, and set out. Along the way, we stopped off and had dinner with a WN'er and his better half in TN. Then drove on.... a couple days later met up with another WN'er in OK and had lunch. Good Food, Good Conversation, and new friends. What more could you ask for? Great to put faces with the names and to finally meet folks in person.
Drove on down after the lunch meeting and spent a couple days with the daughter and her family on her farm in southern OK. Can't get much more southern.. three minutes from the Texas border.
Mother Nature had to stick HER nose in, and we loaded up the wagon, hitched up the mules and headed back home a day early to stay ahead of the weather. They had a cold front rolling in and had reports of freezing temps and nasty weather in the mountains and may even have (Gasp) Snow in the forecast for the beginning of the week. We can handle the driving in the bad weather.... but a decade of professional driving in that weather and four years on the ambulance in it... I don't trust everyone else.
We ended up back home two days before we were scheduled, but... we avoided the weather.Out and back, safe and sound. No tickets.
Trick to that is setting the cruise within a couple MPH of the speed limit and enjoying the scenery. We weren't in a hurry. Whew... long trip. I'll pay for it for a week, I'll betcha.
A couple notable things from the trip. Arkansas and parts of OK were seriously flooded. In talking with folks they said it was NOT normal. They have had some serious rain the last few weeks and the areas around I40 don't normally look like swampland. Cool
For those of you with lead feet? Arkansas has a welcome sign when you enter the state.
Welcome to Arkansas
Speed Limit Strictly Enforced
No tolerances
We saw more tickets written in Arkansas, than in all the other states combined. We saw three vehicles getting tickets within the first mile over the state line headed west. Same / Same headed east.
We had a guy in a Red Silverado blow by us about 20 over the speed limit.
Tina said, "There is a guy who is ASKING for a ticket."
The Arkansas State Police were giving him what he had asked for fifteen minutes later when we drove past. Crazy
About thirty minutes later, he blew past us like we were parked. You know he had to be humming along to catch us, AND pass us.
"Man, he just doesn't learn does he?" I said.
We passed him a bit later, and ...
Yup, another State Trooper was adding to his paperwork collection.
We stopped a bit later for a bathroom break and to fill up the truck, then got back on the road.
Few miles up the road, there sits the red Silverado on the roadside, empty and abandoned.
Strike Three?
Welcome to Arkansas
Speed Limit Strictly Enforced
You can bet that while driving in AK, heading to OK, and on the return leg, we were no more than 2mph over the speed limit.
In the past, we have often done a lot of our driving at night due to the lower traffic and less hassle. We were extremely glad we didn't this time. There were a huge number of deer carcasses (or pieces / parts) on the highway, and often accompanied by car parts. We didn't used to see that many. Don't know what drives the increase.
Overall a very nice trip. There were, of course, a few irritants here and there, but aren't there always?
We did our part to make sure that it went as smooth as possible. We took the Titan to our "Guy" and had the truck serviced and checked over. They did a pre-trip inspection. Oil Change, Rotate and Balance, belts and hoses, all fluid levels... etc. Truck ran like a top.
Went over our standard pre-trip checklist before leaving the house. Turn offs, calls to make. (Alarm Company, PD, Mail, etc.) Less to worry about or did we's? My keyholder is a former Police Sergeant, and our neighbor checks on the house twice a day. Peace of mind.
It was a trip with a mission and there were a number of things we didn't get to stop and check out. Right on the banks of the Mississippi River as you cross over on I-40 is a huge Bass Pro Shops with a Giant Pyramid that you can see from a mile away. Something like 40 stories tall. I would have liked to stop in just to check it out.
We also passed the Remington Ammunition Plant.. wonder if they give tours.
Of course, we drove thru Nashville and there were a number of big names on the billboards..
Driving thru the mountains, we crossed a number of rolling streams that I swear I heard "trout" calling my name. I didn't have one fly rod in the truck... not one. We saw beautiful lakes and rivers and the trailer with the kayaks was sitting in the boathouse at home.
It just wasn't that type of vacation.
The last long trip we took to FL to check on my Dad and Stepmom was similar...run down, spend a day or two, and dash back home.
Not much of a vacation. All those fish, and not a fly rod in sight. 
Maybe next summer.
